In Memoriam
Our beloved colleague and friend passed away in 2023. This page remains here as a tiny part of her enormous legacy. It was such a huge honour and privilege to work with her. Yvonne, you are deeply missed!
About Me
Hello, my name is Yvonne Witter and my work over the years has involved coaching, capacity building and training small businesses, solopreneurs, and Community organisations internationally across six continents to realise their potential. My passion is in turning ideas into credible and sustainable businesses, and I have worked with various individuals and teams of people to make this happen. Many businesses and organisations that I have advised in the early stages are thriving businesses a decade or more later.
My work continues to contribute to the development of organisations and people, across the micro-business and social enterprise sectors. I would describe myself as a conscious practitioner, a solutionist. I am a published author of fiction and non-fiction. I love travelling for the experience of new cultures, Creative Arts, Writing, Food and good conversation. My book ‘Customer Service in the African Caribbean Business’ and updated, ‘Developing Customer Service in the Black Owned Business’ were published in spring 2021 and are available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com respectively. Signed copies at www.crackinganut.com
Website: www.yvonnepwitter.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonnepwitter/
Twitter: @yvonne_witter
Yvonne Field (The Ubele Initiative)
About My Research
My work is decolonial in the way that it explores the non-western traditions of trade that were used before colonialism intervened in Africa and the Caribbean. I research how colonialism has impacted the way in which these nations now trade; the resulting loss of traditional systems used over 2000 years ago when Africans developed a collective meaning to life to describe the kind of relationship an individual is expected to have with their family, community, society, environment and their spiritual world. Africans developed new languages and subcultures and in the process, they came up with specific names for this collective meaning. Simply put ‘Ubuntu’ means ‘I am because you are’. The notion of collectivism or a non-western type of co-operative economics is not popular in western societies. Although systems of non-western co-operative economics are secretly used out of necessity. I believe that many Black businesses struggle today because the system of capitalist economics does not serve them in a society that rarely provides an equitable space for the Back Business Community to thrive. Since working as an enterprise consultant in the UK and in Africa and The Caribbean for nearly 20 years I have experienced that the communities in which I work are drawing on these ancient practices more and more in an effort to build sustainable enterprises that are motivated by social aims to repair and sustain the social fabric of communities as well as legacy and wealth creation.