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Claude Grunitzky is a Birkbeck alumnus, graduating in 1994 with a BSc in Financial Economics. He then went on to be the publisher and founder of TRACE magazine, hailed as a major influence in the world of black culture, hip-hop, style and music. Over the years, it has seen stars such as Naomi Campbell, Rosario Dawson, Missy Elliott, the Notorious BIG, Rihanna, Lenny Kravitz and Snoop Dogg grace its covers.

Claude is now Founder and Editor-in-Chief of TRUE Africa, a media platform championing young African voices, and TRUE, an innovative content marketing company. His impressive career is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study, where he is also a mentor and coach.

We asked Claude to tell us more about his career, TRUE’s work with Birkbeck, and New York life in lockdown.

Tell us what inspired you to set up TRUE Africa.

I felt that there wasn’t enough representation of African voices in the media and wanted a space to introduce and discuss the new talents, opinions and skills coming out of Africa. Particularly as many big Western publications were showing a biased view on what Africa is becoming. They would go into the capital cities and spend just 3 or 4 days reporting there before flying back home. As a native son of Togo it was important for me to write and hear from an African perspective, especially now with African’s population being so young; 60% of the African continent is under 25, in Uganda this rises to 80%. Alongside this, there is a massive development of modern technology and culture in the continent.

I am proud to have created a space for the massive team of wonderful African storytellers, bloggers and videographers that I’ve met throughout my career. We cover a huge range of topics, from sport, culture, music, through to social issues and politics. I particularly find it important to showcase some of the taboo issues in Africa, such as mental health, addiction, gender, sexuality and depression. We use first person stories and conversational style pieces to do this. I would like to see TRUE Africa becoming the media platform that unites the African continent and people of African descent across the world.

TRUE are currently working alongside Birkbeck, Innovate UK and Google on an Artificial Intelligence project. Could you tell us more?

TRUE is a content marketing agency that evolved into a technology company over time. We found that advertising for many media companies has been decimated because of large companies like Facebook and Google capturing about 60% of online ads; this makes securing advertising revenue for smaller individual companies difficult. We recognised that we need to look for another way, and we have been focusing on new technologies for journalism. Google and Innovate UK have funded us, and Birkbeck is helping us to create a virtual ‘editorial research assistant’, harnessing AI in order to help content marketers and bloggers, saving in research time and costs. Called ‘Loyal AI’, it has the potential to significantly influence how journalism is produced.

Funded by Google and Innovate UK, we have been working on Loyal AI for the Past 2 years and are delighted to have Birkbeck’s Department of Computer Science involved in the project. Birkbeck’s mission to support young learners from different backgrounds really lines up with the inclusivity of TRUE. People also often underestimate the progressive and experimental nature of much of Birkbeck’s work in the area. We are looking forward to going to market with Loyal AI in 2021.  

During such a varied career, what would you say has been your favourite moment?

I would say that it is when I worked with Alicia Keys in 2001. She came to the TRACE office in SoHo, New York, during what was a low point in her career. Alicia had recently dropped out of her studies at Columbia University to pursue her music career, signing with Columbia Records. However, they then dropped her. When we met, she had just signed with J Records and we were featuring her on the cover of TRACE magazine. That ended up as a real game changer and by promoting her on the upturn of her amazing career, we raised our own image. With the endorsement we secured funding for $15m from Goldman Sachs, who had heard that we were doing something really original. This then allowed us to launch our TV platform, TRACE TV, and things really took off. Before that I was living hand to mouth and trying to make things work. I am proud that I used my intuition and was one of the people who recognised Alicia’s incredible talent.

What advice would you give to current students looking to start their own business? 

I actually lecture in Social Entrepreneurship at Harvard and so am pleased to be able to give students advice when I can. When I started out in the 90s there were not that many young people in their twenties setting up their own companies – now start-ups are really popular.

I like the ‘Lean Startup’ approach, conceived by Eric Ries. It basically tells you to just get started. Don’t talk about your idea forever with no action or get obsessed about writing a lengthy business proposal. You will learn so much from that first product, business or plan and will benefit so much more from real life experience than learning lots of theory. If starting out, design something as simple as possible and get as much feedback as you can. Just get it going, you will know if you have something quickly and if not, will fail fast and be able to quickly move on. The proof of the pudding is in the eating!

Why did you choose to study at Birkbeck?  

Before Birkbeck I was in Paris, studying with the Institut d’Études Politiques (Sciences Po). It is a great place and very well-known but also very theoretical. Whilst I was there, I heard a Massive Attack album, Blue Lines, which changed my life. It came out when I was about 20 and I knew that I had to get to UK to be closer to them!

I researched various places in London which would allow me to work as a journalist; at the time I was working as a freelancer for with French magazine Actuel. I was interested in economics and discovered Birkbeck, right in the centre of London and giving the ability for me to study in evening. This allowed me to continue with Actuel, reporting on Hip Hop and music from London. I also wrote for Big Issue, a column called ‘On the Edge’, about my life in London as a young journalist. Our TRUE company still works with the Big Issue today. They are one of our longtime clients.

It was great that I could study and publish dozens of articles. Thanks to that experience, I went on to work with Jefferson Hack at Dazed and Confused, which then led on to my own publication.

What were the highlights of your time at Birkbeck?

Going to Senate House and interacting with students from SOAS and the London School of Economics. The ecosystem of the University of London allowed me to be an active and engaging journalist with people from all walks of life.

You’ve been involved with a few different universities – what would you say makes Birkbeck unique? 

I have an MBA from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), which is a very scientific and technical university. I love MIT, but I also enjoyed the practical nature of Birkbeck’s curriculum, which covers proper, real-world issues and case studies. It felt very different to my experience in Paris and the theory led courses I had been on at Sciences Po. I remember the Professors very much looked at industry insights and real corporations or institutions. It helped to hit the ground running when I graduated and understand industry issues.

Also being in central London of course and being close to the record stores on Oxford Street. In the belly of the beast!

What is lockdown like in New York right now? 

It’s really different to be working from home, especially having a 2-year old who is confined. Coupled with this there is a fearful mood in New York at the moment; 40 million have become unemployed in 5 weeks. There are many layoffs in my industry where the media has severely suffered in the economic downturn, meaning low morale.

Sadly, your zip code here makes a huge difference – issues around income and equality at the moment are really reflected in the demographic of cases. This is something that is really forcing us to re-evaluate social cohesion.

What are you most looking forward to when life is back to normal? 

I am looking forward to the rebirth of the global economy, which will hopefully be more about equality and social impact. I want this situation to empower people to make choices that are better for society rather than looking after a few corporations who only care about profit, not their community or the environment. This could provide a clean slate to review capitalism as we know it. We have seen the failure of many systems in place; I want to be an innovator, mentor and contributor of the new system.

What was the last book you read? 

I re-read ‘Thinking Fast, and Slow’ by Daniel Kahneman, who won the Noble Prize in economics in 2002. I wanted to better understand human behaviours and what some of the biases may be in dealing with a pandemic like this.

What is the one place you would like to travel to but haven’t yet? 

I’ve travelled to many places but have never been to Australia. I would love to go and see the country.

If you would like to tell us what you are doing during lockdown and be featured on our next blog, please email alumni@bbk.ac.uk

Birkbeck alumna Sofia Desbois studied an MA in Arts Policy & Management at Birkbeck. She has worked at some of London’s leading cultural institutions including the Royal Academy of Arts, Barbican Centre and The London Library. She is currently Press Relations Manager at Reiber PR, the international public relations and communications consultancy, working across the visual arts and design. She recently managed the European Press Campaign for the Anthony Gormley RA exhibition.

• Hi Sofia. Thanks for sharing your lockdown experience with us. so tell us, what’s life like for you at the moment?

