Black Is Bankable: In Conversation with Cosmo and ELLE

Tamison O’Connor is Fashion Features Director at ELLE UK, where she commissions, edits and writes stories about the people and ideas shaping fashion. Previously Luxury Correspondent at The Business of Fashion, she brings deep expertise in luxury, the global fashion industry and its cultural shifts. Her work includes interviews with leading designers, executives and creatives, and she appeared as a fashion commentator on leading news and radio outlets including BBC News, BBC Radio and LBC.

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Makda Sinit Kiros is a Strategic Partnerships Lead with more than 10 years’ experience across media, technology, content and digital platforms. She manages a £9m+ portfolio of strategic partnerships, working with global platforms including Apple, Amazon, Samsung and Meta to drive audience growth, content distribution and commercial performance. With a career spanning content, commercial partnerships and digital ecosystems, Makda brings a unique perspective on the intersection of audiences, culture, technology and business, working closely with editorial, product, marketing and commercial teams to develop partnerships and content strategies that connect with audiences and deliver measurable impact.

Passionate about representation and creating spaces where people feel seen, heard and able to thrive, Makda is also a mental health ambassador and proud member of the neurodiverse community. She is particularly interested in how organisations can move beyond tokenism to authentically reflect the communities they serve — through the products they build, the content they create and the people they empower. As a speaker and moderator, Makda brings warmth, curiosity and authenticity to conversations around identity, inclusion, technology and commercial opportunity, with a focus on creating meaningful conversations and positive change.

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Natasha is General Manager at Hearst UK, leading the Women’s Lifestyle and Health and Wellness brand portfolios. Natasha runs the P&Ls of the businesses, sets the strategy and works with editorial, commercial and customer teams to support development and growth.

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Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old.  She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.

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