Kaia Allen-Bevan, racial justice and anti-racism advocate and founder has always been the youngest in the room. Yet her voice and message quite often appear the wisest.
After not seeing herself represented in the education system, Kaia’s racial justice advocacy work began fresh out of secondary school, as she devoured books and documentaries, and reflected not just on her representation but the whole system.
“If I'm doing this on my own, I doubt people who don't even look like me are doing the same thing.”
Kaia transformed this into digital advocacy, leading the Black Lives Matter movement here in Brighton and Hove, transforming it into digital education, making infographics and collaborating with different companies such as Yubo, The Guardian, Grazia, and different campaigns, and even being featured by Forbes and Business Today for being recognised as a TEDx Speaker and public speaker, who’s making “a global impact”.
Nowadays, alongside her racial justice advocacy work, she is the founder and face of Youth The Gap, an aspiring consultancy and CIC that is powered by and directly serves young people in minoritised communities, and is also the Engagement Lead at an award-winning company and EDI consultancy called Watch This Sp_ce.
“Being able to advocate for people who look like me and even those who don't look like me through the power of education is so important. And I’ll continue to do that until I die.”
A less traditional route
Kaia’s passion for education isn’t only for the most traditional educational paths. Despite leaving college with three A*s, she held back on considering university, even though she had always dreamt of Oxford or Cambridge.
Instead, she went straight into youth work that summer, working directly with Black and Global Majority young people between the ages of 11 and 25. This experience of how institutions often fail these young people and minoritised communities inspired her pathway into education as a teacher as she saw how she could bring her experiences to the table.
She adds, “You don't have to feel pressured to go to university or think the same pathway will work for everybody. Your story may lie in starting your own business or being destined to go down the apprenticeship route or start an internship.
The traditional pathway that your teachers are telling you may not be the right one. They don't know any better than you do.
Only you know yourself, your pathway, and your story. So take the power, realise yourself, and trust yourself in that process.”
Why the next generation’s voice needs to be heard
Strength, courage and conviction in the perspective and power of young people drive Kaia, and she recognises, in the same way, students are only pushed down one set pathway, there is an ‘infantilisation of young people’.
“But when people infantilise others, youth in particular, what often is left out is that these people are just the same as you. And it comes from that kind of power dynamics, which is a social construct. At Youth The Gap we deconstruct that, breaking down false narratives such as stereotypes and assumptions about young people.”
Her need for representation, especially for those disproportionately failed by these systems, is simple:
“Those diverse voices should come first, rather than from those who think they know what the people want.”
Youth The Gap aims to become a non-profit alternative education platform whose proceeds go towards working directly with schools, colleges and universities and fundraising for social justice causes and humanitarian crises, such as genocide in Palestine, Congo, or Sudan. Through services such as audits, events, consultancy, and training, Youth The Gap aims to ensure the education system and its curriculum, are truly inclusive and accessible, encouraging young people and minoritised groups opportunities to collaborate with the external world whilst fostering intergenerational connection.
Connection at Plus X Innovation
As a member of Plus X Innovation and a recent graduate of the Stage-One Pre-Accelerator innovation programme, Kaia reflects on how being part of the Plus X Innovation community has impacted her business:
“I have been able to connect with so many people that I definitely wouldn't have just ordinarily bumped into on the street, had a conversation with, or connected with unless I went to a specific networking event. And that in itself is inaccessible to young people such as myself.
So, to be in an inclusive space that actively welcomes people like myself and wants to connect to people - I think that's actually how the rooms are based and constructed - you feel at home.
And there’s no gatekeeping. It’s how can we forge together and connect? How can we help each other grow in that aspect? It breaks down the whole industry of gatekeeping. Authentic connection happens naturally.”
Kaia can often be found making the most out of the facilities at Plus X Innovation Brighton, bringing a wonderful energy to the space. She regularly uses the phonebooths in Plus X Innovation for her calls to the wider community, and often films her own videos for both Youth The Gap and Watch This Sp_ce in the vibrant coworking space.
The story doesn’t end here
Kaia’s approach to activism is more inclusive – seeing it as a journey that you can wake up every day to work on, rather than a one-time quick tick-box solution. And that's with anything, whether you translate it into a protest, whatever you translate to starting a platform, or working with businesses, it's a whole journey.
Youth The Gap is driving towards bringing more youth to the table and reflects on the beauty that the upcoming generation has.
Kaia’s message?
“When these young people do come to the table, you need to be ready for change.”
Find out more about YouthTheGap here, or follow on socials at: @youththegap (Insta), @youththegap (TikTok), YouthTheGap on LinkedIn, or follow Kaia directly on: @kaia.ab (Instagram), @kaia.ab (TikTok), Kaia Allen-Bevan on LinkedIn.
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