Black History in the Making — 2019
As a Black kid growing up in Columbia, South Carolina, Black History Month was always kind of dicey. On one hand, I’d have teachers — who mostly didn’t look like me — doing their best to try to find new and innovative ways help me connect with material about George Washington Carver, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. each year as those icons were (and many others) recycled. On the other hand, I found myself grasping for icons and role models that weren’t athletes, musicians, and entertainers (especially considering the amount of natural talent required to excel in those fields). This led to fatigue, at best, and a limited scope on what I could become, at worst.
As I grew up, I found myself cobbling together qualities and traits of people who looked like me, who achieved success in all sorts of arenas. Whether it was a close friend’s mom who was a Speech Pathologist or childhood classmate whose father was a partner at one of the largest law firms in the city, I started to create figures that I looked to throughout the year and especially during Black History Month. Now, at 33 years old, I want to help highlight people that can serve as role models, icons, and mentors for the next generation. As a startup Founder, I’m surrounded by some INCREDIBLE people who are making their impact everywhere from medicine, e-commerce, and education to philanthropy, cybersafety, and civic engagement and I want to take this Black History Month to celebrate and highlight them. Every day, I will update this post with an exceptional Black Founder, creator, professional, or advocate. With only 28 days, there is no way that this list will capture everyone so I encourage you to tag, comment, and share with others so that we can shine a spotlight on people that are truly doing the work in the community.
Day 28 — Kwame Anku, Black Star Fund
Throughout this month, I’ve intentionally focused on people who I can personally call i.e. I have their phone number in my phonebook and if I called, I think they would answer. Of all of these people that would answer my call in a time of need, I put Kwame Anku near the top. Kwame is an investor in Bandwagon and also serves on our board. His firm, Black Star Fund, is focused on investing in exceptional Black Founders here in the US as well as West Africa. If I had to describe Kwame with one word, I would say that he is intentional. He is intentional in the way in which he builds relationships with others. He is intentional in the way he leads and raises his son. He is intentional in the things he commits to as he puts all of himself into his projects. A Stanford grad, Kwame, has worked with quite a distinguished list of people. He was invited to speak at the Obama White House (twice!) and was invited by Prince (RIP) to work with him Paisley Park. I’ve known Kwame for just 3 years but I know that I will be able to call him a mentor and a friend for years to come. We often talk about what we — as Black people and people of color — CAN do versus focusing on the negative aspects and limitations that exist. It’s this positive outlook on how we can navigate the World that inspires me to be giving with my time and honestly, do projects like this writing series. When I decided that I would do it and started thinking about who I would highlight, I made sure to not only think about people who I believe should be connected to one another but also to shine a light on the people that have been doing the work that more people should know about. As I conclude this series, I knew I wanted to end with Kwame because as I think about role models that a younger Harold would have wanted (and in some cases needed), and believe that if we can find ways to be as intentional with our time, energy, and resources as I have known Kwame to be, that there will be more mentors, more small businesses, more entrepreneurs, and more good. In the end, Black History Month ends today but the history that we’re making doesn’t have to. Learn more about Kwame and what he’s building here.
Day 27 — Janice Omadeke, The Mentor Method
In my penultimate post in this month-long series, I want to highlight something that has absolutely impacted the trajectory of my career: mentorship. As you read this, the fact of the matter is that many of you are in a position to help another person by serving as a formal or informal mentor. Janice Omadeke, Founder & CEO of The Mentor Method, knows the value of mentorship and believes that having a true advocate can be a career-changing resource for people of color and women in the workplace. As Janice puts it, The Mentor Method helps “ transform today’s entry and mid-level talent into fearless leaders for tomorrow ready to tackle the most complex business challenges.” One thing that I appreciate about Janice is that not only is she starting this company to advance the outcomes of others but she also is a student of this mindset herself. When I met her, we were introduced by Christie Pitts of Backstage Capital — a shared investor for both Bandwagon and The Mentor Method. Janice was new to Austin as she was participating in the Mass Challenge Accelerator and took every opportunity that she could to get plugged in to the entrepreneur ecosystem. It wasn’t long after that before Janice had won the $100k Women In Tech Challenge from Capital Factory (another shared investor) and began expanding her offering to more and more young professionals. Janice’s story is one that I can relate to as my journey has definitely been smoothed thanks to the guidance and advice — in some cases, unwarranted guidance and advice — from people who were ahead of me. As I prepare to make the final post tomorrow, I hope that everyone reading today’s post thinks about how they may impact others through mentorship and being a true ally. Learn more about Janice and what she’s building here.
