Ella strives to empower girls and women to be the best version of themselves by being an example of a dream chaser. Ella is a Law LLB graduate that works for a charity as the Contracts and Compliance Lead, Information Systems Project Manager and Chair of the Action Against Racial Inequality group. Ella is a qualified Data Protection Officer and is currently studying a Msc in Management with International Business and Development. Ella is writing a thesis on the case for reparations to the Caribbean whilst considering the impacts it may have on the opportunities for its citizens. While visiting Grenada in 2013, Ella made friends her age who faced barriers in their careers that Ella did not in the UK. This ignited a passion in Ella to be a part of the development of opportunities for people in the Caribbean and Africa. Ella understands the depth of talent and entrepreneurial potential that the women who live in these nations have. This has led Ella to develop the Caribbean hair and beauty community, Guavy, with the intention to connect professionals, build their skills and empower them with the knowledge necessary to be successful entrepreneurs. Ella uses her experience of building her own beauty business (bareSoft) to equip other women in the industry with the keys to victory. Ella loves helping people gain clarity on how to achieve their goals, which is why she volunteers at Girl Guides. This role allows Ella to pass on tips, assist girls to build skills and encourage them on their journey to their wildest dreams. On top of this, Ella hosts weekly Instagram live interviews with ambitious women to share their journey, destroy industry barriers and showcase what opportunities are out there. Ella also loves to be creative, whether this is through content creation, writing, drawing or dance. She enjoys meeting new people and being a ray of light to those who need it most. In the past Ella has had to overcome her own insecurities and the opinions of others to be before you today as a Miss Caribbean UK 2023 finalist. Ella hopes to use this platform to inspire more women and show them that they can overcome any obstacle they are facing. Ella has been using her interpersonal skills and social media platforms to be transparent with others, to show them what the journey towards their best self really looks like. As a finalist, Ella is shedding light on The Girls Network. This amazing charity aims to inspire and empower girls from the least advantaged communities by connecting them with a mentor and a network of professional women. Their ethos of believing that all girls should be supported on their journey towards their dreams deeply aligns with Ella’s views. Ella believes more girls and women should know about this platform to enhance the network of role models and empower as many teen girls as possible. You can watch Ella’s Sunday Star Interview with the current Miss Caribbean UK 2022, Samara Telesford here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuxFZT-qQdW/