Ethnic businesses come under the spotlight

The need to advance ethnic minority businesses across the UK will come under the spotlight at a special networking evening in Birmingham later this month.

Leading Birmingham academic and member of the Lunar Society Professor Monder Ram is to give a talk on 'Time to change: A Blueprint for Advancing the UK 's Ethnic Minority Businesses ' at Birmingham 's Winterbourne House and Gardens.

The event - from 6pm to 8pm on May 31 - is part of an evening designed for Birmingham 's past, present and future entrepreneurs.

Professor Ram is Director of the Centre for research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurs at Aston Business School and a fellow member of the Lunar Society.

The evening will also see Chris Rice of the National Heritage Lottery Funded Birmingham Commonwealth Heritage-The Lunar Legacy project provide a review of progress to date on the project and information on upcoming events.

Chris is a curator and historic buildings expert. Formerly Head of Heritage Services for Birmingham Museums, he oversaw a range of major heritage restoration projects including Aston Hall and Park, the Birmingham History Galleries, Soho House, Sarehole Mill, the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and Weoley Castle ruins.

He has also written several trails (Birmingham Lunar Trail, Jewellery Quarter Trail, Tolkien Trail) and the guidebooks for Aston Hall and Birmingham Cathedral. He is a freelance heritage project manager, curator, and lecturer.

Professor Ram is one of the foremost international scholars researching ethnic minority entrepreneurship, with his work helping to shape the field over the past three decades.

He has held visiting Professorships at Lund University and Turku University in Finland. He serves as an advisor to the All Party Parliamentary Group for BAME Business Owners and is a member of the Ethnic Minority Business Group at the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Those wishing to attend in person can register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/592515097607

Online attendees can register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/607317411727