I live in North London with my boyfriend, so this is where I’ve been staying. I’m lucky enough to have a garden so I’ve been spending plenty of time there, especially during these incredibly sunny weeks. I’ve actually been enjoying spending so much time at home. I’ve been able to work here without any problems nor distractions. I’ve been cooking and exercising a lot. I’ve also been able to do loads of work around the house and garden which I’d been postponing, having previously prioritised social outings.

• What are you missing the most during lockdown?

My family. They live in Brussels (which is where I’m from) and I wasn’t able to go there for Easter as originally planned. Something as quick and easy as taking the Eurostar seems so impossible in these uncertain times! I also miss my friends, of course. Zoom is great but isn’t quite the same as hanging out face-to-face.

• What is an unexpected thing lockdown has taught you?

I suppose what I’ve learned is not to take certain things for granted, to slow down and appreciate having more time for myself.

• What made you choose to study on the MA Arts Policy & Management course at Birkbeck?

I was working at the London Library in Press and Marketing, when I realised that there were certain elements of the arts world which I wasn’t familiar with or didn’t fully understand. I thus decided to go back to university and gain specialised knowledge in theories and principles of arts and cultural management. Birkbeck was perfect for me, as it offered a great balance between teaching both theory and practice.

• What were the highlights of your time at Birkbeck?

For me, learning practical skills was just as important as learning theoretical ones and Birkbeck did this very well. I enjoyed being taught high-profile case studies that used leading arts institutions as examples, as well as meeting key industry professionals. Another highlight was getting to know my peers, all of whom came from a variety of countries and backgrounds. Birkbeck created a fantastic learning environment where all students were able to learn from each other’s richly diverse experiences.

• Did your studies at Birkbeck help your career?

Absolutely. Not only is it a key addition to my CV, Birkbeck also taught me skills in strategy and management applied to current trends and debates regarding the day-to-day running of arts institutions and projects – all of which has been applied to my professional experience.

• How has your job changed during the lockdown?

It hasn’t actually changed that much in the short term. I can do all my tasks from home without any problems. The biggest change has been not being able to see my colleagues every day, which is the main downfall. We’ve all started using Slack and Zoom though, which has been great to keep closely connected. In the long term however, who knows! The art world is changing and it looks like it will become more and more digitalised. This seems to be the way forward so it will be interesting to see how it evolves.  

• Are there any resources/podcasts that are helping you at the moment?

I’ve been a lot more active on Strava! More than just an exercise app, it sort of works as a social network in which you can benchmark yourself against others and see what routines your friends are up to. I do both cycling and running and Strava has been great to keep track of my activity. I’ve also started listening to the BBC Global News podcast every single morning. It’s highly informative about what’s going on around the world, especially with coronavirus, and it’s become part of my routine.

• What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been told?

If you’re not passionate about it, don’t do it. This is the advice my cousin gave me when I was considering journalism as a career. My cousin is a journalist in Spain, and he told me that while it is a great profession, it’s tough and not always rewarding. It turns out that I wasn’t passionate about it and I’m glad I listened to him. Identify your strengths and don’t be stuck in something you don’t enjoy.

• What’s is the best film, TV or book you’ve watched or read during the lockdown?

I’m currently reading Marina Abramović’s memoir. Her autumn exhibition at the Royal Academy was going to be my next big work project but has now been postponed. I recommend it if, like me, you don’t know much about performance art. It’s a good insight into what it’s all about. In terms of TV, I’m late to the party, but I’ve finally started watching Breaking Bad. It’s amazing! I’m on the last season now and it’s been consistently good throughout.

• Which living person do you most admire and why?

At the moment, I think that would have to be New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. She is such an inspiration. The compassion, strength and determination she’s showed when dealing with crises such as the Christchurch shootings and the Coronavirus pandemic are utterly inspiring. Not to mention the fact that she is one of the youngest female country leaders, who gave birth in office and powered through!

• What is your next project on the horizon?

When the lockdown is lifted and freedom of movement is allowed again, I plan to go on a week-long cycling trek with my boyfriend and explore a beautiful area somewhere in the UK.

