EY Foundation appointments highlight growing ambition

Pioneering young people’s charity, the EY Foundation, has appointed media owner, Nafisa Bakker as a trustee and investment consultant, Dawid Konotey-Ahulu as a patron. Operating an innovative corporate foundation model, the two new appointments demonstrate the charity’s commitment to growing its impact by working with the brightest talent.

Nafisa Bakkar CEO of amaliah.com, a media company that amplifies the voice of Muslim women said: ‘The younger me would have greatly appreciated the work that the EY Foundation do. I am passionate about helping to mobilise young people and unlock their potential, regardless of their socio-economic background. It is a great honour to be a part of a charity that truly impacts the lives of thousands of young people.’   

On becoming a patron, Dawid Konotey-Ahulu, co-founder of two investment consultancies, Redington and mallowstreet, said: ‘Someone has said, “Every child needs, in their life, at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about them”.  I really believe that. Ensuring young people from all backgrounds can achieve their potential and succeed in the workplace is a subject close to my heart. I can’t wait to get started as a patron for the EY foundation and use my business experience to help them show young people what they are really capable of achieving.’

EY Foundation Chair, Patrick Dunne said: ‘I am delighted to welcome Nafisa and Dawid to the EY Foundation. They join an already diverse group of trustees and patrons and their range of experience and skills, spanning communication, cultural change and business will be provide a further boost as we move into our next exciting phase of growth.’

The EY Foundation’s unique model includes a majority independent board and a pioneering approach to delivery, which has helped nearly 3000 young people to unlock their potential and thrive in the workplace. Growing the charity’s impact year on year has been achieved by working in partnership with over 200 employers and 5000 volunteers.

Through the delivery of a range of bespoke programmes, the EY Foundation gives young people the skills, experiences and support to overcome barriers to employment, connecting employers to talented young people across the UK.

Feedback from previous EY Foundation students:

Mohammed – ‘The EY Foundation showed me what I could aim for. It gave me an idea of the outside world and that there are opportunities if you’re willing to work for them. It was this pivotal point in my life where I was given a reason to aspire higher.’

Romaysa – ‘For someone who had no idea what they wanted to do in the future, the EY Foundation opened a lot of options. When I have interviews now I don’t just use the first thing that comes to my mind, I dig a bit deeper into it. Within two weeks my outlook had completely changed.’

Nafisa Bakker – biography 

Nafisa Bakker is the CEO of amaliah.com, a media company amplifying the voices of Muslim women. Amaliah is a tool for cultural change and its work has been celebrated in Forbes, CNN, Wired, Guardian and the BBC.

Her aspirations to make it easier to exist as a Muslim woman has seen her not only impact the grassroots Muslim community but also push to create change at an industry level by working with brands and agencies though Amaliah’s insights agency, which has worked with eBay, Pinterest, WGSN and Stylist.

Dawid Konotey-Ahulu – biography

Dawid is a reformed barrister who subsequently spent sixteen years as an investment banker. In 2006, he left that industry to co-found investment consultancy Redington, where they are on a mission to help 100 million people become financially secure. Since 2006 the firm has disrupted the traditional pensions and savings industry helping secure the benefits of millions of members.

Most recently, he founded Partnership for Change, a collaboration platform that combines fintech, healthcare technology, ed-tech and sustainability. Its purpose is to improve the lives of the elderly now and in the future.

Dawid is a frequent blogger on innovation, pensions, savings and healthcare, and he is currently raising funding to build a specialist heart hospital in Ghana, where he grew up.

About EY Foundation: An independent UK charity that works directly with young people who face barriers to employment, employers and social entrepreneurs in the UK to create or support pathways to employment, enterprise or education. Founded by EY, the professional services firm, on 1 July 2014, the charity builds and delivers programmes, works with third parties and volunteers and raises funds to support its work with young people.