Black And Latinx Tech Founders Come Together To Help Revive ‘Black WallStreet’
A total of 17 founders from the Black and Latinx community are now part of the first cohort of ACT House, a new accelerator in the city geared to guide and help scale minority-led startups in Tulsa with coaching, programming, and other services.
Each founder will get a $70,000 capital investment to help build its business. The unique collaboration was reportedly done to help revive the ‘Black Wall Street.’
Located in the mainly Black Greenwood district in Tulsa – it was once a famous region with hotels, thriving businesses, and luxury stories but that ended with the Tulsa Race Massacre, which destroyed the area and led to the killing of hundreds of Black Americans.
Now, Black and Latino companies have plans to become part of a more significant movement to revive Black Wall Street with tech startups in Tulsa, according to The Black Enterprise.
After taking part in the six-month ACT Tulsa program, the cohort will engage in a live Demo Day and virtual event on Feburary 9 to showcase their technologies. ACT Tulsa is part of the Build In Tulsa network.
One of the founders involved in the scheme is Chandler Malone, CEO of BootUp. This platform helps tech companies fill their talent and diversity gaps through access to its database of over 20,000 boot camp and vocational school graduates.
“From July to December 2021, we placed 254 candidates into their first tech jobs for a total of over $17.6 million in salaries while oversubscribing our seed round from all Black-led funds and angel investors,” Moore told Black Enterprise.
The other startups, according to ACT House information, include:
Boddle Learning an education platform that uses 3D games and adaptive learning technology to offer personalized math experiences for K-6 students. Founded by Edna Martinson and Clarence Tan.
Bounceless offers sports bras for fuller bust women to have the support they need during physical activity. Its co-founders are Chantelle Lott and Debra Edwards.
Fansub is a Saas platform developed to give creators fan data, monetization, and engagement autonomy. It was co-founded by former NFL player Brandon King, Mike Lombardi, Cameron Williams, and Chris Davis.
Bite Way Nutrition a meal prepping company in that provides healthy and affordable meals paired with nutrition advice. It was founded by Jayvin Washington.
Bodify a web-based platform that leverages computer vision and artificial intelligence to help online shoppers find the best brands for their bodies. It was founded by Carlanda McKinney.
Comme Homme a tech-enabled, direct-to-consumer brand for American men who are bald or dealing with hair loss. Kene Onuorah and Mejoy Lawson co-founded it.
Fresh Fabrics a mobile laundry service that eliminates the stress and hassle of laundry and provides pick-up and drop-off services through a digital scheduling system. Ambrose Midget founded it.
Cadenzo, is a marketplace that closes the gap between entertainers and venues so they can seamlessly book live events and communicate with one another. It was founded by Andres Gonzales, Marc LaManque, and Troy Smith.