If you would like to tell us what you are doing during lockdown and be featured on our next blog, please email alumni@bbk.ac.uk

Social distancing has meant that many of us are becoming well-acquainted with our kitchens, turning us into a community of home bakers. It has been impossible to ignore the increase in banana bread, impressive sourdough and delightful cake photographs filling our news feeds. The Development and Alumni team has been keen to get in on the baking action too! Last week, the team had a virtual ‘Cookie Hour’, a fun way to spend some time with each other with a tasty treat at the end of it!

To pay homage to our Bloomsbury based office, we would like to share a recipe which is inspired by Vanessa Bell’s painting ‘Apples: 46 Gordon Square’. The painting shows a tray on apples perched by a window in 46 Gordon Square, the Bloomsbury building that is now home to Birkbeck’s School of Arts. 46 Gordon Square was home to a number of members of the Bloomsbury Group. Vanessa Bell and her sister, the writer Virginia Woolf, moved to the house in 1904. Following this, the house was occupied by celebrated and influential economist John Maynard Keynes. Today, a blue plaque on the building commemorates Keynes’s time in Gordon Square.

The following recipe is by Jans Ondaatje Rolls, who wrote The Bloomsbury Cookbook: Recipes for Life, Love and Art, which is both a cookbook and a social history of the ‘Bloomsbury Group’ of writers, artists, and intellectuals who based themselves in Bloomsbury in the early 20^th century.

Apple Squares

You will need:

• 128g plain white flour
• 4 tbs caster sugar
• 249g butter
• 4 eggs
• 410g soft brown sugar
• 120g melted butter
• 80g dried apples (diced)
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp flour

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Combine the plain white flour, caster sugar and butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Press the mixture into 2 buttered oblong baking dishes and bake for approx. 13 minutes in the centre shelf of the oven.
4. Beat the eggs and soft brown sugar together. Stir in the melted butter, apples, lemon juice, vanilla and 2 tsp of flour.
5. Pour into the base and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
6. Cool and cut into squares. Makes 46.

We’d love to see how you get on! Use the hashtag #BBKBakes on social media to show us your baked goods, and to share other recipes with our community of Birkbeck bakers.

Birkbeck Alumnus Hetan Shah, the Chief Executive of the British Academy, talks about his experience of studying at Birkbeck.

Why did you decide to come to Birkbeck?

I was working in a law firm in the City, and was pretty bored! I wanted to keep my mind active and keep learning, so I would sneak out twice a week to my History and Politics Masters. I enjoyed it so much. I then left the law sector, and started working at a think tank. I felt the need to learn some economics, so I then spent a year doing the Postgraduate Certificate in Economics.

How did you balance your work and studies?

The Postgraduate Certificate in Economics was tough – three hours a night for three nights a week. It was a year that didn’t leave me a lot of time for a social life!

Why did studying in the evening appeal to you?

Studying in the evening quite simply meant that I could work and earn a living during the day!

Do you have any special memories from your time at Birkbeck?

The most inspiring part of my time at Birkbeck was studying Professor Mark Mazower’s course on the 20^th century, empires and nation states. He had extraordinary breadth – we would study an empire (Habsburg, Ottoman, British etc) each week. Life has come full circle as he was recently elected a corresponding fellow of the British Academy, where I have just begun as chief executive!

Can you tell us a little more about your career journey since Birkbeck?

I worked in the think tank world for several years, helping to bridge academic research and policy. It was a stimulating time, working on agendas including behavioural economics, social enterprise, and well-being measures. After that I became chief executive of a charity focused on global citizenship education in UK schools: improving critical engagement with international development and environmental sustainability in the curriculum. Around eight years ago I became executive director of the Royal Statistical Society, a membership body concerned with improving evidence and the use of data in public life. And I have now just been appointed chief executive of the British Academy, the national academy for humanities and social science.

Based on your experience at the Royal Statistical Society, what skills or experiences are important to the future job market?

