1 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: Kaiser Permanente is one of the largest nonprofit healthcare plans 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: in the United States. At Afro tech en then Kaiser 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:14,079 Speaker 1: Permanent Chairman and chief executive Officer, Bernard Tyson may he 4 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: rest in Peace, talked with Gravity CEO Morgan Dubonne about 5 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: the healthcare Golias efforts in the social determinants of health 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,760 Speaker 1: and how technology can play a role in amplifying their impact. 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: We are unique in that, where as I said, we're 8 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: such a big mega health system. We take care of 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: almost thirteen million people, and we exist in communities in 10 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: which sixty eight million people live. So we get a 11 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: great view of the inequities in this country. So you 12 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: have one community where it has everything that one can 13 00:00:54,160 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: imagine to thrive. Right, So you have great uh police service, UH, 14 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: grocery stores everywhere. Um, you know, a gas station is 15 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: truly a gas station, and you feel safe to walk 16 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: into evenings and at night and all that stuff. You 17 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: go to another neighborhood and you almost can't get the 18 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: street lights change and there's no grocery store, and UM, 19 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: crime is high and UM. In a lot of cases, 20 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: those communities did not have a voice at the table 21 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: when money was being divided up governmentally to fund all 22 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: these programs. So kids of Permanente UM just plan heavy 23 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: advocacy role to make sure that we build what we 24 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: call healthy communities for all of our communities, because we 25 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: know that healthcare can only do so much to help 26 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: you with your health. And so if you are living 27 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: on um fried chicken every day, uh yeah, popeye's Uh. 28 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: But in these communities, it's how do we how do 29 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: we UM really provide options for people to make choices. 30 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: And so that's really what Thrive Local is about. That 31 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: we're working with our resources, community resources, and we're having 32 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: people to thrive. We just announced that we're gonna do 33 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: drones with UPS and somebody asked me, what are you 34 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: going to do? I said, I don't know, but we're 35 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: gonna have the drones doing something right, stopping our food. Yeah. 36 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: But the whole point is with all this technology, you 37 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: can rethink how you want your business to work, right, 38 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: And that's been the beauty of the technology. Now it 39 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: has allowed us to disrupt our organization and that's what's 40 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: happening in the organizations. You basically in the nineteenth and 41 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 1: the twentieth century built organizations to conform and comply right. 42 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: And and you know, part of the Third Industrial Revolution 43 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: was mass production, and we're now in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 44 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,519 Speaker 1: We now have the kind of technology where you can 45 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: disaggregate everything, and so you know, we used to have 46 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: all of our patients coming in. Now over fifty of 47 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: our interactions with patients are on the iPhone and the 48 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: iPads and technology. Uh, it's a whole different mindset that 49 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: you can establish and operating procedures on the platform of technology. 50 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: And so I would encourage people to keep innovating in 51 00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: this area. I'm Will Lucas. This is Black Tech, Green Money. 52 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna introduce you to some of the biggest names, 53 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: some of the brightest minds and brilliant ideas. If you're black, 54 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: in building or simply using tech to secure your bag, 55 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: this podcast is for you. So feature Wilson is a 56 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: serial entrepreneur and founder at Brasilia, a New Orleans space 57 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:28,359 Speaker 1: tech startup that helps nonprofit organizations increased capacity and enable 58 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,679 Speaker 1: enterprises that deployed billions of dollars to scale their impact. 59 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: She was honored with the Nobel Prize for Public Service, 60 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: the Jefferson Award, and was featured in the Senate report 61 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: to the White House on volunteerism during the Obama administration. 62 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: Just before we recorded this episode, she announced Brazilia had 63 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: just raised an eight million dollars series A. There's undeniably 64 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: a market need for good nonprofits doing great work. I 65 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 1: asked to feature about what she commonly sees hinders the 66 00:04:55,160 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: realization of their full potential. So interesting enough, U probably 67 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: around May twenty if there's a report really just talking 68 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: about philanthropy, UM and really talking about the disparity and 69 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 1: philanthropy and where money goes and how that money UM 70 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: is just dispersed, right, UM. And so for certain nonprofits 71 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: we're talking about, like nonprofits run by black and brown people, UM, 72 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 1: there's a disparity and like them being able to access 73 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 1: resources to grow their nonprofit organizations. UM. And particularly as 74 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 1: we are in the age, but even in the day 75 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: where we're heavily focused on uh equity and equality and UM, 76 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: how we can fix the things that have just historically 77 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:47,799 Speaker 1: been wrong UM related to ensuring that people of color, 78 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: particularly black people, right, because we're not gonna like blanket 79 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 1: all of us over people of color UH any longer. UH. 80 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: And one of the things that the study was essentially 81 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: staying UM and this is by Eco Green and Bristband. 