Venue : Auditorium 1
17:00–18:00 | Chair: Claire Linney
Helena Okunzuwa (The Shade Borough), Paige Lewin & Brian Kapuku (ReadWithKapz) on building an audience that cannot ignore you.
Going viral is easy. Staying relevant is the actual game.
Helena Okunzuwa, Paige Lewin and Brian Kapuku didn’t get lucky — they built something. Across beauty, books, media and Black British culture, all three have turned a point of view into a platform people trust, return to, and act on. They know exactly what makes someone stop scrolling. More importantly, they know what makes someone stay.
Marking one of The Shade Borough’s first public appearances, this fast-paced panel goes straight behind the platforms — finding your niche before everyone else finds it too, building a voice nobody can copy, making content people actually want to share, outrunning the algorithm instead of chasing it, and turning followers into a real community with real influence.
This is the honest, practical breakdown of what it actually takes to cut through the noise — and build something the internet can’t ignore.
5000+ will be at BBBF this October - will you? Enter your details to secure your ticket.
This will close in 40 seconds