How would you describe what you do and what you work on? What I work on is called Squire. Squire is a backend platform for small businesses primarily focusing on the male grooming space first. We provide software for CRM, booking management, analytics, and POS [point of sales] systems. So, we offer the full range of tools. So, is there any customer facing side to it? Yes. So, in addition to having our backend management system, we do have a consumer-facing product to coincide with our backend management system. We
Kalimah Priforce is just a kid from Brooklyn committed to eliminating barriers to a child’s greatest potential as the Headmaster CEO of Qeyno Labs. Qeyno became industry leader for the inclusive innovation ecosystem with Hackathon Academy, the first pop-up school model that prepares youth and their mentors to build web and mobile apps that accelerate college and career pathways in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art Design, and Mathematics) Tell us about yourself? I grew up in the Brooklyn group home system from seven till I was fourteen. I knew I
Co-Founder of Nuanced/ Hustle Crew, Groupon & Amazon Alumni Tell us a little bit about yourself? I was born in DC originally. My dad’s from Nigeria and my mom is from the Philippines. My father who’s retired now was an economist for the IMF, and their HQ is in DC. Since he was a diplomat, I spent a lot of my childhood moving around. When I was in year nine, I came to boarding school in the UK, and that’s how I met my co-founder, Natalie [episode 43]. How long have
Congratulations on getting into YC and being the first non-profit. Yeah. We’re about one of 15 non-profits, so I think USA Today called us out as the first diversity non-profit. It’s still a very early program for non-profits in there, they’re still adjusting to it. Why did you start /dev/color? And what has it been like thus far? I started it just seeing my friends and people that I had been connected to, as I discovered tips and secrets that were novel to me, I would share them with people
One of my favorite movies is Ratatouille because of it parallels to what it’s like being a minorty entrepreneur. One of the quotes from the film describes Anton Ego’s epiphany “Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist *can* come from *anywhere*.” The quote is empowering because it puts everyone on an equal playing field. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t go to a top school, came from a poor background or what gender you are, anyone can have a great idea for business. Running a startup
Why don’t you tell us about yourself? I’m Nafisa; I graduated from UCL two years ago. I studied natural sciences but realized I wanted to do something I loved and pushed me to reach my potential [whatever that was]. I got involved with a lot of social enterprise initiatives during and post my time at University, as I knew I didn’t want to jump into the corporate world straight away. I just wanted a better time to keep my mind open. I then left to start my venture which is
Co-Founder & CEO of ScanBite What made you decide to work in tech/get involved in tech? I’ve also wanted to run a business, and I’ve always loved health & fitness. As I learned more about business and successful entrepreneurs, I learned that staying ahead of the times is key. I also want to create something substantial or something much bigger than myself that can impact millions of lives. I knew it had to be tech and so that was that, I decided I wanted to become tech founder. What was an obstacle
Michael [POCIT co-founder] introduced me to you and your fantastic site, tell us a bit about Her Agenda? ‘Her Agenda’ is a digital media platform that works to bridge the gap between ambition and achievement for millennial women. Its focused on women empowerment by showing examples and providing solutions. We know that the number of female CEO’s is disproportionally small. And so, we’re working to change that by highlighting women that are already leading in their industries, and also providing access to the resources to help you to become a leader
picture courtesy of #WOCinTechChat Written by Denisha Kuhlor Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Evan Spiegel. These are just some of the uber-famous names that come to mind when one thinks student founder. One can not help the grandeur that has been associated with dorm room startups over the years. Start a business in your dorm room and a couple of years later instead of collecting a degree you will be receiving millions. If only it were that easy. The harsh truth is startups founded in the college years are no different
Empowering The Next Generation of Black Entrepreneurs In response to USAToday Article about Nas and Minority Entrepreneurs [and the many other articles on the topic], the problem is evident but without a real solution. Instead of writing about the problem again, I want to write about a solution from the viewpoint of a Black entrepreneur. To improve Black entrepreneurship, we must have successful Blacks guide entrepreneurs, strive for better ideas and bigger goals, and establish a community. Lack of Guidance From Other Black Entrepreneurs As an Entrepreneur, my progress cannot be
