We are building a community of change.
WHAT IS DON’T SLEEP ON US?
We bring people from minority backgrounds together in a way which hasn’t been done before. DON’T SLEEP ON US is unconventional networking.
Our events are exhilarating with a dancefloor and DJ, laugh out loud funny with perfectly curated moments and deeply truly inclusive. Feedback from our community states that they feel heard, seen and understood - a feeling of being at home.
When we started in April 2018, our aim was to leave everyone feeling like they can take on the world. To send a message from our community that we will no longer be underestimated at work and in wider society.
This was the start of many large scale events. DON’T SLEEP ON US is now a thriving community of over 1000 people having attended at least one event, and a newsletter reaching over 650 change makers. You can watch short videos here.
WHAT ARE OUR VALUES?
DON’T SLEEP ON US is a values driven community. Everything we do comes back to these 3 actions:
We will UPLIFT each other. We create an energetic enjoyable environment where everyone feels part of the collective - everyone feels seen and heard. When we rise, we lift others with us, inclusively. Cliques are not for us.
We will INSPIRE each other - We curate moments for sparks of inspiration and exchange of energy, so that we can stay motivated as a community.
We will LEARN from each other - We believe in the power of peer to peer learning. As a community there is so much to learn from each other and feed our curiosity.
WHAT IS OUR VISION?
Our vision is to create a world where people from our community feel well represented, appreciated and respected across all areas of work and society.
NEELAM KESHWALA
Neelam Keshwala founded DON’T SLEEP ON US in 2018, wanting to shine a light on creatives making change yet feeling underestimated in other areas of work and society.
YOU ???
GET IN TOUCH IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN AS A VOLUNTEER, OR AS AN ADVISORY BOARD TEAM MEMBER.
ADESUWA OSEWA
Adesuwa Osewa works as a Problem Solver for creative management consultancy, B+A, consulting domestically and internationally for clients such as Clinique, Nike.
JAMEL DUANE ALATISE
Jamel Duane Alatise is an interdisciplinary and socially engaged artist. He is the founder of People Journal, a publication devoted to slow storytelling which documents insights.
TSEDENIA SKITCH
Tsedenia Skitch works as production coordinator for Sky Scripted Comedy and Dramas, and oversees their D&I content strategy. She also chairs Sky’s Multiculture Network and facilitates.
ANDRE ANDERSON
André Anderson is a writer, designer and headmaster of Freedom & Balance, an unconventional yet effective and successful art college in transit. He is the author of 8 books.
TUTKU BARBAROS
Tutku Barbaros is a writer and performer. She's one third of comedy trio Plunge who are currently writing a sitcom. Tutku is also developing her debut play "Layla & Youssef".
MAIYA MICHELLE
Maiya Michelle is a Trainee Clinical Psychologist. She volunteers as an Appropriate Adult in South London, safeguarding the rights of young people and vulnerable people.