A Black woman in tech who has raised over $1 million for her company is considered a unicorn. Those whose companies have been acquired are even rarer. In a time when M&A is the new IPO, the number of black women who have had successful exits is as much a celebration of their accomplishments as it as a measure of the industry’s progress. Acquisitions don’t happen in a vacuum. They are often the result of access to a strong network, funding, social proof, company visibility and knowledge of, or guidance
Over the last 12 months, I have been creating content for dozens of platforms. Perhaps one of the highest profiles ones has been Blavity. ‘The digital voice of black millennials’ boasts a readership of over 30m readers a month across all platforms (incl social). It is an excellent example of fast growth and strategic execution. From inception in 2014, Blavity always positioned itself as a ‘Tech’ company and not only a media player as they had an ambitious vision. They fast grew from a newsletter to attain 1m MAU’s within
When it really comes down to it, there are only three initial paths you can take as a startup founder. These three, according to Porter (in ‘Generic Competitive Strategies’) are: Cost leadership: low-cost provider in your space Differentiation: providing a unique product Focus/niche: pick a segment (geography, market or product) Three primary approaches to entering a market To bring a product to market with one of these three is not innovative regardless of how you finesse it on a pitch deck. Where it gets more interesting is in combining two of
You shouldn’t be CEO if the title matters more to you than serving your employees and team everyday. And I do not mean that BS ‘servant leader’ stuff. I mean understanding that you have taken on the responsibility of feeding the people you have convinced to join your team. And as much as that thought of failing all these people you have convinced to help you do the work petrifies you, it drives you to sweat for them every day. You shouldn’t be CEO if you get into the office
Almost two hours! That is what it took to go from Downtown San Francisco to Emeryville, to the Pixar Headquarters, precisely. There I am, seating in a car, spinning my head to narrow my expectations for what is about to happen, as the car slowly moves towards the Bay bridge. I had to meet Darla K Anderson, a film producer for Pixar. What would be interesting to ask? How does Darla’s work relate to mine? Do we share some common interests? I was trying hard to find common ground between
“If you can’t fly then run if you can’t run then walk if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Dr. King Year: Spring 2016 Location: San Francisco Mood: Defeated I was a year into founding my company, Blastchat. Blastchat is a social messaging app, and unlike other messaging apps that focus on one to one messaging (WhatsApp — Facebook Messenger — Kik), we focus on one to many messaging. The value proposition for the sender is that people who want to
My mother always told me growing up that “If you want something done well, do it yourself.” I write stories about founders & investors from diverse backgrounds to address the lack of tech inclusion across the globe. The 15 entrepreneurs featured in this article embody Gandhi’s quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Rather than complaining while sitting on the sidelines, they have taken accountability and started on the journey to build something bigger than themselves, a startup. Funding from investors by no means is a
If you had one year of living free of bills, what would you build, what company would you start, or what problem would you solve? The issue is critical because of some today’s most famous companies [both in technology and otherwise], began with the generosity of family and friends that provided them with ‘runways’ to start. What Is A Runway? One of many typical patterns that tie successful companies together is a ‘runway.’ I describe a ‘runway’ as dedicated time and resources to help get an idea to a successful
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
