Hello from Londontown, where I find myself officially starting my summer antics for the 2026 season. And where I’ve found inspiration for this week's compilation episode. From an early episode with crime writer, Leye Adenle, to last year’s conversation with activist and social entrepreneur, Lavinya Stennett, we’ll hear a range of Pan-African perspectives on how London is local for these guests--all of which happen to also be writers.

Serial entrepreneur, investor and author of We Don’t Need Permission: How Black Business Can Change Our World, Eric Collins shares perspectives as an immigrant from the US to the UK. Lawyer, international development consultant, journalist, politician and author of Love Does Not Win Elections, Ayisha Osori helps us to understand home as presence. Award-winning author of Easy Motion Tourist, with a forthcoming new series due to launch this year with Fall From Grace, Leye Adenle shares about his London before experiencing it as a writer. As a lux-preneur herself, award-winning luxury business consultant, Elizabeth Solaru, author of best-selling book, Opulencia and LUXpreneur: How to start and build a successful luxury brand, is taking us along in her experiences transitioning from a career in the sciences to business. Architect, artist, and multi-faceted creative, Robertson Ahomka-Lindsay shares how his talents from design to music helped to give his London life an artisic flair. And finally, founder of The Black Curriculum, fimmaker and author of Omitted: The Untold Black History Lessons We Need to Change the Future, Lavinya Stennett helps us to understand effective organizing techniques for impact.

If you haven’t already settled in, mind the gap and take a seat on this Tube ride through London.

Where to find full conversations and show notes from episodes with this week’s guests?
Eric Collins
Ayisha Osori
Leye Adenle
Elizabeth Solaru
Robertson Ahomka-Lindsay
Lavinya Stennett

Soundscape:
Sounds Like a Train on YouTube

Special Guests: Ayisha Osori, Elizabeth Solaru, Eric Collins, Lavinya Stennett, Leye Adenle, and Robertson Ahomka-Lindsay.

I had the pleasure of hosting this conversation late last year and it’s now right on time as my guest, Elizabeth Solaru and her team hosted their 2025 Diversity in Luxury Awards last week in London. Born and raised between the UK And Nigeria, Elizabeth is an author, international keynote speaker and award-winning entrepreneur. Formerly a scientist and headhunter, she honed her expertise in understanding luxury clients having successfully founded the world-renowned and multi-award-winning atelier Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium and the Luxury Business Emporium.
Author of the best-selling book, OPULENCIA, Elizabeth is the co-host of the Luxury Business Podcast and Luxury News Weekly Podcast, a humorous and informative news commentary podcast focusing on luxury news and the business of luxury. Creator of the first million-dollar cake NFT, she is considered to be a leading expert in the world of luxury selling.
As an international speaker, she has spoken in 30 cities around the world and her latest book, The LUXpreneur: How to start and build a successful luxury brand extends that global reach changing the narrative on how to build a luxury business by providing an in-depth analysis of luxury entrepreneurship and client psychology.

Where to find Elizabeth?
www.luxurybusinessemporium.com
On LinkedIn
On Facebook
On YouTube
On Instagram
On TikTok

What’s Elizabeth reading?
Clarity and books by James Clear

Other topics of interest:
About Pimlico, London
About Barnet, UK
Lady Elizabeth Anson
Bain’s Luxury in Transition Report
NFT 101
Chanakya School of Craft
Tea at The Dorchester
Tea at the Ritz
About Tea at sketch
Tea at the Shard
Tea at the Taj
Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley

Special Guest: Elizabeth Solaru.