One of the things that I’ve learned from my time at the RSS is the increasing importance of data analysis. We are living in a world of ubiquitous data, and so making sense of what the data tells us is really important. This will be increasingly demanded across many job roles. Our education system needs to take the teaching of basic statistical literacy more seriously.

What are you excited to implement/ take on at the British Academy?

The BA is an extraordinary organisation. It is a fellowship of some of the brightest minds, it provides funding for humanities and social science research, and it also convenes thinking on the big issues of the day. As you can tell from the subjects I have studied (my first degree was mostly philosophy) I have a strong affinity with these subjects, as they help us make sense of the world we live in. My aim is to build on the great work the BA already does, and to help bring the voices of the humanities and social science communities into the big issues of the day. I have recently written a piece in Nature showing why these subjects are vital for meeting many of the challenges we face in the upcoming decade.

I look back at my three years at Birkbeck with fondness. It was very stimulating to continue with some formal study after I’d begun my working life. I’d recommend it to anyone!

Earlier this year in spring, over a thousand Birkbeck students graduated from their studies and received their degree. Thanks to alumni donations many deserving students receive financial support throughout their studies. Support can change the Birkbeck experience for students like Ellie, Rakim, Adam and Oluwatobi – read more about their stories below:

Ellie Braithwaite (MSc Educational Neuroscience)

“Birkbeck caught my attention because of the amazing psychology and neuroscience resources and researchers. Since finishing my masters, I have been working at Birkbeck as a research assistant in the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development. I am working with some inspiring people. This is a role I would not have been able to do before getting my Masters, both in terms of experience and confidence. I am now applying for PhDs and hope to do this at Birkbeck – something I never thought I would do before completing my Masters!

Without the bursary I received I would not have been able to pay course fees, travel to attend lectures, or to buy the laptop and resources I needed to succeed. I’d like to say a huge thank you to alumni donors– without you I wouldn’t have had all the amazing experiences I have had, nor would I have so many doors open to me now.”

Rakim Yusufkhan-Jeffrey (BA Linguistics & Japanese)

“Prior to my studies at Birkbeck, I had been in the midst of a difficult time in my life. Shortly after starting my studies at college, I fell ill. This meant that I had to withdraw and was unable to study or work for a number of years. As time went on, I felt stuck.

Then I discovered Birkbeck, and found that it welcomed students of all backgrounds and qualifications. I felt that this was a much needed second chance to attain a qualification and start my career. I enrolled on BA Linguistics and Japanese, and was able to rediscover my passion for the Japanese language. I also gained a newfound love for the topic of Linguistics. Learning about how languages are both taught and acquired in the Language Learning module particularly proved to be very interesting and enjoyable.

I hope to use my degree to become a teacher or translator in the near future. Without financial assistance through my bursary, I would have struggled to make the trip to university during the week and would not have been able to afford many of the materials I needed, such as the textbooks used in each class. Receiving the bursary provided me not only with the opportunity to attend university, but to succeed at it.

Without alumni donors, many students like me would not have been able to comfortably attend and take part in education. No words are sufficient to express how grateful I am for the opportunity that they have given to me, and I sincerely thank them for their generous help throughout my years at Birkbeck, an institution that I hold so dear to my heart.”

Adam McLaren (BA Politics Philosophy and History)

“My inspiration to study at Birkbeck was due to the fact that many of the books that I’d read were written by Birkbeck professors. Furthermore, I knew it had an excellent philosophy and humanities faculty. Originally I had the ambition to get into politics, but when I started my degree I became particularly interested in psychiatry and the history of psychology, especially the works of Freud and Jung – I had found something that I was truly passionate about.

Alumni funding gave me the confidence to focus on my studies without being distracted by financial worry. Funding meant that I could buy a laptop, textbooks and travel to my lectures. The bursary helped me to do things like visit the Carl Jung and Freud Museum, and read extra books and journals that tied into my academic work.”