82 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: Is that a lot of times nonprop organizations one, they 83 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: don't have access to the rolodex of organizations that can 84 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,280 Speaker 1: give them resources UM once they get to table if 85 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: they ever get to the table UM, then they don't 86 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: have the right tools resources are able to essentially display 87 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: the information the way funders want it right, and so 88 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 1: they're at a disadvantage that way. And what it takes 89 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: to do that type of data UM, that type of 90 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 1: analytics to pull those type of reports takes a lot 91 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: of time and money which they don't have because they're 92 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 1: on the ground working every day in and out of 93 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:41,239 Speaker 1: their nonprop organizations UM. And so we think about how 94 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: nonprofits are just like less resource like that's one of 95 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: the biggest hindrances that's holding organizations back from growing UM. 96 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: And then also, how do you move beyond just being 97 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: a nonprofit leader but thinking to yours yourself as like 98 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: a business leader like you are you, this organization is 99 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: incorporated it. You should be thinking about like a business. 100 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 1: You should operate like a business. UM. How do you 101 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 1: move from just taking on funding, how do you begin 102 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: to diversify into services UM? And so these are definitely 103 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 1: I could go on and on, but I would kind 104 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: of wrap it up there. We can definitely continue to 105 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: talk about what are like the blocks or nonprop organizations. Yeah, 106 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: I think about UM, I live in a place where 107 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: we and where at my city we have more nonprofits 108 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: per capita than anywhere else in the country, right, which 109 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: tells me we're stepping on all of our toes. Yeah. 110 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 1: And UM, do you think we consider collaboration at the 111 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: level we should? UM? Because I mean, you get it 112 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: with territorial the pies aren't as big for you know, 113 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: people to be able to fund these efforts in etcetera. Like, 114 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: how do you think so we can't so we can't 115 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: belong to each other? How do you think about when 116 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: you see nonprofits who that just pop up because somebody's 117 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: passions about something? UM? How do you process that? Yes? UM, 118 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: even with the side of our software, we're always trying 119 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: to benchmark for UM. Does this organization need to exist? Right? UM? 120 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: And even as a consultant like many moons ago working 121 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: with nonproper organizations UM, and people used to come to 122 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: me like, oh I want to start this organization. U first, 123 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: I always act like this is organization like this exists 124 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: in your community already And they're like, yeah, but have 125 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: you volunteered yet? If you spoke to the organizational leader yet, 126 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: have you see have you had a conversation with them 127 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: yet to understand like what are your challenges? Um? And 128 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 1: if I don't feel like you're effecting my community, do 129 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: you have the bandwidth? Um? And you should be? Could 130 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: you probably started to move no profit to help them 131 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 1: get to where they're trying to go without being the 132 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,200 Speaker 1: founder of CEO of it right um? And so I'm 133 00:08:55,200 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: a big believer of trying to bring organizations together and 134 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:05,439 Speaker 1: even UM have seen situations where large funders would look 135 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: at organizations that they were funding and they're like, you 136 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: were basically doing the same work. If you guys actually 137 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: came together, uh, meaning like formed right um together, we 138 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 1: would give you more money and we think you'd be 139 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: more effective. Um. But of course what comes in a 140 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: way with that, right, So a little bit of like 141 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 1: pride and ego, Uh, who's gonna run the organization with world? 142 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: Or I you know, get are my issues gonna be? 143 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: Um heard? And so there are a lot of barriers 144 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: too bad. Um. But you know, we know because we've 145 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: been punching knows forever UM, not just in your community, 146 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: but we've seen a four x increase of nonprop organizations 147 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: over the past uh teen years, UM, not only in country, 148 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: across the world, and so we know there's a lot 149 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: of reasons for this UM. Not just like the Googles 150 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: in our community want to create that prop organizations, but 151 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 1: there are a lot of as we consider like legacy 152 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: foundations being created UM. And so with that that there's 153 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: morgansistions been created, there's also more philanthophic dollars being deployed 154 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: than we've ever seen