Day 26 — Jewel Burks, Partpic (acquired by Amazon)
What can I say about Jewel Burks that hasn’t been said by everyone that has had the opportunity to meet her? When I think about the person that Jewel is and how widely known she is, I’m honored and thankful that she took my phone call back in 2015. It was Good Friday (April 3rd) and I booked time with Jewel thanks to my friend Amber Guyton (Day 14 in this series) and my wife, Tiffany, to get insight from a startup Founder that was doing the heavy lifting — that was actually in the thick of it. For me, having the opportunity to talk with Jewel was better than any book that I had read or podcasts that I had listened to. She was honest and supportive as I gave her my thoughts for what was barely an idea at the time while she was growing her company, Partpic. Partpic built a visual search technology that let you turn your cellphone camera into a tool to help you identify the object that you are viewing. While Partpic went on to be acquired by Amazon, Jewel made sure to be even more ingrained into the startup and tech community. Jewel, a Howard University alum, has given back to the Black startup community in ways that I hope to emulate and I’m truly thankful for her vision and leadership. It’s rare that a startup founder will aspire to “work for” someone in the future but if I found myself in the position of employee again, I can say with full confidence that I’d be lucky to work with/for a person like Jewel. Learn more about Jewel and what she’s building here.
Day 25 — Kerry Schrader and Ashlee Ammons, Mixtroz
As a person who takes pride in being a connector, I couldn’t believe that Mixtroz didn’t exist before the mother-daughter team of Kerry Schrader and Ashlee Ammons started it in 2014. Mixtroz (which stands for “mixer” + “intro”) was created when they recognized that people have a hard time making meaningful connections at events. And, this problem isn’t new, it was coined in the 1950’s as “homophily” basically “birds of a feather flock together”. Founded in Nashville, Mixtroz now calls Birmingham home and they have been on fire. Ashlee and Kerry received investment from the Rise of the Rest fund as part of their round, adding them to the exclusive list of Black women who have raised more than $1,000,000 in funding. As more and more people are getting connected, Mixtroz is working to make sure that those connections are meaningful. They are already working Georgia Tech, Alabama Power, BBVA, Shipt, and many others. Learn more about Ashlee and Kerry, and what they are building, here.
Day 24 — Melissa Hanna
Just 4 days ago, Pitchbook highlighted Melissa as one of 27 Black Founders and Investors to watch for 2019 but for those of us who have been keeping up with her story, Melissa has been on fire for a hot minute! Melissa and her mom co-founded Mahmee, a prenatal and postpartum care management platform that connects families to healthcare providers and offers personalized support, in 2014 and have been steadily building their LA-based company. Melissa has been featured recently in publications like Blavity, Business Insider, and Entrepreneur magazine to talk about the funding challenges that people of color — and specifically Black women — face in startup fundraising. When you meet Melissa, you immediately see her quiet confidence and as you converse with her, you see how insightful she is and her passion for the problem that she’s solving. It’s inspiring to see what she and her team have been able to accomplish and given their latest traction, it looks like they’re just getting started. Learn more about Melissa and what she’s building here.
