Kanya King

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Kanya King Biography

Kanya King - Conference and keynote speaker, entrepreneur

Topics:

Business
Entrepreneurs
Innovation & Creativity
Inspirational
Women

Kanya King MBE is a superb keynote speaker and an internationally recognised entrepreneur and innovator in the British music industry. Kanya is a keen public and conference speaker and lends a proportion of her time to speaking at community, student and corporate functions.

Kanya King MBE - Founder of MOBO Organisation

As CEO and founder of MOBO Organisation, Kanya King is the dynamic force behind the MOBO Awards and has played an instrumental role in elevating black music and culture to mainstream popular status in the UK.

In the Beginning

Raised in Kilburn, North West London by her Ghanaian father and Irish mother, Kanya is the youngest daughter of nine children and grew up listening to and being inspired by black music. Whilst studying English Literature at Goldsmiths College in London, Kanya decided to organise her own live music events to highlight both the importance of and public demand for music of black origin.

Dedicated to following her passion, Kanya decided to take this one step further in 1996 whilst she was working as a TV researcher. Kanya came up with the idea of an awards ceremony with mass-market appeal, which would celebrate black music and music influenced & inspired by black music.

Having formulated a proposal and business plan for the MOBO Awards, Kanya King embarked on a tireless campaign to attract sponsors and interest from TV networks.

Kanya King MBE as Entrepeneur

Kanya’s overwhelming desire to succeed eventually led her to re-mortgage her house to raise the necessary finances to launch the first MOBO Awards. As well as funding the TV broadcast, Kanya organised the whole event in just 6 weeks. This involved assembling a production crew and securing sponsors, not to mention a star-studded line up and an audience to watch it!

The hard work paid off and the show was a spectacular success attended by the likes of Tony and Cherie Blair, Lionel Richie and Gabrielle. The MOBO Awards Show is firmly established as one of the most prestigious events in the entertainment calendar and boasts a past guest list that includes an array of 'A-list' celebrities, legendary performers and top executives.

Kanya’s sheer passion and dedication is clear for all to see. This was highlighted a few years ago when the Queen invited Kanya to stand alongside JK Rowling and Cherie Blair at Buckingham Palace to celebrate exceptional achievements by British women. Additionally, she is a Patron of the Horniman Museum.

In line with MOBO's aspirations of making positive differences and creating inspirational examples, Kanya accepted a role as one of the 'Fortune 5' in the ITV series, 'Fortune - A Million Pounds Giveaway'.

Kanya King is a prime example of an exceptional, strong, passionate and utterly determined British woman. She has always looked at the bigger picture and over the years MOBO has become 'much more than music'.

Kanya King MBE as Keynote Speaker and Mentor

Kanya was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Leeds Metropolitan University in July 2009. In the same year she also took the MOBO Awards to Glasgow which was a phenomenal success. She has delivered numerous speeches on business, innovation, entrepreneurship, and also women in business, and as a single mum and entrepreneur she understands how to achieve success.

Kanya was the key speaker at the HSBC Lecture in 2009, and spoke at the Raw 2010 event in Manchester to 350 of the North West's top entrepreneurs. In 2010 she joined some of the most influential women in Britain to be part of the Inspire and Mentor campaign with Marie Claire.

For further information or to book Kanya King, call us at Speakers Corner on +44 (0) 20 8365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk

Kanya King News

A selection of relevant news related to Kanya King and Business stories. For more information on Kanya King or details as to how to book Kanya King for your corporate event, then please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0) 20 8365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk

A Third of Women Take on the Role of Breadwinner
20th July 2010As a survey announces the rise of women’s involvement in domestic financial affairs, speakers such as entrepreneur Kanya King MBE and scientist Baroness Susan Greenfield CBE are also becoming increasingly popular. However, is there more to the figures than initially meets the eye?

Kanya King's 2009 Mobo Awards celebrate music of black origin with a special tribute to one of the greatest singers of all time, Michael Jackson
1st October 2009Kanya King, the founder of the Mobo Awards, took the 2009 award ceremony to Glasgow. The event which celebrates urban music of black origian paid tribute to one of the greatest singers of all time, Michael Jackson. The tributes flowed from Britains Got Talent winners Shaheen Jafargholi and Diversity Dancing to a medley of his songs, but the most moving came from his siblings - La Toya and Jermaine

Mobo awards nominees and line-up
13th October 2008This year musicians from the US and UK will line-up up to play the prestigious MOBO Awards at Wembley Arena on Wednesday October 15th.

MOBO Awards, Vodafone Awards and Amy Winehouse
20th September 2007Amy Winehouse won awards at the MOBO and at the Vodaone Awards last night- Congratulations to all the winners

Jacqueline Gold Joins the new ITV gameshow
1st December 2006Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold has joined the new show 'Fortune' on ITV to be transmitted in January 07 alongside Jeffrey Archer, Duncan Bannatyne, Simon Jordan and Kanya King

The Sunday Times Business Person of Year - The Finalists
23rd December 2009The Sunday Times has announced its list of contenders for their annual Business Person of the Year award. The finalists have shown true grit and determination - many have hauled their businesses through a rather perilous time unscathed and are survivors in the business world. The contenders are Angela Ahrendts (pictured left), Ross Brawn, Frank Chapman, Richard Cousins, Founders of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone and Evan Williams, Steve Jobs, Sam Laidlaw, Alan Mulally, Kate Swann, and John Varley.