before, and so that could also 155 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: be a reason, right that these organizations are forming to 156 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: actually go after some of these new funds that are 157 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 1: coming out, which is the case of COVID nineteen UM 158 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:26,959 Speaker 1: and is also the case now with saving Black Lives 159 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: right right. So, how how do you inspire or help 160 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: people who are passionate about a thing get the business 161 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 1: side under them. Because I think about UM too often 162 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: when we think about impact and being passionate about a 163 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 1: particular issue, whether it be social justice, whether it be COVID, 164 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: the product or the offering maybe lacking. You know, we 165 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 1: we have so much heart, but so little business sophistication 166 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: in too many instances, not every instance, but in too 167 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: many instances. So talk talk a little bit about what 168 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 1: you those folks who you ask, you know, does this 169 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: already exist in your community or have you volunteered there? 170 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 1: How do you, you know, advise them to not only 171 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 1: you know, pump the brakes a little bit, but get 172 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: that work done in the right way. Yeah. The same 173 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 1: things that set back, hold back, keep down nonprofits are 174 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: the same things that hold back, setback, keep down us 175 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: from building businesses as well. Right, Um, and so I 176 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: think that many many of those things. I've obviously worked 177 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: with a lot of BIS small business owners to help 178 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: them get their ups off the ground. I've worked with 179 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: a lot of nonprofits to get them to get their 180 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 1: organizations off the ground. And I tell you there's so 181 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: many parils that run between the two. Um. Yeah, And 182 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 1: it really is. It's so very similar. Um. And So 183 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 1: for nonprofits, it's always about what are you going to 184 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: focus on? Right? So what can you get really good at? 185 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: What people are like, Oh, we go to them for this, 186 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:07,840 Speaker 1: And I think that just our nature we want to 187 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: help everybody and be everything and everybody, and we can't 188 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 1: be that way. If we want to get things done 189 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: and if we want to grow our organizations, we have 190 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: to figure out, like what is that thing that we 191 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:22,719 Speaker 1: really we might care about a lot of things. We 192 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: gotta really hone down that one thing that's gonna allow 193 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: us UM to be able to not only gain the 194 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:34,080 Speaker 1: expertise right around, but to also gather support around so 195 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 1: that that one thing people are like, oh, I got 196 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:38,959 Speaker 1: that person for you. UM. And even when we talk 197 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: about resources, because generally speaking we look at funders, they 198 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 1: are looking at their trying to put together pieces too right, 199 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: and so it was like, what piece are you solving 200 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: for that's going to make this equation come together? UM? 201 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:54,359 Speaker 1: And you don't. And because you are strapped for resources, 202 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: you probably don't want to go out there talking about 203 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: you solve all these others. They're like, well how because 204 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 1: you only got a budget twenty dollars a year, so 205 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 1: you can't be self up. So really trying to get 206 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: organizations like focused in and I deal it on like 207 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: what can you solve and be the best at UM 208 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: at doing UM? And then how can you begin to 209 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 1: look at individuals that support that specific cause or create 210 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,640 Speaker 1: ambassadors UM and champions of that cause because it's attached 211 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: to things that other people believe about. Um. And so 212 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:34,079 Speaker 1: there is to many parallels, man, to like, this's being 213 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: like a founder. Uh, it is the same, right. Yeah. 214 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: So if I can condense what you said into a nutshell, 215 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna ask you, this is what you're saying, UM, 216 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: that I should really just get really really really good 217 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:54,719 Speaker 1: at one thing or this narrow vertical yeah, and then 218 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: bring it in, bringing in, bring it in right? And 219 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 1: with that does that cause me to have more success ultimately? 220 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 1: Because that's I think what people don't see is they see, 221 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,559 Speaker 1: what if I only do this one thing, then how 222 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: am I gonna get bigger? Yes? And the thing is 223 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: it's like it's once you do that thing very well, 224 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,439 Speaker 1: then you can branch out and do other things. Right, um, 225 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: And you're right about that, but I do I mean, 226 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: such a good example is like what's happening in Minneapolis 227 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: right now, right in Minnesota. UM. And in Minnesota, and 228 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: just like framing around um, the murder of George Floyd, UM, 229 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 1: people started to give into the Minnesota UM fun. Right, 230 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: and so everybody was given to the Minnesota fun. And 231 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 1: when we go to the website. I was kind of 232 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: like I gave him to him too, you know. I 233 