Building Our Own Table: Bianca Jones

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Hello {{ first name | friends}},

I had to look back to see when I’d first come into contact with today’s interviewee, Bianca Jones. It turned out to be about 18 months ago. More recently, we had a message exchange about my resources to support anti-racism learning, which led to a conversation. After that, I knew I wanted to share Bianca’s work with a wider audience. Ready to dive in?

Bianca, tell me briefly about your background prior to founding EDP Training and the Race Ahead Programme.

Before founding EDP, I worked across a range of roles in learning and development within the retail sector. I supported employee inductions, performance development, and progression planning. That is where my passion for education and developing people really began. My lived experience of postnatal depression and recovery shaped my commitment to mental health and wellbeing. Navigating the mental health system as a dual heritage Black woman, I faced barriers that were directly linked to the colour of my skin. It opened my eyes to the inequalities that exist and the urgent need for change. That experience became the foundation of everything that followed.

Give me the elevator pitch for EDP Training and the Race Ahead Programme.

EDP Training is an award winning training provider delivering bold and powerful workplace learning in mental health and anti racism. Through MHFA England courses and our flagship Race Ahead Programme, we help organisations create healthier and safer environments where every person can thrive regardless of skin colour. We are building the Amazon of race equity learning and are launching a partnership model in 2026 to support organisations year-round with practical tools and accountability.

And in more detail?

EDP Training began in Bristol and now works with organisations across the United Kingdom. We are a small Black-led business that has trained thousands of people through our mental health and anti racism programmes.

Our Race Ahead suite includes Start Line, Race Aware and the one day Race Ahead course designed for managers and decision makers. This supports organisations at every stage of their racial equity journey. We also offer a train the trainer option so that organisations can build internal capability. This makes the work more scalable, cost effective, and sustainable. Freelance trainers can also join as delivery partners. We have worked with organisations such as OVO Energy, St Peter’s Hospice and many grassroots community groups.

Our approach is very human. You cannot simply tell people to not be racist. You have to help them see their role in the system and understand the human impact of their behaviour. We focus on honesty, psychological safety and real behaviour change.

We have also built a Digital Allyship Platform filled with microlearning videos, monthly live sessions, a growing community space and more. This exists because learners told us that a single workshop is never enough. Anti-racism is a journey and we walk that journey with them.

What inequity were you trying to address, and why is this important?

We are addressing the discomfort and avoidance that surrounds conversations about race, particularly in the workplace. Race is still the protected characteristic that gets left out because many leaders do not know what to do. I spoke about this recently at Disrupt HR.

Racism is often minimised or treated as too political to name. That silence has real consequences which harm the wellbeing, retention and progression of Black and racially minoritised people. Two in five people report experiencing racism at work according to TUC 2022. Representation in senior roles remains shocking. It shows there is still a serious problem.

I was tired of seeing organisations tiptoe around race and I was tired of the emotional labour required to be palatable enough for people to listen. Race Ahead was created so we can have honest conversations that call people in rather than shutting them down. It encourages accountability and courage. It says what many know but struggle to voice. “Nobody should be harmed in the workplace because of the colour of their skin.”

How’s it going? What has the response been?

It has been powerful. Since 2019, over one hundred organisations and thousands of people have been through the Race Ahead programme. The most common feedback is gratitude for the safe and brave space where people can speak openly about race for the first time in their working lives. Understanding the full picture of racism builds confidence and reduces fragility which leads to meaningful allyship. People leave ready to take action which is exactly what is needed in the current climate.

Our work has received recognition including the IAMBOB Special Award for impact in mental health training as a Black owned business. I was also named in Insider’s 42 Under 42 for the South West which was a lovely moment of reflection. The real impact shows up in the behaviour shifts, the follow up actions and the culture changes that organisations share with us.

What’s next? Any goals you're hoping to achieve?

We are expanding our Digital Allyship Platform into a partnership model so that organisations can engage with this work throughout the year. The partnership includes training, consultation and coaching, as well as quarterly events where leaders can share challenges and best practice.

My wider ambition is to build a trusted learning ecosystem where mental health and equity are not separate conversations. I believe collaboration is essential. There are many brilliant people working toward the same goal and I am always open to partnering so we can go further together. There is an African proverb that says if you want to go fast go alone and if you want to go far go together. That speaks to the future of Race Ahead.

In relation to racism, what is your vision for the future?

I want a world where everyone can show up as their full authentic selves. Where racial equity is embedded into every system of work and not treated as an add on. Where workplaces prevent harm instead of reacting after the damage is done. I want Black and Global Majority people in leadership, shaping policy, influencing culture and feeling fully valued. I want true safety and fairness for my nine year old daughter as she grows up. That is the table I am building.

Is there anything I haven't asked you that you'd like to add?

A huge thank you to you, Sharon, for building a platform that elevates our work in such a meaningful way. I admire what you do and I am grateful to be included. I would love to share our growing resource guide with your readers. I am always interested in new connections and opportunities to share, support and collaborate.

I’m so grateful for Bianca’s work and I hope you’ll check out the resources available on her website. You can also follow Bianca on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

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