Dr Les Johnson is a visionary British cultural leader whose work has transformed heritage, education, and entrepreneurship across the United Kingdom and the Caribbean. For over four decades, he has advanced national life through innovation in design, cultural policy, and community empowerment—linking creative practice with public purpose.

As Founder and Chair of the National Windrush Museum, Dr Johnson created Britain’s first institution dedicated to researching, exhibiting, and preserving the legacy of the Windrush Generations and their descendants. His leadership has established a new model for inclusive heritage—one that unites institutions, government, and communities in recognising the contribution of Windrush communities to British history and the national story.

Under his guidance, the National Windrush Museum has become a symbol of reconciliation, identity, and renewal, directly supporting the Government’s goals for equality, cohesion, and education.

As a Visiting Research Fellow in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media at Birmingham City University, his pioneering research into Cultural Visualisation, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation has reshaped understanding of how culture drives economic and social transformation. Awarded his PhD for original studies in cultural visualisation and innovation, he developed a practice-driven methodology integrating theory, lived experience, and community praxis—helping to redefine higher education’s relationship to Britain’s heritage and culturally diverse societies.

An alumnus of the Royal College of Art, Dr Johnson was one of the first Black scholars to break through with a story of resilience that continues to inspire. He has consistently bridged scholarship and industry. As Founder and CEO of Equator International, a multi-award-winning consultancy, he led landmark projects for national institutions including the BBC, Channel 4, the Arts Council, Tate, Southbank Centre, Design Museum, IBM, Virgin, and Sony. These collaborations set new standards for social design, inclusion, and cultural enterprise, positioning British creativity and diversity as forces for global excellence.

Dr Johnson has served as Non-Executive Director, Board Member, and Advisor to numerous public and private bodies throughout Britain, contributing to policy on heritage, education, and regeneration. Internationally, he lectures and advises governments, universities, and cultural organisations across the UK, the Caribbean, and North America. His Foundation supports research, youth development, and enterprise, reflecting his conviction that creativity must also serve civic and moral ends. He has also dedicated over twenty years to community sport as an athletics coach, earning the distinction of England Athletics Coach, with his athletes competing for Great Britain—a testament to his belief in discipline, opportunity, and service.

A defining feature of his contribution lies in his capacity to build enduring bridges between Britain and the Caribbean. He has negotiated major Memoranda of Understanding linking Birmingham City University, the University of the West Indies, the Institute of Caribbean Studies, the Royal Museums Greenwich, and Greenwich University, strengthening global scholarship and post-colonial dialogue. He co-produced the acclaimed Global Reggae and Sound System Innovation Project and delivered the prestigious Bob Marley Lecture at UWI. From these partnerships emerged Reggae Futurism—a groundbreaking field fusing ancestral memory, technology, and imagination—now informing a Reggae Music and AI Archive and related programmes on Black popular culture and international exchange.

Dr Johnson’s influence extends to heritage diplomacy and policy. As Chair of an International Advisory Group in Atlanta, he guides research on Jamaican heritage, the Blue Economy, and Caribbean heritage tourism, promoting cultural sustainability and global collaboration. His advisory work contributes directly to the UK’s soft-power and Commonwealth cultural-relations agenda.

Born in Jamaica and raised in Britain during the second wave of Windrush migration, Dr Johnson’s journey embodies the ideals of perseverance, service, and transformation. His design-pedagogy background has influenced teaching across schools, colleges, and universities, linking practice-based learning with community engagement. Generations of students, entrepreneurs, businesses, and cultural practitioners have benefitted from his mentorship, reflecting his lifelong commitment to education and opportunity for all.

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, practising visual artist, musician, and community activist, Dr Johnson unites intellect and imagination in pursuit of public good. Through design, dialogue, and action, he continues to activate stories that reshape the moral and cultural landscape of modern Britain and the Caribbean.

His leadership demonstrates sustained national impact, international distinction, and moral integrity—the qualities that define service to the nation at the highest level.

Dr Johnson divides his time between research and consultancy bases in the UK and Jamaica, West Indies.He stands among Britain’s foremost champions of cultural inclusion and innovation. His life’s work exemplifies creative excellence in the service of others—uniting heritage, scholarship, and enterprise to build a more just, imaginative, entrepreneurial and successful nation.