EFFIE KANYUA
Effie Kanyua is a trailblazing force in the world of communications, business and technology. A multi-award-winning founder, visionary leader and advocate for social change.
As the founder of We Are Warriors PR, Effie has established herself as a powerful voice within the PR industry, consistently challenging norms and amplifying diverse voices. Her innovative approach doesn’t stop at PR.
Effie is the creator of LILA Assistant, an ethical AI business tool that stands as the first of its kind developed by a Black woman. LILA Assistant is a ground-breaking platform designed to empower businesses and entrepreneurs by providing them with cutting-edge, ethical AI solutions to enhance their operations, all while adhering to the principles of equity and social responsibility.
Effie’s career spans some of the most influential roles in communications, including serving as Director of PR & Communications for Hearst UK and Communications Director for Bauer Media. In these high-profile positions, she led major media and publishing initiatives, and agency-side she has led some of the world’s biggest brands in the tech, media, FMCG, luxury, beauty and healthcare sectors.
Her strategic leadership helped shape the PR landscape, proving that effective communications can be a powerful force for both business success and social change. Effie’s work has earned her recognition in prestigious industry lists and awards, such as winning at Campaign’s Inspiring Women Awards, Women in PR’s 40 over 40 list and PRVoke Media’s Innovator 25 EMEA List, which highlights the most influential marketing communications leaders in the EMEA region. Her ability to drive innovation while maintaining a strong sense of social purpose has made her a role model for aspiring leaders.
As UK Chair for the G100’s Media, Arts & Communications wing and as an advisory board member for Global Women in PR and a mentor for Women in PR, Effie is dedicated to uplifting the next generation of women leaders. She regularly speaks at conferences and serves as a judge for prestigious industry awards, including those hosted by CIPR, PR Moments, The Drum, PR Week and PRCA. Effie’s influence extends beyond her professional achievements,she is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion within the workplace and her work continues to inspire both current and future leaders to build businesses that are not only successful but also responsible and inclusive.
Effie’s commitment to leveraging her platform for systemic change is evident in all her endeavours. By combining her extensive experience in communications with her belief in the transformative power of ethical AI, she is not only shaping the future of her industry but also contributing to a more equitable and inclusive world.
Her leadership exemplifies the principles of integrity, innovation and inclusivity, making her a true pioneer for Black women in business and technology.
Through her work, Effie Kanyua continues to break barriers, challenge conventions and pave the way for future leaders to thrive in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.
All information and links were correct at the date of original publication on
6 Aug 2025
What inspired you to launch We Are Warriors PR and how did your previous experiences at Hearst UK and Bauer Media shape your journey into founding your own business?
To be honest founding an agency was never part of my game plan, I always thought that the corporate world was where I would stay. I actually thinkthat the life lessons I learnt in-house and by sitting on senior leadership teams and seeing all the moving parts required to run a global business definitely helped fuel my entrepreneurial spirit. Also, it gave me a strong sense of the commercial acumen required to run a business, I enjoy seeing how all the parts fit together to build a business.
Navigating as a high performer in high-profile roles, especially as a Black woman, has its unique challenges. How have you embraced your cultural identity while excelling in predominantly white, high-stakes environments?
I am unapologetically myself, I’m incredibly proud both of my heritage and my race. Either an organisation embraces diversity and the wealth of perspectives that comes with that or they don’t, I’ve never shied away from using me getting in the door as an opportunity to open the door for others.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
As AI continues to evolve, how do you see leadership values shifting in this new technological era, particularly when it comes to maintaining authentic connections and diversity?
I love AI but I’m concerned about the lack of diversity being involved in shaping what AI looks like and does. That’s why I decided to offer an alternative that adhered to ethical principles and had EDI at its heart. Yes businesses need to make profit but I think it’s equally important to think about societal impact too so I believe in people over profit. I’m not looking to become a tech bro, I’m just someone that built technology to solve a problem and can potentially help make people’s lives and businesses a bit easier to manage.
LILA Assistant is a revolutionary AI tool created by you. What challenges did you face in developing this ethical AI business tool and what are the key lessons learned from its creation?
The lack of funding and support, this shows up in so many ways, more than I could have envisioned - from actual financial support, to lack of support from media or others that could support Black women better. I tick every box of who doesn’t get invested in which is why I self-funded and I have had to rely on family as well. At the start I made mistakes by choosing the wrong partners to build the tech and it was costly. My biggest lesson has been about learning from your mistakes, not being scared to pivot, asking for help and believing in yourself and your vision.
Looking at the landscape of AI, do you believe Black women are engaging with AI in the way they should? If not, what barriers or challenges do you see hindering this engagement?
Statistically women are more reluctant to embrace AI and that’s for a number of reasons both good and bad. I think women being more sceptical and worried about things such as ethics and data privacy plays into this which is why LILA Assistant resonates more with women and POC as it addresses those concerns.
As someone deeply involved in both the PR and AI industries, how do you balance innovation with social responsibility and what role do you think AI can play in amplifying diverse voices?
It’s been embedded into everything I have done with LILA from the build, the partnership with The Dyslexia Association to running workshops targeting women and the Black community.
What do you see as the way forward for AI in supporting systemic change, particularly in industries where diversity is often overlooked and how can future leaders leverage this technology for social good?
The only real way is to have more people like me actually involved in the build of AI and ethical AI, or embedded in decision-making roles within the big tech firms. The latter isn’t going to happen if we’re being realistic, so we need to build our own Black founded tech companies and more importantly support them instead of funding and supporting Tech billionaires who are actively working against our interests. That’s across the board; we need to build our own eco-systems, look at the success in the US when people did that and created Black Wall Street. If we create the eco-systems, then we create better opportunities and financial wealth for all of us.
To find out more about Effie’s expert PR services, visit wearewarriorspr.com or email Effie directly at effie@wearewarriorspr.com. Discover how the LILA Assistant can transform your business with innovative, ethical AI solutions that drive success and inclusivity at lilaassistant.com