Day 23 — Helen Adeosun, CareAcademy
As much as I’ve mentioned the Google for Startups program that I participated in, there’s no way that I’d go the entire month without highlighting the Founder that won the top prize during our cohort, Helen Adeoson. Helen is the Founder & CEO of CareAcademy. Paraphrasing how Helen first explained it to us in 2016, “Care providers are passionate about doing their work but unfortunately there’s often a lack of information — or worse — misinformation that leads to care providers missing the mark.” I felt this problem personally as my mother, the primary caregiver for my 94-year-old grandmother, owns and operates an elderly care company and she has shared how challenging getting started has been. Thankfully, in 2016, Helen and her co-founder Dr. Madhuri Reddy started CareAcademy with one simple idea in mind: to empower caregivers to learn how to deliver the best care to older adults with the support, guidance, and compassion needed to improve their quality of life. And empower they have! Since launch, Helen (a Notre Dame and Harvard alum), has taken CareAcademy into the homes and lives of more than 11,000 home care professionals. Learn more about Helen and what she’s building here. AND if you’re like me and are at that point in life where you have elderly parents or grandparents that are in the need of care, check out their website and see how they may be able to help your care provider provide top-notch care to your loved ones.
Day 22 — Shontavia Johnson, Esq., Associate Vice President for Academic Partnerships and Innovation (Clemson University)
As I started this project, I knew that it would be entrepreneur heavy but I also knew some of the folks that I absolutely had to include. Shontavia Johnson is one of those people. She received her B.S. in Biosystems Engineering from Clemson and received her J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law. She also studied at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. Shontavia was recently the subject of a Black History Spotlight (that you can read here) so my writing about her isn’t to shine light on a changemaker that is unknown but rather to amplify the message and echo what others are already seeing in her. Shontavia has spoken at TEDxAtlanta and SXSW and will be returning to SXSW next month to speak about blockchain as it relates to IP, branding, and overall business. Learn more about Shontavia and what she’s building here. AND if you are going to be in Austin for SXSW, add her session to your calendar!
Day 21 — Talib Graves-Manns, Life on AutoPilot & Point AB Consulting
When I think about the people in my phonebook that are most likely to be considered a “mogul” in the next 5 years, I think about Talib. A brother that I met just a few years ago in Durham, NC thanks to Google for Startups and Code2040, Talib is the definition of a mover and a shaker. A Hampton grad, Talib is working tirelessly to not only create a vision for boys and girls that look like him but he’s also putting in the work to create resources for them to get there. Whether Talib is working with Black Wall Street Homecoming or Knox St. Studios, he is constantly looking for ways to educate and uplift Black people and people of color. Along with all of that, Talib is also working to elevate the travel experience for travelers everywhere. His company, Life on AutoPilot, is focused on combining utility with luxury. Learn more about Talib and what he’s building here. ALSO, there’s still time to HELP him build a STATE OF THE ART learning and innovation studio right in the heart of Durham, North Carolina. See how you can help here!
Day 20 — Sterling Smith, Sandbox Commerce
I strongly believe that everyone in your circle should have a superpower and when it comes to Sterling Smith, he is clearly the super connector in my circle. Sterling, Founder & CEO of Sandbox Commerce, passionately believes in lifting as he climbs and that’s reflected in his mentorship as well as general involvement in the startup community. From Code2040 EIR to Google for Startups to Galvanize and Capital Factory, Sterling is a sponge in every room and finds ways to share his knowledge and his story. His company, Sandbox Commerce, helps retailers turn their online stores into iPhone and Android apps with ease. He and his team help retailers increase engagement with their customers while gaining better insights and expediting the check out process — with Apple Pay. As the movement for “apps without code” continues to pick up steam, Sandbox Commerce is poised to capture mindshare and marketshare with retailers, social sellers, and brands everywhere. Learn more about Sterling and what he’s building here (AND if you’re interested in trying it out, you can get 7-days for free here).
