London

CEO of US2U Consulting and Export Champion, Rachel Blackburn MBE was asked to speak on the Inspirational Women's Panel at the Department for Business and Trade's Empowering Women in Global Trade event in London on 1st April 2025.

Attended by around 100 business people, the aim was to encourage female business leaders to consider exporting as part of their growth strategy.

Rachel was on the panel with some other successful female exporters: Julianne Ponon MBE, CEO of Creative Nature, Nagma Ebanks Beni MBE, Co-CEO of Prima Cheese and Dr Grace Olugbodi, CEO of BeGenio.

Each person shared an overview of their international business story and focused on advice for other people planning to export their products or services.

There was also an opportunity for attendees to have 1:1 meetings with panel members during or after the event to gain specific business advice.

The DBT events team said "Your insights were invaluable and it was good to see the impact of the presentations on the attendees. We really appreciate your time and your contribution reallty helped to make this event a success."

Rachel is pictured with one of the attendess; Selena Morris, Founder of alt*ego.

The UK government's Export Support Service, available at www.great.gov.uk, is a great starting place for UK companies considering exporting for the first time, or expanding into new markets. Finding a local international trade advisor can also be an effective way to begin your exporting journey.

If you would like to be inspired to start or continue your exporting journey then please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

US2U Consulting team member Kerwin Blackburn, currently studying a Master's degree at King's College London, took part in the 2018 London Venture Crawl on Wednesday 14 March.

Involving 200 students from 9 different London universities, the event was aimed to introduced students to London's startup ecosystem, visiting some of its top innovation hubs and workspaces.

Beginning at the Royal Academy of Engineering just off The Mall, the KCL bus, hosted by the King's College London Entrepreneurship Institute, made visits to startup accelerator Wayra, Geovation, Deliveroo and Accenture before the closing event at Plexal, an innovation hub based at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

US2U Consulting attended the Food Matters Live Exhibition 2017 at ExCeL London on 22 and 23 November in order to learn about the latest trends and innovations within the food and drink sector.

US2U Consulting has enjoyed working with many clients in this sector and we look forward to embracing the challenges and opportunities that will impact this sector in the future.

The exhibition also provided dozens of seminars and conferences about all aspects of food and drink, including a keynote talk featuring celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal. There were also hundreds of food samples on offer, including the much talked-about seaweed pasta (seaweed is predicted to be the next big global food source!).

US2U Consulting has worked alongside Worldwide Fruit to produce a film documenting the growth and supply of avocados, one of the company's expanding product areas.

The film, titled From Field to Fork, was filmed at a number of locations from Malaga, Spain, to Marble Arch in London, and is being used to increase understanding of the process amongst staff at all stages of the supply chain.

Watch the edited highlights below.

To find out how we can help you with your product and team briefing films contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Kerwin Blackburn attended the launch of Enterprise Nation's Go and Grow Online 4.0 campaign at The Shard on Wednesday 11 October.

The campaign, now into its fourth year, aims to work with small businesses across the UK - only 50% of which have a website - to build their online presence and ensure they are capitalising on the digital opportunities available to them.

The event also included a talk from Printing.com founder Tony Rafferty about the rise of his company from idea to the stock market and his key tips for growing a business.

The event was a great opportunity to learn more about the steps businesses could and should be taking when it comes to building a digital presence.

US2U Consulting can enhance your digital strategy with a tailored, dynamic promotional video! Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out more.

Rachel Blackburn was pleased to be able to join the New York Jets wine tasting event at the Jets Pub by London Bridge on Wednesday October 2 as part of the British AmericanBusiness Group, to continue to promote opportunities for transatlantic trade.

The New York Jets played against the Minnesota Vikings on the following Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

As US2U Consulting is a business that delivers Executive Coaching Projects for clients, it was interesting to talk to some of the New York Jets people about business coaching and relating that to the sports coaching approach.

In both cases it's about enabling people to reach their full potential for the benefit of the team.

The first picture is Rachel with one of the New York Jets legends, Wayne Chrebet, who also signed a Jets hat explaining the significance of his number 80.

The second picture is of Rachel with Mike Nuciforo, Director, Corporate Partnerships and Business Development, New York Jets.

We are pleased to announce that Rachel Blackburn has been asked to be the local Champion of Make It Your Business - a nationwide initiative to encourage and support women to start their own business. It was founded in 2017 by Alison Cork, a London-based entrepreneur, writer and broadcaster, with the aim of supporting and encouraging women throughout the UK to start their own business.

Events are run all over the country, where women can meet established local female entrepreneurs, learn from their experiences and network with other local aspiring female entrepreneurs, in a relaxed and enabling environment. The organisation focuses on collaboration and has also established an online chat forum, where any woman can ask any question about enterprise.

