Edinburgh is set to host a gathering of leaders, changemakers and innovators this autumn at the Scottish Ethnic Minority Talent Summit, Festival, and Awards 2025 takes place on 9 October at Tynecastle Park.

Datakirk, which runs the event, has announced that Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP will be delivering the keynote address at the event. With this year’s theme, “Wellbeing & Resilience: Thriving in a Changing World,” the Summit will highlight how Scotland can foster an inclusive and resilient society where diverse communities flourish and contribute to sustainable growth.

The Summit will bring together senior voices from across business, government, and civil society to discuss practical ways of embedding wellbeing and resilience into Scotland’s economic and social future. Alongside the Summit, the Festival & Awards will showcase talent, celebrate achievement, and highlight the power of diversity in driving innovation.

The speaker line up includes:

• Tom Barclays, CEO, Kingdom Housing Association
• Gael Drummond, CEO, Firstport
• Aidan Grisewood, Interim Director of Economic Strategy, Scottish Government
• Ainslie Beattie, Sustainability Lead, Oracle Technology Consulting
• Edward Odofin, Head of Resilience, BBC
• Rani Dhanda, CEO, Inclusion Junction
• Prof John McKendrick, Glasgow Caledonian University

Recommended reading

• Datakirk Announces Scottish Ethnic Minority Talent Summit – Get Involved!
• Deputy First Minister to Deliver Keynote At DataKirk Festival
• Datakirk: Championing Scottish Black Talent Year Round
• Scottish Black Talent Summit: People Make Scotland

“We are honoured to welcome Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes as our Keynote Speaker. Her leadership and vision for Scotland’s future will set the tone for what promises to be an inspiring and impactful gathering,” said Chuks Ododo, Event Manager.

Early bird tickets are now available with a discount of 10% before 1 September, using the code using the coupon code OO7SYJ.

Further, a limited number of sponsorship and exhibition packages are still available for the event, offering organisations a unique opportunity to showcase their commitment to diversity and connect with Scotland’s leading voices in business, government, and the third sector.