About

People Like Us is an award-winning not-for-profit driving workplace equity across the UK.

We celebrate and support professionals from Black, Asian, Mixed Race, and minority ethnic backgrounds, while pushing for change that benefits everyone – from closing pay gaps to tackling bias in hiring and progression.

Who we are

Founded in 2019 by brothers Sheeraz Gulsher and Darain Faraz, People Like Us began in the media and communications space but has since grown into a wider movement for equity at work. Our community now spans multiple industries and thousands of professionals.

But People Like Us is more than the two of us. It’s a collective effort – a network, a platform, and a voice for those who’ve long been overlooked. From mentoring and events to policy advocacy and recruitment, everything we do is about breaking down barriers and building workplaces where everyone belongs.

WHAT WE DO

At People Like Us, we work directly with organisations to help them reach their DEI goals. From shaping inclusive hiring processes to addressing pay disparities and creating space for diverse talent to progress, we provide practical support that delivers measurable impact. Our consultancy, toolkits, and recruitment services give businesses the insights and confidence to act – not just to meet targets, but to build genuinely equitable workplaces.

We also convene the industry. Our sold-out quarterly events are a showcase for diverse professionals and a platform for brands who want to be part of a fairer future. These gatherings connect leaders, decision-makers, and talent – helping organisations learn from lived experience while signalling their commitment to equity.

Alongside this, we lead national research and advocacy. In partnership with PR Week, we’ve exposed pay and progression gaps across gender and ethnicity, while lobbying government to make ethnicity pay gap reporting mandatory in the UK. These insights have helped many companies close disparities year on year, particularly at senior levels.

And while some businesses and political voices are questioning the value of DEI, we know equity isn’t optional. It’s what unlocks overlooked talent, prevents groupthink, and strengthens organisations for the future. That’s why People Like Us continues to push, support, and challenge – ensuring that equity doesn’t slip off the agenda.

What’s Involved

There are lots of ways to get involved with People Like Us – whether you’re an individual or an organisation.

Recruit through us: We help employers hire inclusively by connecting them with diverse talent, providing candidate insights, and advising on equitable hiring practices.
Partner with us: Work with us to put on masterclasses or socials that bring like-minded people together, opening up new opportunities for connection and growth.
Consultancy support: From workplace policy to campaign strategy, our consultancy packages help organisations take practical steps towards genuine equity.
Bespoke events: Host a co-branded People Like Us event at your office and put your organisation at the heart of a powerful industry gathering.
Strategic input: Engage us at board or advisory level to strengthen your DEI strategy with expert guidance and accountability.
Speak at our events: Apply to be one of the voices on stage at our quarterly gatherings and share your story in front of hundreds of industry professionals.

However you get involved, you’ll be part of a community that’s breaking down barriers, strengthening industries, and keeping equity at the top of the agenda.

Please Contact Us here to learn more

Meet the team

Darain Faraz

Co-Founder, People Like Us

Darain Faraz, Co-Founder

Darain Faraz is a seasoned marketing and communications leader with experience across some of the world’s most recognised brands. He spent over a decade at LinkedIn, where he rose to become International Brand Marketing Director, leading global campaigns that built LinkedIn’s reputation as a trusted platform for professionals. Before that, he held senior roles at MySpace and WWF, blending creativity with purpose and a focus on impact. Darain’s career has always centred on connecting people, stories, and opportunities – a passion that fuels his work today at People Like Us. From championing fairer hiring to campaigning on ethnicity pay gap reporting, he brings both lived experience and industry expertise to the fight for workplace equity. Based between the UK and Fiji, he continues to shape conversations on inclusion, proving that fairer workplaces aren’t just better for individuals – they’re better for business.

Sheeraz Gulsher

Co-Founder, People Like Us

Sheeraz Gulsher, Co-Founder

Sheeraz Gulsher is a communications professional and campaigner dedicated to building fairer workplaces. He has worked at leading agencies including PrettyGreen and Hope&Glory, as well as household names like Sky and Snapchat, where he developed high-profile campaigns that connected brands with audiences in bold and impactful ways. With a career spanning both agency and in-house roles, Sheeraz brings a sharp understanding of how culture, creativity, and equity intersect. Through People Like Us, he has helped spotlight diverse voices, support inclusive hiring, and lobby government for ethnicity pay gap reporting. Sheeraz is a sought-after speaker on diversity and inclusion, known for combining candour with practical advice to help organisations move from good intentions to meaningful change. His belief is simple: representation matters, transparency drives progress, and genuine equity is achieved only when businesses are brave enough to make it a priority.