Day 19 — Craig Lewis, GigWage
I travel ALL THE TIME. These days, I’m normally going from Airbnb to Airbnb in various cities and instead of renting a car, I tend to use Lyft or Uber. All that to say, the gig economy is REAL and Craig Lewis created GigWage to help businesses pay contractors in an easier way. Regardless of your source for gig economy statistics, it is obvious that more and more businesses are working with contractors and those contractors need to be paid and properly documented. As a GigWage customer, GigWage (a Rise of the Rest portfolio company) allows us to track every payment to our contractors in their user-friendly dashboard while making onboarding (and getting paid) for contractors easy. I had the opportunity to meet Craig in Dallas a year ago and the level of detail that he and his team put into their design and UI is extraordinary. He understands that when it comes down to it, as a startup, he has the opportunity to take market share from entities like PayPal by delivering a world-class product that makes managing (and paying) contractors extremely simple. When I think about my network of Black Founders and entrepreneurs, Craig stands out to me (not just because he always looks like he JUST got a haircut) because of how focused he is on his company. You’ll rarely find him doing speaking engagements or at conferences at all. If you follow him on social media, you’ll see post after post related to his vision for GigWage in between the long hours he puts in to make it happen. That doesn’t mean that he’s not getting attention — because he definitely is — but what I can appreciate about watching his journey is how unique the path he’s creating is. Learn more about Craig and what he’s building here (AND if you’re a business owner that currently pays your contractors with SquareCash, PayPal, or some other service, check out GigWage and let him know that I sent you).
Day 18 — Arlan Hamilton, Backstage Capital
What can I say about Arlan Hamilton that hasn’t already been said? When it comes to venture capital and startup investing, I honestly can’t think of anyone that has overcome what she has overcome to accomplish what she has (already) accomplished. She built a venture capital fund from the ground up — while homeless — as a black gay woman. Like most people, I was first introduced to Arlan when here Medium piece, “Dear White Venture Capitalists: If you’re reading this, it’s (almost!) too late,” went viral on Twitter (note: she’s a Twitter pro. If you aren’t following her, you should be). Arlan has been featured in lots of magazines, podcasts, and interviews and what I love most about her is how she has managed to become almost a superhero for black & brown, women, and LGBTQ founders, and yet has remained true to her vision and her core values. When people see what Arlan has accomplished in these 3.5 years, they recognize that it took her 30+ years on this earth to do it. It was her grit. It was her passion. It was her vision. As Arlan puts it, her goal is to make herself obsolete as she hopes that we get to a point where there are BILLIONS of dollars going to ̶u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶r̶e̶p̶r̶e̶s̶e̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ underestimated founders. Arlan and her firm, Backstage Capital, are investors in my startup, Bandwagon. As she sees it, investing in this group of founders isn’t charity. It’s the largest economic opportunity in startup and while some firms continue to overlook these founders, Arlan and her team are steadily stacking up investments, eclipsing 100 investments in just a few short years. Learn more about Arlan and what she’s building here.
Day 17 — Courtney & Tye Caldwell, ShearShare
There’s always been that saying that “behind every great man there’s a great woman” but Dr. Tye Caldwell leveled that up and made sure that his great woman, Courtney, is by his side as his co-founder for their startup, ShearShare. When you’re in the presence of Tye and Courtney, it’s hard to not immediately think of them and picture the dictionary definition of “Black Love” and you can tell that their relationship and partnership has allowed them to bring their whole selves to their company as they work to revolutionize an evolving salon and beauty industry. A Backstage Capital portfolio company, ShearShare is a YC Fellow as well as a 500 Startups alum (Batch #19). Thanks to ShearShare, barbers and salon owners are able to monetize their booth space — often an asset that is not optimized — while technicians can truly go where their clients are without the risk of being handcuffed into a single location. There’s so much that you can learn about the Caldwell’s from how they got started to how they both brought their talents and gifts to their startup as well as the startup community but I think what I love the most is how much they work to support US — other Black and brown founders. When I think about the next generation of entrepreneurs to greatly impact the world, I think about the importance of having a community mindset and there’s no doubt that these two exceptional founders have that. Learn more about Tye and Courtney and what they’re building, here.