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: was like, oh, boom, we gotta place we go get into. 234 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: That's what we're gonna get someone investors. It was like, well, 235 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: you need to give to the black leader organizations. I 236 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 1: was like, thing, wait, let me go look at the 237 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: website and I looked. I was like, oh no, like 238 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: that's people was black. And I was like, I'm giving 239 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: money to these people would go help black people and 240 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: they don't have black people the irritizations, and so I 241 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: was like okay, now that look for other organizations. But 242 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: then I double back and I realized that, Okay, let 243 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: me see what they're doing. So they were essentially um 244 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 1: targeting cash bail and bell bond, so they were trying 245 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: to eradicate that, like that was their mission. So from jump, 246 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: immediately I knew that the money that we were giving 247 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: wasn't going to just go back to the protesters you know, 248 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: who were out there, although some of it would, but 249 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: they raised so much money that now they're going to 250 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: essential should be able to eradicate cash bail in there. 251 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 1: I think that's crazy to me, right, So the inn 252 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: they're gonna eradicated However, they raised so much money that 253 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 1: they said that started giving to these other organizations. This 254 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 1: specific organization is looking to defund the police, This specific 255 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: organization is working on the ground, specifically helping with housing, 256 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 1: this specific you know, these are organizations where I'm like, Okay, yes, 257 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: we want to get protesters out of jail, Boom, we 258 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: need to fund with boom, you know. And so it's 259 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: becomes very clear because of their mission. So whose responsibility 260 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: is it? Then? Because you know, I think about when 261 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: the social um uprisings occur, you'll see this proliferation of 262 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: messages on social media on who you should be giving to, 263 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 1: right and so, so to your point, like, whose responsibility 264 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: is it to make sure that that is clearly defined 265 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: for the end user who's just wants to give fifty 266 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: dollars or a hundred dollars or a thousand dollars in 267 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: an organization, Because can we expect the consumer or the 268 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: donator or the benevolent person to go do all that 269 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: research that's a vegetable. M Well, I do think that 270 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 1: we do got to do a little bit better on 271 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: for sure, um. And then also I think that you 272 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 1: know someone inside of the community, right, and so that 273 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 1: That's how I found about all the other funds is 274 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 1: because someone from that community said, oh, here are some 275 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: other funds that are like black lead. UM. I do 276 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:16,640 Speaker 1: think that there's opportunity to vet organizations, and maybe that's 277 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: somebody you know who's listening. They're like, Oh, this is 278 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna actually create a platform. Um. 279 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: And so that's why I was like, dang, I should 280 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: have like did more. I should have went to the website. 281 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 1: I should have looked at um the people that have 282 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,359 Speaker 1: associated with it. If you want to take it a 283 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:34,639 Speaker 1: little bit further than you can go to like Candice 284 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 1: website and do with search of them. But the only 285 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: problem when you start really doing that is that you 286 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 1: begin to exclude black organizations who again going back to 287 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:44,680 Speaker 1: maybe they don't have the data points, maybe they don't 288 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 1: have information into these platforms, and it doesn't mean that 289 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 1: they're not doing the work and they can't get the 290 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: work done. And so you have to be like really 291 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:57,400 Speaker 1: careful and mindful of trying to like vet organizations as well. UM. 292 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: But I do feel that you know, you go look 293 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:04,160 Speaker 1: in the commune, you come to New Orleans and we'll 294 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 1: let you know who want to get you who you 295 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 1: know who are really doing what they're supposed to do 296 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: with the money. Yeah, so I think about you know, 297 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 1: you're solving um a lot of issues for I would 298 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,640 Speaker 1: in Layman's terms, like a lot of back office issues 299 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: for nonprofits. Is that an ad a quick statement? Yea 300 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 1: for nonprofits and for as we consider our enterprise customers. So, UM, 301 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,159 Speaker 1: we work with oxy in America, we work for a 302 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: United Way and so we essentially are too like the 303 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 1: one app connector between the nonprofit or grantee because it 304 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 1: doesn't have to be a nonprofit. It can also be 305 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:42,280 Speaker 1: a vendor, which can be a for profit UM to 306 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: the Grand tour or that entity that's deploying capital. So 307 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:48,440 Speaker 1: if you're a city, a prior foundation of corporation, we 308 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,680 Speaker 1: work with them all um and so we essentially manage 309 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: that process of how they give money to organizations or 310 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,800 