Meet Bilkis Miah, Founder of You Be You
“Be the person you needed when you were younger.”
For Bilkis, starting You Be You wasn’t just about launching a social enterprise—it was about healing. “I built this because of my own lived experiences,” she said. “I grew up in a society that wasn’t designed for people who looked like me, thought like me, or moved through the world like I did.”
Today, she leads a team that delivers anti-racism and wellbeing education in schools across the UK—empowering the next generation to thrive without having to unlearn who they are.
Why she built it
Bilkis started You Be You to disrupt what she calls “the quiet harm” baked into classrooms and curriculum. “Education is where we first learn about power, identity, and belonging,” she said. “But for many of us, it’s also where we first learn how to shrink.”
Her programme centres racial equity, mental wellbeing, and inclusive teaching tools. “We help schools create environments where students don’t just survive—they feel safe, seen, and celebrated.”
The moment she knew it mattered
One of You Be You’s early pilot workshops still sticks with her. “I saw a student who was usually withdrawn suddenly light up during one of our sessions,” she said. “For the first time, they felt understood—not just managed.”
That moment became a mirror. “It reminded me why this work matters. We’re not here to tick a box. We’re here to build belonging.”
What makes You Be You different
While others focus on top-down policy, Bilkis and her team focus on people—teachers, students, and families. “What sets us apart is our deep-rooted lived experience,” she said. “We don’t parachute in with abstract theories. We show up with tools that are grounded, culturally responsive, and tested.”
“We bring anti-racism and wellbeing together—because you can’t have one without the other.”
How she leads
“I’m bold, brave, and transparent,” she said. “And I lead with heart.”
That heart shows up in how she runs her organisation—with trust, honesty, and a belief in collective growth. “I’m not afraid to speak hard truths. But I also create space for joy, learning, and reflection.”
What’s happening now
Bilkis is currently leading You Be You through an ambitious scale-up phase. “We’re working on new programmes that can reach even more schools,” she said. “We’re also focusing on resources for teachers—because sustainable change starts with the adults in the room.”
Her community, her grounding
Founderland has been part of Bilkis’s journey, offering both connection and reflection. “Being surrounded by other women of colour founders has been transformative,” she shared. “It’s one of the few spaces where I don’t feel like I have to justify my purpose. I’m just trusted to lead.”
A challenge she’s turned into fuel
Bilkis recalled a pivotal challenge: “One school we worked with initially resisted our approach. They thought anti-racism was ‘too political.’ But by the end of the term, they saw the impact—students were more engaged, behaviour incidents dropped, and staff morale improved.”
That experience reaffirmed her approach. “Resistance is part of the work. But so is patience. Transformation takes time.”
Advice she’d give her younger self
“Be patient, but be persistent. Don’t let your passion become diluted by systems that weren’t built for you.”
Who inspires her
Bilkis is inspired by grassroots educators and frontline youth workers—the people holding space when institutions fall short. “They’re the ones doing the slow, quiet work of liberation every day,” she said. “That’s who I look up to.”
How she stays grounded
“I come back to community,” she said. “To joy. To movement. I run, I write, I rest.”
She also builds in time for storytelling—inside and outside the organisation. “Stories remind us why we do this. They anchor the data. They make the mission human.”
A mantra that carries her
“Be the person you needed when you were younger.”
It’s more than a quote. It’s a call. “I carry that into every workshop, every pitch, every hard day,” she said. “Because the work is hard—but it’s also sacred.”
Follow Bilkis’s Journey
Learn more or connect: