Sharla’s Biography

Sharla-Jaye Duncan is a social entrepreneur and passionate advocate for educational and career equity. She was raised in South London in a Jamaican family with six half-siblings, where more people went to jail than left school with GCSEs. Continuously put into a box as ‘bad news’ or labelled as having learning difficulties, her academic outlook changed dramatically when she met an individual, her age, who, with her support and encouragement, propelled her from being at risk of leaving school with no qualifications to achieving top GCSE grades. Her newfound love for education led her to secure top A-Level results, pursue a degree in Biochemistry at King’s College London, and complete an MSc at Oxford University. In 2008, as a second-year undergraduate at King’s College London, Sharla-Jaye founded Team Up (initially called YELP Students). Driven by a desire to break down barriers to university for children from working-class backgrounds, she began tutoring young students in Maths and Science. Team Up quickly grew, becoming a registered charity in 2012 and helping over 7,000 young people improve their academic performance and aspirations. Her efforts with Team Up earned her the EY Unlocking Potential Award in 2013, highlighting her impact and dedication to educational equity. In January 2020, Sharla-Jaye launched The Intrapreneurs Club with the goal of increasing the representation of individuals from low-income families, Black communities, and women in well-paid careers. Initially focusing on events, workshops, and accelerator programmes, she recognised the need for a more comprehensive approach. Sharla-Jaye rebranded The Intrapreneurs Club into two distinct organisations: Journi and Day One. Journi addresses the entire career lifecycle of diverse professionals, from school leavers to board-level, whilst Day One focuses specifically on school leavers, providing the foundational support needed to enter well-paid careers. Some of Journi’s and Day One’s current partners include leading global banks and technology companies, amplifying its reach and impact across multiple industries.

In addition to her work with Journi and Day One, Sharla-Jaye is a trustee at the Adult Literacy Trust and a Fellow at the School for Social Entrepreneurs. She is an inspirational speaker, having delivered talks for TEDx, NUS, and the Royal Society of the Arts on social action and educational inequality. Sharla-Jaye’s journey from overcoming personal educational challenges to leading impactful initiatives underscores her dedication to creating lasting change. Through Journi and Day One, she continues to inspire and support individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, ensuring they have the opportunities to succeed and thrive in their chosen careers.