BSkyB is Britain's most admired company 2009
2nd December 2009Media firm BSkyB landed the top spot in Management Today's Britain's Most Admired Companies awards on monday night. Led by CEO Jeremy Darroch, the organisation is one of the youngest to be handed the accolade, topping each of the nine criteria to secure the award. Matthew Gwyther, editor of Management Today said: 'It (BSkyB) is barely more than a stripling upstart amongst the great names of UK business, some of which have been around for centuries in one form or another. It has shown that a class-leading product, well marketed and slickly delivered, can continue to grow and prosper even in the most challenging circumstances.' Tesco and Johnson Mathey took the second and third slots respectively, with Cadbury, GlaxoSmithKline and Rolls-Royce trailing at numbers four, five and six.

Heavyweight keynote speakers are expected at the CBI Conference today including Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Dominique Strauss-Kahn & Stuart Rose to name but a few
23rd November 2009Heavyweight keynote speakers are expected to address the CBI conference in London today. Talking to the most influential and important of business audiences will be our political leaders Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg, business chiefs such as Sir Stuart Rose and Stephen Hester, as well as Lord Adair Turner, BBC Economics Editor Stephanie Flaunders and the CBI's Director-General Richard Lambert. Chairing the conference will be CBI's President, the recently appointed Helen Alexander, former chief executive at The Economist and the first woman in the role.

Lessons learnt from Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple - one of the greatest speakers ever
19th November 2009The Times is featuring extracts from Simon Maier and Jerremy Kourdi's book 'The 100: Insights and lessons from 100 of the greatest speeches ever delivered'. Read The Times article on lessons learnt from one of the world's best speakers - Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple and former chief executive officer of Pixar Animation Studios.

WHO MOVED MY GURU?
19th December 2008The economy may be tanking, but not Malcolm Gladwell. His new book, “Outliers,” a characteristically snappy look at what made the Beatles, Bill Gates and other superstars so successful, enters the hardcover nonfiction list at No. 1

Kanya King Reviews

Kanya King has spoken and appeared at a number of recent corporate events. Please find some client speaker testimonials and reviews for Kanya King for a number of these events and conferences. If you would like some additional information as to how to book Kanya King for your corporate event, then please contact one of the Speakers Corner booking agents on +44 (0) 208 365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk

"Kanya was a great pleasure to work with. She delivered a refreshing and inspiring talk which caputred our students right from the very begining. The entire evening was perfect and our students could not stop asking quetsions to find out more about this amazing woman, Kanya engaged with our student at the right level making the event extremely pleasant. "
SPEED - University of Birmingham

"She one of the most powerful women in the music business. "
Express Newspapers

"One of the most powerful movers and shakers in this country."
Evening Standard

"I've certainly had a massively positive response from many of the people who were there. I think that your speech and contributation were fabulous... spot on with the message and for the brand too. And you are so glamorous as well, which is always good at getting people to sit up and take notice! It is really rewarding when an event like that so mirrors what we're trying to do with the magazine - to make it unique - known for being so much more than just about shoes and shopping, but about honesty, emotional support and inspiration. And I think that the winners and their stories were so strong that it was impossible not to feel that on the day. So thank you again Kanya and we really look forward to working with you again on SHE."
Editor, SHE

"I am writing to thank you for your contribution to our Staff Development Festival Faculty Day last week. Feedback from colleagues has been very positive and we found your talk both inspirational and moving. Thank you for weaving in the themes we discussed and for answering questions from the floor. I am so pleased you were able to join us for the day and it was a privilege to meet you. Thank you so much for helping to make our day such a resounding success.I know how much colleagues within Innovation North and the wider University value our partnerships with both cultural and business organisations and I know Joy has already been in contact to explore further how we might work together in the future."
Service Development & i-Help Libraries and Learning Innovation

"Kanya did a very motivating and informative talk and we are getting excellent feedback already"
Morgan Stanley | Investment Banking Division

"Accessible style, the content was absolutely spot on for the audience all to do with a model of raising aspiration from difficult situations and backgrounds and persevering until success is achieved. The audience warmed to Kanya, also evident by long queue to meet her afterwards. She was generous with her time and gracious to all."
Uxbridge College

"It was a real pleasure to meet you last week at the Extraordinary Entrepreneurs Evening. I was very impressed by your enthusiasm and the time you took to really listen to each of us on your table. I am not sure the entrepreneurs on other tables were given as much focus and attention as you gave us. So a big thank you for that. Your suggestion that I need to write a book to establish my credibility is spot on and is a project I already have in the pipeline. In the meantime, if you ever come across a cause that would benefit from the strengths approach to development helping people find out what they are good at and then how to build and leverage their strengths, please let me know. Thank you again for being a great role model."
MacIndoe

"Massively personable - very comfortable being interactive with the audience. Greathaving her involved with our event!"
Scottish Institute for Enterprise Ltd

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