Day 16 — Danielle McKim, TUFT
Danielle wears many hats but from knowing her, I’d bet her top two are mommy and boss. As one of the loudest and most loveable people that I’ve ever known, I truly hope that every.single.one. of you reading this, finds your way to her BEAUTIFUL store in Charlotte, North Carolina. TUFT (Today’s Unique Furniture Trends) is a brick and mortar furniture store where Danielle helps people fall in love with vintage designs while also embracing bold colors and patterns. Aside from running the store, Danielle and her team offer interior design, custom upholstery, and custom furniture services. Her portfolio is incredible and she the skillset that she taught herself has allowed her to build a business that scales. A Native New Yorker and Clemson grad, Danielle is one of only a handful of people that I know that have somehow mastered creativity and operations. Learn more about Danielle and what she’s building here.
Day 15 — Lawrence Watkins, Great Black Speakers
As a member of a Black Greek Letter Organization (Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.), I’ve been fortunate to connect with exceptional members of my fraternity from all walks of life. When I decided to go full-time into entrepreneurship, Bro. Lawrence Watkins was one of the first calls that I made. He and his wife Carla (also an entrepreneur with her company, Yoga Green Book) opened their Chicago home to me to crash for a week and learn the in’s and out’s of creating structure around my schedule and really learning the ropes of entrepreneurship. Lawrence is the Founder & CEO of Great Black Speakers, a speakers bureau that helps high schools, universities, and corporations find high-quality African-American speakers. Lawrence and his brother, Boyce, started GBS in January 2007 and by February of that year, they had 12 speakers on a functional website. Now, in 2019, they have hundreds of speakers ranging from Hill Harper (also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha) to Donna Brazile. Of course, the cornerstone and inspiration to this business is Dr. Boyce Watkins who is not only a client of GBS but also Lawrence’s business partner at Boyce Watkins Enterprises. Learn more about Lawrence and what he’s building here.
Day 14 — Amber Guyton, Blessed Little Bungalow
When my wife and I found out that we were expecting our son, Carter, one of the first people I called was my friend, Amber. Amber Guyton is the founder of Blessed Little Bungalow. Blessed Little Bungalow — affectionately referred to by all as BLB — was born out of her passion to help people love where they live while making sure they don’t break the bank. From designing her entire home to nurseries (like my son’s), Amber has worked with clients all across the country to reimagine their once boring and uninteresting spaces to make them warmer, more unique, and a better representation of their personality. One thing that I love about Amber is that when you read the list of people that I’ll write about throughout this month, she’s one of maybe a couple that has a day job that has nothing to do with the company that we’re featuring. I think that it is incredibly important for anyone and everyone reading this to understand how possible it is to follow YOUR dream on YOUR schedule. Learn more about Amber and what she’s building here.
Day 13 — Riana Lynn, Journey Foods
Google for Startups in Durham, North Carolina has truly been a gateway to connecting with Founders all across the country. When I think about how closely these circles intersect, I think of Riana Lynn (who has been featured in Fast Company, inc. magazine, and Forbes) and how I genuinely think that she’s everywhere all the time. Riana is the Founder & CEO of Journey Foods, where they are using world-class science and technology to bring better on-the-go nutrition to the masses. Riana, one of the inaugural Entrepreneurs in Residence for CODE2040, is a serial entrepreneur and is already has an exit under her belt. She sold her food and technology firm, Revive, to A Better Life Holdings, LLC — notably run by Marcus Lemonis, star of CNBC’s “The Profit”. As STEM education continues to gain support and awareness, I fully expect people like Riana — who has her Bachelors in Biology-Chemistry from the University of North Carolina — to be the types of role models that kids look up to. Learn more about what Riana and what she’s building here. AND if you want to try her products — I just ordered the Strawberry + Chia — you can get them here or on Amazon!
Day 12 — Edward Madongorere, MOON Selfie, Inc.
