Motivez is a youth-led organisation on a mission to break down barriers in STEM and sustainability. Co-founded in 2015 by George Imafidon MBE and Muizz Almaroof, it has grown into a collective that has worked with more than 13,500 young people across London.
Treasure, Director & Head of Operations, is responsible for everything operations at the organisation, and knows firsthand the importance of the work that Motivez is doing with London’s youth.
“Growing up in Brixton, I saw a lot of the negative influences around me – drugs, violence, gangs. My school was actually once one of the worst performing in the country. I worked hard, got good grades and ended up studying for a Masters, but it takes a lot of resilience to make sure you can push through those influences”.
Treasure and George were both scholars on the Amos Bursary (a programme for Year 12 students of African and Caribbean who have demonstrated academic excellence). “Through that we were able to learn things – like how to present ourselves, how to network, or even how to conduct ourselves at a dinner – that our other peers didn’t have access to.”
“We learned so much about what it actually takes for people from backgrounds like ours to access these opportunities. Now, with the rest of the team, we put that learning into practice and teach more young people how to move forward as well.”
That idea of passing knowledge on sits at the heart of Motivez. The organisation runs two flagship programmes for young people aged 14 to 25. Sustainable London is an environmental education initiative that started in a single school in Peckham and is now running in 10 boroughs across London, and Application Season is an employability programme designed to help open doors into STEM careers.
For Sustainable London, students work in teams, supported by STEM professionals who reflect their identities and experiences, to design solutions to local pollution and climate issues. The winners go on to compete in borough and city-wide finals, creating visibility, excitement and self-belief.
“As great as the Sustainable London programme is, it was sadly inspired by the passing of a young girl named Ella Kissi-Debrah,” Treasure explains. Ella was only nine when she died following an asthma attack in 2013.
“She was, and still is, the only person in the world to have had her cause of death listed as air pollution. Looking at the impact that had on our community, that is where the inspiration for the programme came from.”
While Sustainable London takes a more grassroots approach, Application Season is all about employability. “We’re asking how we can get these young people to ace the application process for their first internship, apprenticeship or job within the STEM fields,” Treasure explains.
The four week programme delivers CV and cover letter workshops, interview prep sessions, role model conversations and newer additions such as The Art of Leverage, which shows participants how to unlock opportunities in unconventional ways. Interview clinics, networking events and a careers fair put the learning into practice. With mentors and guest speakers drawn from Motivez’s professional network, participants get direct guidance from people who have navigated these paths themselves.
And the results speak for themselves. More than 85 per cent of past participants have gone on to reach their dream destinations, including roles at JP Morgan, Google and Deutsche Bank, as well as places at leading universities.
When Motivez joined the Pathways Fund, growth meant one thing: hiring their first full-time programme manager. “I was the only one full time, and George was juggling two days a week with us and three as a race engineer for Lewis Hamilton’s electric racing team,” Treasure recalls. “Bringing Eden on as a programme manager transformed our capacity.” That hire meant Motivez could grow from one neighbourhood to a borough, and then across six boroughs, expanding both programmes.
The Pathways Fund provided more than money. The wellbeing grant allowed the team to care for themselves in a high pressure environment. The Organisational Development Budget paid for an Operations Consultant to help put more streamlined systems in place. Quarterly Check-Ins with Blagrave’s Youth Led Change Manager gave the team a trusted space to reflect and plan. “The catch-ups I have with Blagrave really help me to think through the work we have to do and the best way to approach any challenges I’m facing individually,” says Treasure.
Ten years in, what began as workshops between lectures has become a team of ten, piloting work outside London and planning for national reach. “The next ten years and beyond for Motivez look exciting,” Treasure says. “We are looking for more support, and we are hopeful that in the next decade Motivez will be a household name for young people exploring STEM.”