Adeola and Ronke Jane Adelakun – Cultureville, Manchester

Sisters Adeola and Ronke Jane Adelakun founded their clothing brand Cultureville after struggling to find clothes in the UK that reflected their Nigerian heritage. Cultureville sells clothing and accessories using prints ethically sourced from West Africa, working closely with local tailors, artisans and suppliers, and a female-led production team. 

The Business & IP Centre in Manchester city centre has been an invaluable resource for Adeola and Ronke Jane. They have attended training sessions on a wide range of topics, from how to run social media for a business to learning how to protect your intellectual property. They have also participated in the mentee strand of the Get Ready for Business Growth scale up programme. Adeola and Ronke Jane have said that ‘support from the Business & IP Centre has been instrumental in giving us strong foundations on which to sustain and grow our business’. 

As their business has grown, Cultureville are continually engaging with their local community by running creative workshops, gatherings and fashion events as well as producing showcases for Black creatives. In 2023, Cultureville visited the House of Lords to speak at the launch of the British Library Business & IP Centre’s Democratising Entrepreneurship 2.0 report.