Last year, I was able to spend six months in Austin, Texas through the Capital Factory Accelerator and it was AWESOME! I am certain that the state of Texas is going to increase the overall economic activity in the United States and I believe that a lot of that momentum will come from the work that is being done by Josh Baer and his team at the Capital Factory, as it relates to fostering collaboration state-wide through the Texas Startup Manifesto. I met lots of startup entrepreneurs but only Edward was working on a tech hardware company. Ed started MOON in 2016 and his product is one that we can all use. With Instagram and selfie culture getting bigger and bigger, users everywhere are trying to show themselves in their best light — literally. Even though camera technology has gotten better and better, taking a selfie or “usie” (or a “groupie” when you’re using the Google Pixel), lighting just hasn’t gotten better. To address this problem, there are obviously filters in various apps but users have resorted to buying entire phone cases that illuminate in order to help with lighting. Ed has come up with a more simple, more elegant, and more effective solution with MOON. The MOON Selfie light is built to fit virtually any device and their emphasis on product design is nothing short of Apple-esque. What I love about Ed is the energy and passion he brings to his venture. I’m excited to see where Ed takes his company in his quest to help celebrate “selfie-esteem”. Learn more about Ed and what he’s building here.
Day 11 — Denise Woodard, Partake Foods
As a proud bacon eater and a person with zero food allergies (*knocks on wood*), I’ve been fortunate to have lived a life full of complete freedom in the foods that I buy and eat. All of that changed when we had my son just over 2 years ago. As a parent, I want to make sure that I’m giving my son foods that are good for him but also being mindful that he may have allergies that I don’t have. Denise Woodard, Founder, and CEO of Partake Foods, felt that pain directly as she and her husband learned of food allergens with their daughter, Vivienne. As a mom on a mission, Denise set out to find healthy, allergy-friendly foods that would be easy to grab and go but began to be frustrated with the minimal options. In her research, Denise found that eight allergens (wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, fish, and shellfish) are implicated in 90% of food allergies, which currently affect 1 in 13 kids and are expected to impact up to 1 in 10 kids by 2020. So she set out to make her own — from scratch. Shortly after that, Denise left a job at Coca-Cola to go full-time and Partake Foods was born. Since starting the company in 2017, Denise has accomplished a lot: She was the winner of the Google for Startups Black Founder Exchange pitch contest in 2017 (securing an investment from Backstage Capital), she was accepted into the Chobani Incubator, and most recently was selected as the Google NJ Business of the Year. Learn more about Denise and what she’s building here. ALSO — if you’re interested in trying her delicious cookies (my son LOVES them and they’re a hit at his daycare since they’re school safe) check your local Albertson’s, Whole Foods, or just grab some on Amazon.
Day 10 — Clarence Bethea, Upsie
As a person who LOVES technology, I often end up with the newest gadgets but like most consumers, worried a lot about what replacing them would cost if and when they break. Naturally, that meant that I would often buy the warranty offered at the checkout via the salesperson and places like Best Buy and Target. The prices were always a big pill to swallow and then when I needed to actually make a warranty claim, I couldn’t remember where I bought the device or how to find the warranty. Clarence Bethea identified this problem and started Upsie to take on this multi-billion dollar industry. I was introduced to Clarence by Lawrence Watkins, Founder, and CEO of Great Black Speakers (another person that I’ll highlight later this month). Since we met in 2015, Clarence and Upsie have accomplished a lot, including being graduates of both Techstars and Village Capital but I’d bet if you ask him, he’d let you know that the best is yet to come. As a Founder that I can call whenever (seriously! I’m thankful for both of our incredible wives for allowing the 1am phone calls), it’s incredibly inspiring to be able to watch Clarence’s story from a courtside seat. As Upsie wages war on the largest names in the consumer electronics space, he does it for us — the consumers who have been overcharged for warranties and services for decades. Clarence has raised $3.6M and isn’t slowing down. According to Warranty Week, the warranty industry for electronics and appliances is $23B and growing. Learn more about Clarence and Upsie here (and if you’re interested in trying them out, try out the promo code “VALENTINE10” to save 10% on your first warranty purchase before the end of February 2019).