Rachel Blackburn met with HE Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain at the Middle East Association in London prior to the first US2U Consulting visit to Bahrain in May 2009

US2U Consulting's Kerwin Blackburn will be changing his role within the company - where he has worked in both Consulting and Marketing Coordinator roles - as he begins a Master's degree at King's College London later in September.

He began working at US2U Consulting after completing his BSc (Hons) International Business, Finance and Economics degree at the University of Manchester in 2015. Working on a wide range of tasks and with clients from different sectors - as well as a visit to India to study Social Entrepreneurship in July 2016- has provided him with greater clarity regarding his own career aspirations, as well as the potential and growth opportunities for US2U Consulting's services in the coming years.

He will study MSc Emerging Economies and Inclusive Development and will continue to contribute to the US2U Consulting team in line with the scope of the degree programme and still plans to maintain the website and contribute to social media.

"Having the opportunity to gain my entry-level workplace experience at US2U Consulting has been brilliant. I have been involved in a wider range of tasks and responsibilities than I could have possibly imagined beforehand and I am excited about taking all that I've learnt here and applying it in the future!" said Kerwin.

We wish Kerwin well in his new venture and look forward to his contributions from the US2U Consulting London branch!

Rachel Blackburn attended the G8 UK 2013 The Deauville Partnership Conference at Lancaster House in London.

This was part of US2U Consulting's latest expansion into the Middle East and the theme was the role of women in relation to Arab countries in transition.

"It is recognised that the region is looking to benefit from advice, training and career development solutions; however it was emphasised that we have to understand their needs and history in order to be successful." said Rachel.

Pictured is: (left to right)

Quentin Primo III - CEO, Capri Capital

The Rt Hon Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan of Jordan

The Rt Hon Alistair Burt - UK Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East and North Africa

US2U Consulting attended The Business Show 2017 on 17 and 18 May at ExCeL London to gain insights into the latest hot topics among the UK business community.

As the nation's largest free business trade show, The Business Show welcomed over 25,000 businesses across the two days and included more than 350 exhibitors as well as hundreds of interactive masterclass sessions and seminars across its 5 business zones.

Among the highlights for the team were the engaging life stories by 2014 Apprentice Winner Mark Wright, Caprice and Myprotein Founder Oliver Cookson, along with a lively debate about contract and employment law with controversial Pimlico Plumbers CEO Charlie Mullins (pictured with Rachel Blackburn). They also heard about key opportunities in Africa and the ASEAN nations, as well as the story of how Cornwall-based Tregothnan Trading became the official brand of tea for the Government's GREAT campaign.

Rachel Blackburn was also spotted at one seminar by an audience member who recognised her from the Open University's Business Fundamentals: Effective Networking online course that she is featured in!

The Business Show 2017 adds to the environmental scanningthat the company has been undertaking recently as it seeks to stay ahead of the curve in these rapidly changing times for businesses and society.

Rachel Blackburn was pleased to attend this meeting on 7 March 2018 at the Mayfair Hotel in London on the historic occasion of the Saudi Crown Prince visiting the UK.

This is the first Saudi British Joint Business Council meeting that Rachel has attended since US2U Consulting formally joined the Council last month. It falls in advance of her second trip to Jeddah to develop Executive Coaching business to support the Crown Prince's Vision 2030.

The meeting was attended by Dr Majed Al Qasabi, Minister of Commerce and Investment, Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri, Minister of Economy and Planning, and Ibrahim Al Omar, Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority.

Rachel and Kerwin Blackburn of US2U Consulting attended a conference on how to Meet the Crisis in Change Management Head On in London on Friday 26 February.

Change management is a core US2U Consulting service and this conference provided a fresh perspective on a constantly evolving topic that is becoming increasingly prominent in today's business climate.

Key issues to consider included how to engage and motivate employees throughout change, provide effective leadership and empower your workforce to ensure they maximise their potential.

To find out how US2U Consulting can assist your organisation through change, visit our services.

Rachel and Kerwin Blackburn attended The Business Show 2016 on the 11th and 12th May at the ExCeL Arena, London.

The Business Show is the UK's biggest exhibition for anyone starting or growing a business and offers and wealth of networking opportunities and inspirational speakers to its 25,000 visiting business owners.

The show also provided the team with numerous tips and invaluable insight to put into practice. Alongside The Business Show, the ExCeL was also hosting the B2B Marketing Expo and the Sales Innovation Expo, ensuring Rachel and Kerwin gained exposure to a mixture of complementary disciplines, making for a very productive couple of days!