Whitney Simon

DEI Consultant

Whitney Simon, DEI Consultant

Whitney works with People Like Us as a consultant, supporting organisations to build more inclusive workplaces through focus group facilitation, workshop and training delivery, and communications audits. She helps translate candid employee insights into practical, strategic actions that drive long-term cultural change. She is also the Founder of Anchor + Flow, a consultancy dedicated to ensuring inclusion isn’t treated as a programme but is embedded into the fabric of how organisations operate. With more than a decade of experience in strategic communications across the US and UK tech sector, Whitney has devoted her career to rethinking how companies approach equity and inclusion. At Missive, she launched the agency’s pioneering DEI Consulting Division, delivering transformative programmes across four continents for startups, nonprofits, and global corporations. She also holds a Level 4 Chartered Management Institute (CMI) certification in Promoting Equality & Diversity, strengthening her ability to combine professional expertise with meaningful impact.

Gael Dunn

Recruitment Consultant

Gael Dunn, Recruitment Consultant

Gael has been working with the PLU founders for the past few years, helping to source and place some truly exceptional candidates. With a sharp eye for talent and a deep understanding of the comms industry, Gael has become a trusted recruitment partner, supporting the team in connecting brilliant people with career-defining opportunities. She is the Founder of Banc, a recruitment business built to do things differently: personal, honest, and always people-first. Banc connects outstanding PR and communications professionals with organisations where they can thrive, backed by a richly diverse and pre-vetted network. Gael’s approach reflects her belief that recruitment is about far more than filling roles - it’s about creating meaningful, long-term collaborations that can drive real change. Before launching Banc, Gael spent 17 years working across PR both in-house and agency-side, leading major campaigns and building high-performing teams at agencies including Wild Card, Kallaway, and Clarion. This first-hand experience gives her rare insight into what both clients and candidates need, and the credibility to advise at every level. A natural connector with a standout network, Gael continues to help us grow our impact through the power of people.

Mikael Buck

Photographer

Mikael Buck, Photographer

Mikael has been the creative eye of People Like Us from the very beginning. As our official photographer, he has attended every event to create portraits of our community - giving attendees images that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his commissioned commercial and editorial work. He has also shaped the look and feel of our biggest campaigns, including Labour Isn’t Working, Name the Bias, and Britain’s Ethnicity Bill - ensuring the stories we tell are brought to life with power and authenticity. His work is central to how PLU shares its mission with the world, helping us celebrate, represent and elevate our community. Beyond PLU, Mikael is an accomplished visual artist and photographer with more than 20 years’ experience. His editorial and commercial work has appeared in leading titles such as The Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, The New York Times, and Le Monde. His artistic practice explores photography in dialogue with text, illustration and digital manipulation, creating striking, human-centred narratives inspired by his family’s history and upbringing between Essex and Marbella. A constant collaborator and generous supporter, Mikael continues to provide the imagery that defines PLU.

Dan Green

Design Lead

Dan Green, Design Lead

Dan is an experienced designer and creative with a career spanning brand identity, digital design, and experiential marketing. Currently a Digital Designer at The LEGO Group, he brings a unique mix of craft, innovation, and storytelling to his work. Earlier in his career, Dan worked in PR and experiential marketing at agencies including PrettyGreen and The Producers, where he helped craft campaigns that connected brands with people in memorable and meaningful ways. For over five years, Dan has been the creative hand shaping the People Like Us brand identity, having shaped its visual direction since from day one. His design leadership ensures that every touchpoint - whether digital, print, or experiential - reflects the mission of inclusivity and representation at the heart of People Like Us. Combining award-winning agency experience with in-house design expertise, Dan continues to push the brand forward with clarity, consistency, and impact.

George Burkett

Senior Creative

George Burkett, Senior Creative

George has spent more than nine years in the creative industry, collecting a few awards along the way (including a Cannes Lion nomination). He’s a seasoned earned and content creative who’s led work for major brands including Aperol’s global PR account, Costa Coffee UK, and Vision Direct. Across his career, George has directed the first ever 360° film on Google Maps, convinced reality TV stars to re-enact their infamous on-screen breakup, and even created a football kit scientifically proven to improve passing accuracy by 42%. His ideas sit where culture and craft meet — smart, shareable and impossible to ignore. For People Like Us, George has gone from day-one fan to key collaborator, lending his creative eye to our social content, brand visuals and event materials. He brings the same sharp thinking and playful energy that define his commercial work, helping PLU look as bold and distinctive as the mission behind it.

ABOUT

People Like Us is an award-winning not-for-profit driving workplace equity across the UK.

Who we are

WHAT WE DO

What’s Involved

Meet the team

Darain Faraz

Darain Faraz, Co-Founder

Sheeraz Gulsher

Sheeraz Gulsher, Co-Founder

Whitney Simon

Whitney Simon, DEI Consultant

Gael Dunn

Gael Dunn, Recruitment Consultant

Mikael Buck

Mikael Buck, Photographer

Dan Green

Dan Green, Design Lead

George Burkett

George Burkett, Senior Creative

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