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Akil Hunte
Akil Hunte is a multifaceted, multi-award winning lawyer, social entrepreneur, public speaker and spoken word poet who has triumphed over trauma by harnessing his authenticity to empower communities and lead his legacy.
About Akil Hunte
Akil Hunte is a multifaceted, multi-award-winning lawyer, public speaker, consultant, spoken word poet, and social entrepreneur. Growing up in a single-parent household as a Black man from inner-city London, he overcame numerous challenges, including a serious accident at 15 and witnessing the Grenfell Tower fire. He triumphed over trauma, winning seven university awards and making history as the first student to receive the Dean’s Award for two consecutive years. He was recognised with a scholarship from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for his exceptional talent and has spoken at various prestigious firms and universities, building a LinkedIn following of over 15,000. In 2023, he was named Outstanding Alumni by Nottingham Trent University and recognised as a Rising Star at the Legal 500 ESG Awards.
After training at one of the world’s largest law firms, Akil became a qualified lawyer with extensive experience mentoring young professionals. As Chair of NRG Lawyers and the founder of initiatives like Solicitors in the Making and LinkedIn Skills for Lawyers, he significantly impacted the legal industry. His thought leadership has garnered multiple accolades, including an award from Nottingham Trent University.
Akil is dedicated to supporting African Caribbean heritage communities and vulnerable groups, holding leadership roles in organisations like Aspire Education Group and The New Black UK. He has volunteered with various community organisations and participated in entrepreneurial programs such as Future Boss and Foundervine’s Diverse Founders Programme.
As a speaker, he has delivered impactful talks across the UK and internationally, praised for his clarity and passion. He has facilitated workshops focused on personal and professional development and served as a judge for competitions related to effective dispute resolution. In addition to his legal work, Akil is a spoken word poet involved in projects amplifying creative voices, particularly within the Black community, co-leading initiatives like the UK Music and Visual Project and organising the “Destined For Greatness” event in collaboration with local groups.
Akil’s unique blend of legal expertise, leadership, and creative talent makes him a sought-after speaker, inspiring audiences to pursue excellence and create meaningful change in their communities.
To book Akil Hunte, contact The Speakers Agency on +44(0)1332 810481 or email enquiries@thespeakersagency.com
Value-Based, Generous Leadership
Over the years, Akil has developed a range of experiences that has led him into leadership roles at an early age. From representing 27,000 students as a student trustee, to co-founding an award-winning university society and chairing a not for profit to support non-russell group students and graduates, Akil knows the importance of value-based, generous leadership. In his talk, hewill explain fundamental principles that help to create value-based, generous leaders in your organisation and how to develop these traits.
Creating a Champion Mindset to Achieve Ambitious Goals
Amongst all of the experiences Akil has had, he appreciates that the importance of having a fortified mind is pivotal in navigating obstacles in personal and professional development. Providing perspective on how he fortified his mind after going through trauma and obstacles on his journey helps organisations to discover how they can unleash their full strengths.
How to effectively and organically Network
Having not had any family members who were connected to law, Akil grew up having to find answers for himself. This led him to build and develop networks across various parts of society to help him on his mission. He has developed a practical set of tools and skills that can allow people to develop their networks effectively and organically, whilst still being true to your authentic self when securing opportunities in professional industries.
Bridging the gap between Gen Z and Leadership
At a very early stage, Akil has witnessed and experienced first-hand the challenges of leadership engaging with a Gen Z workforce. He grew up being at the cusp of being a Gen Z and a millennial, and took many leadership positions during and after university where he has advocated for the views and perspectives of Gen Z students. Akil’s platform has led him to sit on panels and speak with senior leadership about methods for leaders in organisations to understand the mindset of Gen Z to improve chances of retention.
Building Confidence in a changing workplace Identity
Akil’s journey into law has been nothing short of eventful. Building confidence in his identity in the workplace was very challenging. He observed changes in colleagues and employees as they entered into leadership roles. In this talk, he will talk about how the challenges he navigated in his childhood, early adult life and as a trainee lawyer helped him shape his identity as he owned multiple parts of his identity. From winning awards to volunteering in Tanzania and witnessing as well as experiencing traumatic events, he has
garnered a wealth of experience in navigating his way into professional spaces as a black, working class man.
How social mobility, diversity & inclusion creates a better workforce
As a working class, black law student with an entrepreneurial flair, Akil is far from a typical lawyer. He has an abundance of experiences navigating conversations on race, ethnicity and social mobility in a professional space. Not only was he a recipient of the prestigious Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship, he co-founded an award winning society called The New Black. This led him to advise the board of Nottingham Trent University on improving opportunities for African Caribbean Heritage students and become an External Consultant to the University of Chester in the development of their Race Advocate programme. He also chairs NRG Lawyers, a not for profit that seeks to boost social mobility in the legal industry by improving access to opportunities for Non-Russell Group students and graduates. In this talk, Akil unpacks how his various experiences have allowed him to witness and learn how a socially mobile and inclusive workforce can add so much value to organisations.
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Testimonials
"Akil is a brilliant speaker who is able to articulate his thoughts with absolute clarity. He is able to bring the audience along with him to listen to his message, whilst adding humour and insights. It has been a pleasure to work with him and hear him speak."
Ritika Wadhwa, CEO and Founder
"I have worked with Akil for many years now, I first followed his impressive career online and instantly knew he would be the right fit for our forward thinking, dynamic business. Akil has been a huge influence for positive change within our law firm in terms of culture, resilience, diversity, engagement, inspiration, sound boarding, mental health and climate assessment. Akil has been an external ambassador for our law firm and I would highly recommend other businesses to engage with Akil and his very multi-talented skill set."
CEO and Founder of CEL Solicitors
"Akil and I have collaborated on a number of events and webinars, covering professional skills and attributes such as networking, imposter syndrome, resilience and rejection. He is genuinely one of the most earnest and passionate speakers I have had the privilege to work with, always drawing on his broad range of personal and professional experiences to provide open, honest insights and advice, with no sense of ego. I'm looking forward to working with him many more times in the future."
CEO and Founder of City Career Series
"Would definitely recommend that people attend Akil’s workshop on networking and resilience. I attended this workshop at the Law in 60 Seconds conference in Manchester and learnt some really useful tips on how to network and build effective relationships with others. Akil managed to make the workshop both informative and engaging!"
Tanya Elahi, Pupil Barrister
"Akil gave a fantastic talk as part of our 'BME Month' initiative. We appreciated him taking the time out to come and share his experiences as a young black entrepreneur in the Law industry. It was a very honest, insightful and inspiring talk which left us reflecting on our own unique journeys. Thank you again for working with us, especially around your busy schedule and travelling a total of 18 hours for this!"
Future Trainee Solicitor at Clifford Chance
"Akil delivered an inspirational speech to our 500 students who are on a Level 3 programme. His delivery style was authentic, clear and concise and students took on board his key messages to success. We will definitely like Akil to continue to be involved with our college in future events and talks to inspire our students. I highly recommend Akil to deliver a motivational talk especially in inner city schools around London."
Careers Leader, Coordinator and Adviser