Raza-CultiviQ

Raza is not simply a leader in inclusion, he is one of the few actively designing the frameworks that make cultural safety and lawful inclusion achievable in real-world settings. As founder of CultivIQ, he has built systems that enable organisations to act with cultural intelligence, legal clarity and community trust. His work bridges the gap between compliance and compassion, helping institutions across the North-East deliver services that are safer, fairer and more inclusive for all.

At Firestone Artisan, a Newcastle-based pizzeria, we have worked directly with Raza to implement his Cultural Intelligence Operating System and CultivCODE into our business. Through this, we are currently embedded cultural coding into our menus, training our team with deeper awareness and ensured our food is trustable across a wide range of communities. This work has not only enhanced our internal standards, it has also helped us to connect meaningfully with faith leaders and culturally diverse customers throughout the region.
By applying the tools and frameworks developed by Raza, we have been able to open our business up to new audiences and opportunities, expanding into new spaces while remaining ethical, customer centred and culturally responsible. The impact of this has been long-lasting, with this foundation, we aim to lead the sector in culturally adaptable cuisine, offering food tailored to a wide range of dietary, cultural and belief-based requirements, to the highest degree reasonably achievable.

Raza’s influence extends far beyond the food sector:

• He has designed NHS pilots that address issues around faith-safe prescribing, mental health and cultural safety, all underpinned by legal compliance and measurable outcomes
• He has supported frontline professionals to act with clarity and cultural confidence, reducing complaints and building trust among diverse communities
• He has enabled councils, businesses and civic leaders to move from slogans to systems, creating a future where faith, inclusion and law are not in conflict but work hand in hand

He does all of this with humility, quietly building what was missing rather than chasing headlines. Inclusion is not something he simply speaks about, it is something he engineers.

His contribution is making the North-East not only more inclusive today but more resilient and fair for the years ahead.