Inner City Success story as Newtown raised entrepreneur is shortlisted for prestigious city business award

Community champion and entrepreneur Truchio (Tru) Powell has announced that he has been shortlisted for the Marketing & Communications category at the Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Awards 2018 (BYPY).

The news comes after Tru was announced a finalist yesterday by the BYPY committee. The winner will be decided by a panel of esteemed BYPY judges including Deborah Cadman OBE, Chief Executive at the West Midlands Combined Authority, Ian Barnes, Chair at BPS Birmingham, Victoria Ball, Chair at BPS Birmingham Future, Jilly Cosgrove, Managing Director at Barques Design, Dr David J Hardman MBE, CEO at innovation Birmingham, Caroline Hill, Director of HR & Corporate Services at Wesleyan Assurance Society and Michael Parker, Associate Director at Gleeds and last years reigning BYPY winner.

Tru was born in Birmingham and raised in a single parent household in Newtown along with his six siblings. Despite his challenging start, from an early age he developed a passion for enterprise, the arts and events and organized his first event at the tender age of eight. He went on to start his own event management company Alternative Events (and Weddings) in 2015.

As the founder of Alternative Events, Tru has used his expertise to build a solid reputation for delivering high quality events for corporate clients across the city. However, he has not forgotten his humble beginnings and as director of the highly revered Aston Performing Arts Academy, he has been instrumental in improving the life chances of hundreds of disadvantaged youth from the inner-city. Tru’s experience in event management and business has led to him being recently appointed as a visiting lecturer at University College Birmingham teaching Event Management and Business Studies.

Tru is up against some stiff competition including Sunny Gill from Silver Mountain and Beth Sadler from Aston Business School. Speaking of his fellow nominees he said: “I am delighted and humbled to be nominated for such a prestigious award. I am also honored to be sharing the category with such amazing people who are doing equally incredible things for our city.”

Speaking of his background Tru said: “Growing up in an inner-city environment led to me being exposed to drugs, gangs and violence. My mum played a pivotal role in keeping myself and all of her children away from this lifestyle and instilled positive aspirations and work ethic into us all. Being a finalist is as much her achievement as it is mine.

The winners of the BYPY Awards 2018 will be announced at a glitzy ceremony on the 24th May at the prestigious ICC in Birmingham. Over 1000 young professionals from across the city will celebrate some of the Birmingham’s finest upcoming talent across six categories. Finance, Legal, HR, Recruitment and Training, Technology, Property and Construction and Marketing and Communications. There is also an Aspiring Talent award for 16 to 24-year olds who are still in full-time education and an Inspiring Leader award to recognise exceptional contribution to the business community.

For more information about the Awards click here