Day 9 — Kelvin Beachum, NFL Athlete, Investor, and Philanthropist
A couple of years ago, I was introduced to Kelvin Beachum by one of my board members, Kwame Anku (whom I’ll write about later this month). I’m not sure what Kelvin would say is his superpower but if I had to guess, I’d say it’s his incredible introspection and insight on his abilities and impact. As an NFL Athlete — and 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominee — his influence is vast and he knows it. Kelvin uses this superpower to help others, shine a light on noteworthy causes, and invest in early-stage startups. His involvement with organizations like Feeding America and World Vision speak to his passion for addressing the problems of humanity with his time, energy, and resources. I’m fortunate to have access to Kelvin (as I’ve called him an unofficial mentor of mine) as he’s incredibly sharp and quick-witted, asking me tough questions and pushing me to reconsider perspectives that I have. Whether it’s speaking at Linkedin or having his life captured and detailed on (and off) the field, Kelvin is doing more than his fair share and I’m happy to know him. Learn more about what Kelvin, an SMU grad, is up to, here.
Day 8 — Daniel Rogers, A. M Money
In 2016, I had the opportunity to participate in the Google for Entrepreneurs (now Google for Startups) Black Founders Exchange Program. Bandwagon was selected as one of 10 startups to spend a week in Durham, North Carolina as we were hosted by Google and the team at American Underground. I met several inspiring founders but few have had the journey that Daniel Rogers has had. In 2001, Daniel enlisted in the U.S. Army to escape the South side of Chicago (and to finance his higher education plans). Over the next 4.5 years, he completed 2 years of college — including 7 courses while deployed in Iraq. After the army, Daniel transferred to American University where he found immediate academic success securing a 3.98 GPA in his first quarter. Unfortunately, when he showed up for classes in the second quarter, he was told that unless he could come up with an additional $16,000 he would need to drop out. His mother, unable to co-sign a loan for him, worked with his grandmother who (at the time was living in a nursing home) was able to help secure the loan. This story isn’t uncommon for many people of color and that is why Daniel started A.M$ (or A. M Money). Daniel, now having his Bachelors in Economics from American University and his MBA from the University of Chicago, has built a team to provide affordable and flexible financing to low-income students. One of the biggest wins that they have had so far is their partnership with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. They saw the need but were unable to help. Daniel and his team expect to fund more than 2,000 students in 2020 and are well on their way to securing strategic partnerships and the necessary certifications to navigate this market. Learn more about what Daniel and his team are doing, here.
Day 7 — Steven Hughes, Know Money Inc.
I can honestly say that there’s probably no one that I know better than my brother, Steven Hughes. Just 14-months apart — thanks mom and dad — we grew up together as best friends, teammates, and business partners. In 2005, Steven followed in my footsteps to attend Clemson University becoming just the second member of our family to enroll in a 4-year institution. While at Clemson, Steven admits that he made every financial misstep possible. From having his car repossessed to being evicted, Steven had quite a tough time navigating his personal finances as a college student. He eventually found his way out of that hole and began making decisions to put him on a path to a debt free and income maximizing lifestyle but he still felt like he couldn’t be alone in some of the choices he made. That’s when he decided to start Know Money Inc. Know Money Inc., with a tagline of “Know Money, No Problems”, is focused on helping people talk, think, and interact with money differently. To increase his impact, he is now focusing specifically on college students and has recently announced the Bankroll Summit where he’ll host a one-day money conference to help 150 college students across the state of South Carolina “break up with broke”. A member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and recognized internationally in the Global Shapers Community, Steven is doing his part to help teach others from the decisions (and mistakes) he made in the past. Learn more about what Steven is doing and how you can get involved, here.
Day 6 — Sheena Allen, CapWay
As a founder, I often gain my strength from fellow founders that are doing the work to take their company to the next level. I’m thankful to have a close-knit circle of about half-a-dozen founders that I can call at any time of night to share a win or get advice after a loss. One of those founders is Sheena Allen and if you don’t know her — what rock have you been living under — you should! Sheena is the Founder & CEO of CapWay, a company that is focused on delivering banking solutions to the unbanked, underbanked, and financially unserved. Sheena and her team are using blockchain, machine learning, and an acute understanding of her target customers to deliver fresh and relevant content to struggling millennials. As a serial entrepreneur, Sheena has been written about in every publication you can think of (most recently Fast Company based on a Twitter thread where she discussed the “Black Tax”) largely due to the success of her first venture, Sheena Allen Apps, which saw millions of downloads and her work in the startup community in projects like She Started It. Sheena is a member of the Backstage Capital portfolio and is an alum of the Google for Startups Black Founders Exchange program. Learn more about what Sheena and her team are doing, as well as how you can get involved, here.
