Calvin Eden and Oba Akinwale became friends while studying at university in Liverpool and stayed in the city to launch a business that has so far helped 100,000 young people. Tony McDonough reports

A business launched by two entrepreneurs who met at university in Liverpool has now helped to build confidence in more than 100,000 young people.

Calvin Eden and Oba Akinwale are the founders of Loud Speaker. The venture provides confidence-boosting workshops to young people. Sessions aim to be “exceptional, motivational and relatable”.

Loud Speaker champions young people to articulate themselves best in interviews, have confidence when on stage and ultimately believe in themselves. This is critical in a period in their lives when they are looking to build their careers.

To date the business has delivered its workshops to young people in Merseyside and other UK locations. 

It has contracts withHugh Baird College, Trafford College Group, Everton in the Community, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, Childwall Sports and Science Academy and the University of Central Lancashire, to name a few.

Both Calvin and Oba were working for the same organisation delivering youth programmes where they engaged young people on summer residentials.

However Oba was made redundant and the pair teamed up to launch bespoke workshops during summer 2019. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and it spurred them to create Loud Speaker.

It now has four full-time staff members, one part-time employee and 20 seasonal staff members who deliver the workshops up and down the UK.

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Calvin said: “For us, Loud Speaker delivers a compelling message to the young people of today. It’s about understanding the psychology of our behaviour and that of the young people we influence, leaving them with something memorable from our workshops.

“Loud Speaker is unique in its approach, getting on the same level as our young people, and having an understanding of where they’re at in their life and the huge decisions they’re about to make.

“We want to equip them with the necessary tools to take on life’s challenges, grab opportunities with both hands and ultimately, speak up for themselves.”

Both directors say they bring different skillsets to the venture. Calvin has an infectious personality who welcomes everyone and is a great people person. Oba then looks after all processes, operations and the organisation of the business.

He added: “Working with over 100,000 young people has been a fantastic achievement to date. But we’re looking at ways of scaling Loud Speaker to reach as many young people as possible.

“In the near future, we hope to embed the programme into the curriculum for schools, colleges and universities, reaching as many students as possible who will be imminently making major career and life decisions.”