Ideas Fest 2025 is underway in Tring, running across two days with its finale today. The festival is fast becoming one of the UK’s most dynamic gatherings for entrepreneurs, creatives, innovators and thinkers. With a packed programme of panels, stage talks, workshops, performances and networking, its mission is to bring together “big ideas” with real-world impact – in business, art, media, tech and social change.
One of the most exciting aspects of this year’s festival is its diverse lineup: Black and Asian speakers and performers are not just present, but playing central, leading roles. These voices bring fresh perspectives, challenge traditional narratives, and push boundaries across industries.
What Is Ideas Fest?
Ideas Fest is designed as a platform for cross-disciplinary exchange, blending business, culture, innovation and the arts. Its programme explores everything from marketing, sustainability, AI and inclusion to creative industries, mental health and the economics of culture. The event draws a mixed audience of business leaders, startup founders, creatives, investors and socially-minded delegates.
Taking place outdoors in Tring, the festival captures the energy of a cultural gathering while offering the depth of a professional summit. The setting encourages informal conversations, networking and live performances, making it more than just a conference – it feels like a creative camp for big ideas.
A standout feature of Ideas Fest 2025 is its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Black and Asian speakers and performers are not on the sidelines but at the centre of the programme, shaping the conversations about where business meets identity, technology meets culture, and creativity meets activism.
Black & Asian Speakers & Performers
Among the many powerful voices at this year’s Ideas Fest are:
- Christopher Kenna (Media Stream AI) – As CEO, Kenna is pioneering personalised live-TV (‘IntuiTV’) and developing sustainable, canal-cooled AI data centres. His work highlights how technology can merge innovation, representation and environmental responsibility.
- Amir Kazmi (Kerdos Capital) – An investment leader bringing deep expertise on scaling businesses, growth capital and global opportunities for underrepresented founders.
- Bimbi Philips (Bimbi Philips & Partners) – A creative entrepreneur who fuses marketing, music and strategy, Philips adds an artistic and cultural lens to conversations about brand and innovation.
- Chelsea Pinches-Burrowes (WCS, Cardiff Life) – A voice for regional media and community-focused business, Pinches-Burrowes highlights how storytelling and local platforms can shift wider narratives.
- Lottie Whyte (MyoMaster) – Co-founder of a performance and recovery brand, Whyte represents cutting-edge health and fitness innovation, sharing insights on resilience and entrepreneurial growth.
- Piers Linney (Implement AI, former Dragons’ Den investor) – A champion of AI adoption for business, Linney brings experience as both an entrepreneur and investor, with a focus on how diverse voices can shape the future of technology.
- Suman Randhawa (ATOMIC) – A leader in creative marketing and brand impact, Randhawa brings fresh perspectives on connecting culture, strategy and consumer engagement.
Themes Emerging from the Talks
Across both days, several themes are coming to the forefront. Authentic representation versus tokenism is a major point of discussion, with speakers urging for structural change rather than symbolic inclusion. Technology and inclusivity also dominate, as figures such as Kenna and Linney emphasise that AI and media innovation must be tools that empower underrepresented groups rather than reinforce bias.
Many Black and Asian entrepreneurs highlight that business is as much about cultural identity and storytelling as it is about profit. Intersectionality is also central, with lived experience weaving together issues of race, class, gender and personal identity. Sustainability and impact emerge as another unifying theme, reminding audiences that innovation should not only deliver growth but also create long-term social and environmental benefit.
Why These Voices Matter – and What They Signal
The prominence of Black and Asian speakers at Ideas Fest 2025 shows a cultural shift: their stories are not an add-on, they are central. These voices are shaping the festival’s narrative, setting the agenda, and redefining what innovation looks like.
For audiences, these perspectives open up new understandings of bias in tech, representation in media, entrepreneurial challenges, and cultural capital. For industries, they spotlight creativity, resilience and new business models.
Ideas Fest 2025 demonstrates how leadership, storytelling and innovation from Black and Asian voices are helping to shape a future where business and culture go hand in hand.