Day 5 — Donald Richard, PlayPen
As a new dad, I probably spent hundreds of dollars on toys and gadgets in hopes that my son would be the next baby Einstein. Naturally, that led to me having a surplus of toys, that he doesn’t play with, all over the house. Thankfully, there’s new dad, Donald Richard, with a solution to save us all! Donald started PlayPen to help parents save space, save money, and live better. PlayPen lets parents rent clean, safe, and gently used baby products for the months that you need them. Whether you need a car seat, stroller, or high chair, you can find one in your budget. Donald is just getting started but I definitely expect to be a customer as I find that not only can I be a customer that rents items but also, we have the opportunity to make some money with all of my son’s stuff that’s lying around the house! Learn more about Donald and what PlayPen is doing here.
Day 4 — Damola Ogundipe, Yemi Adewunmi, & Shawntera Hardy, Civic Eagle
We live in a world where politics impacts everything yet our most important elections aren’t seeing the turnout that can truly grant change. The Civic Eagle team is working to truly simulate our democracy and educate the electorate. When you think of “Fake News” and misinformation, it often leads to doubt of the overall ability of our political system to produce candidates that truly represent their constituents. By making information more transparent and readily available, we can start to see change in our communities right down to the state and local level. Civic Eagle are Google for Startups alum and were recently accepted into the accepted into Techstars and will be class 158, participating in the Techstars Anywhere Accelerator. Learn more about Damola and his team here.
Day 3 — Mike Brown, Win Win
In a world where some are crying for athletes to “stick to sports”, Mike Brown is using his experience, education, and platform to connect sports fans with their favorite athletes and celebrities to do good. Michael Tauiliili Brown was a football standout at Duke University earning All-ACC honors and starting all but 2 games throughout his 4-year career. After a brief NFL career, Mike saw an opportunity to connect sports fans by creating a platform for them to compete while supporting charitable causes. As the CEO of Win Win, Mike has worked with Jaylon Smith (of the Dallas Cowboys), Patrick Peterson (of the Arizona Cardinals), and several other athletes to gamify the fan experience in a way that helps advance the mission of non-profits. Mike is a 500 Startups alum and is a part of the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center. To learn more about Mike and Win Win, follow him on LinkedIn or other social media.
Day 2 — Mary Spio, CEEK VR
Mary Spio is quite possibly the most fascinating person I’ve ever been in a room with. We met during the Google for Startups Black Founder Exchange Program in October 2016 (where we both secured investments from Backstage Capital). Mary grew up in Ghana before coming to America when she was 16. When she came here, her first job was at McDonald’s. Since then, she’s gone on to serve in the Air Force, graduate from both Syracuse University and Georgia Tech and become the Founder of CEEK VR. She is a Deep Space Engineer and has worked with companies such as Lucas Films and Boeing Digital Cinema. As the CEO of CEEK VR, she leads a team that is reimagining experiences for fans — from concerts and music to sports. She has worked with U2, Katy Perry, and Quavo and many others. Learn more about Mary and what she’s building here.
Day 1 — Dawn Dickson, PopCom
Dawn is the Founder and CEO of PopCom. As a serial entrepreneur, Dawn has found success in moving farther and farther up the value chain. When I met Dawn, she was running Flat Out Heels, but as she learned more about her customer and more about her industry, she innovated and created an ecosystem that scales beyond shoes and apparel. Now, at PopCom, Dawn and her team are harnessing the power of Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and biometrics to revolutionize retail through smart vending solutions. Learn more about Dawn and what’s she’s building here (and if you’re a fan of podcasts like I am, check out her episode of The Pitch).