Oluwatobi Amusan (MSc Investment Management)

“I had been working in accounting for 5 years when I decided I wanted to challenge myself and progress my career. I had studied Accounting and Finance for my undergraduate, and was eager to pursue a master’s degree. I liked that Birkbeck caters for people who want to work at the same time as studying, as it provides an opportunity for study for those who have a lot going on in their daily lives.

I chose the Investment Management course as I wanted to change the direction of my career. Postgraduate study was an adjustment from undergraduate study. I particularly liked the Financial Modelling module, I had never done anything like it before and I really enjoyed the difficulty of it. It was stimulating talking to mature students on my course and I learnt a lot from people who worked in different industries with diverse life experiences.  

Receiving funding really helped during my degree. It cut out a lot of stress, and I’m very grateful. Being a student can be expensive; having to buy course materials, pay tuition fees and travelling to lectures, on top of other financial responsibilities. The bursary meant that I could complete my degree without any added financial worry about how I was going to pay for things. Thanks to my bursary, I was able to complete my degree with no hiccups, and with the grade I wanted.

Thanks to my degree I will have skills and knowledge that I can use forever. I’m working in a sector that I’m passionate about, and I’d like to say thank you to the donors who have helped me to achieve what I’ve wanted to do. My bursary is something that I’ve not taken for granted. Funding can really change the life of others, like it has changed the life of mine.”

 “How can I learn or study when I don’t know where I will sleep tonight?” It’s not a question many Birkbeck students and alumni have to ask themselves, but for one group, it’s a reality.

Students accepted onto The Compass Project for asylum-seekers and refugees face a real challenge in finding somewhere to stay in London while they attend classes. Many of the students are “dispersed” – sent by the Home Office out of London and they can’t afford to pay for somewhere to sleep.

This is where Refugees At Home plays an important role. This small charity matches asylum-seekers and refugees with generous hosts who provide accommodation at their homes.

Compass Project student Alaa explains:

“I received a scholarship from The Compass Project to study at Birkbeck for a full year. I was extremely glad to have this opportunity to get back into higher education. Unfortunately, after failing to get into Home-Office accommodation in London, I didn’t have anywhere to live. I was very sad and disappointed as I thought I had lost the chance to study again, until I was saved by Refugees At Home.

Naureen, the Compass Project coordinator, introduced me to Refugees At Home who, in a very short period of time, connected me with a lovely lady who was willing to host me in her home. She was very welcoming and understanding, and it was a real pleasure to know her. I am now studying my course whilst feeling safe and confident, thanks to the lovely hosts who are offering their help to people in challenging circumstances.”

Refugees At Home has a particular link with Birkbeck through the longest-serving member of the placement team, Rachel Davenport.  Rachel is a Birkbeck alumna and says:

“To me Birkbeck has always been an institution that has offered people the opportunity to study where they might not otherwise have been able to do so. The students on my course were made up of a wide range of backgrounds, which made discussion insightful and varied – it was one of the best parts of my studies.

Being surrounded by a range of perspectives different from your own is invaluable, and something that drew me to working at Refugees a Home. I think that hosting offers the same potential – it opens up new ways of thinking, while at the same time making a profound difference in someone’s life. The Compass Project is a great reflection of these values and I’m really proud that we are able to contribute to it in some way. Many people would not be able to study without the help of hosting along the way, and to lose those voices at Birkbeck would be a great shame.”

Sara Nathan OBE, who is the Co-founder and trustee of Refugees at Home says:

“I’ve hosted about 15 young men in west London so far – from Syria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Iran, Pakistan, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Libya. It’s a life-enhancing experience. They have shared their lives, their stories, their cooking – and some are very good cooks, the others get coached on-line by sisters in Saudi Arabia or mum in Syria. Hosting brings me at least as much as I contribute to my guests’ lives. It’s never dull.”

The charity is a huge support for Birkbeck’s Compass Project. If you’d like to learn more, or find out about becoming a host, visit their website: www.refugeesathome.org