Speaker 1: vendors who essentially do the work right because these down 311 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: ations they're not actually doing the really you know, they're 312 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,719 Speaker 1: not on the ground doing the work. They're funding organizations 313 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 1: and vendors to do the work. UM. And so our 314 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: platform essentially is that connected tissue between both where not 315 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:12,880 Speaker 1: only we're monitoring information that is coming in the data 316 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: around it, We're doing the reporting of the evaluations, and 317 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:18,199 Speaker 1: then we're also on the nonprofit side provided them with 318 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,880 Speaker 1: capacity building tools and technical assistance so that they can 319 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 1: be better stores are not only the money, but also 320 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: better stores of how they run their organizations UM as 321 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: well as how they train their team members. We essentially 322 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 1: have draftedly reduced what we were doing as consultants and 323 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: productized it right. And so we took everything that we 324 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 1: were doing as consultants for these large grant tours and 325 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: these grantees and these nonprofits, and we began to productize 326 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:47,440 Speaker 1: it into software and deliver it through a subscription based platform. 327 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: That's what we do. So I'm super interested in your 328 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,919 Speaker 1: take on this thing because I think about UM the 329 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: importance of wealth in our community, and the I find 330 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 1: with my you know, in context to you, my uneducated 331 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: right UM perspective on its like, is at some point 332 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: we have to move past waiting for someone to write 333 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 1: us a check for our good work because they may 334 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,439 Speaker 1: feel like, oh again, to your point, like, you know 335 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: who's doing good work, let me give them some money, 336 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,399 Speaker 1: And you have the person who's trying to do the 337 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:24,480 Speaker 1: good work, always with their hand out, always what they 338 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: had in their hand, like you know, trying to raise 339 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:31,880 Speaker 1: money somewhere. And how can we think about other ways 340 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 1: to support and put fuel in the tank for our 341 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 1: good work or is it could be put to be 342 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:42,640 Speaker 1: value exchanged. Yes, for sure, I think that um, there 343 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,720 Speaker 1: is value exchange for particularly like nonprofits. UM. Most people 344 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 1: think that most nonprofits their money comes from like product 345 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: foundations and corporations and um, you know these other philanthropic resources, 346 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: but that's not the case. The majority of most nonprofits 347 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:02,680 Speaker 1: their money is coming from on tracts UM services are 348 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 1: from individuals. And so I think that that's like a MythBuster, 349 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 1: right because most people think like philanthropy is controlling which 350 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: to start to start to sin they are because they 351 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: can also entirely fun and nonprofit right to do their work, 352 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:18,400 Speaker 1: to do the work that they want them to do. 353 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: But most nonprofits in the US at least actually don't 354 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 1: sustain themselves off philanthrophic dollars UM. And so that's a 355 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:29,959 Speaker 1: very important to like note, but like one of the 356 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,879 Speaker 1: things even with our software, what we want to do 357 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: is since we own both relationships the Grand Tour and 358 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,440 Speaker 1: the grantee. More organizations that come into our platform, we 359 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 1: want to essentially begin recommending them to our the Grand tours, 360 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: because we know they're giving history, we know the type 361 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: organizations they like to give to the causes, et cetera. 362 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 1: And we can essentially take organizations that would never get 363 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: opportunity to get in front of them and essentially scout 364 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:56,160 Speaker 1: on their behalf right UM by just knowing their data. 365 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,159 Speaker 1: And so by doing that, we're able to remove the 366 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: biases that have prevented just from getting in front of 367 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:03,920 Speaker 1: these other dollars for a very long time. And that's 368 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: not just philanthropy, but that's government right because we UM 369 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:11,639 Speaker 1: our customers are also government UM corporations, uh and so on. 370 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 1: So when we think about that UM, it's about like 371 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:18,359 Speaker 1: diversifying UM. And so, like one of my UM customers, 372 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: like much Metromorphosis. When we first came in contact with them, 373 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: they were doing maybe like two hundred and fifty thousand 374 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: dollars a year in natural and annual budget. They had 375 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,919 Speaker 1: like one full time person a contracted person UM and 376 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,639 Speaker 1: today they have like a full suite of team fast forward, 377 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 1: they're doing a budget about one point eight million UM 378 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 1: and we allow them to get there that they started 379 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 1: going after city contracts, right, and so they went after 380 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 1: the DV which is essentially a set aside that says 381 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: like thirty percent of this opportunity of this large billion 382 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:54,880 Speaker 1: dollar project has to go to minority businesses. And they 383 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 1: went after that contract and so they essentially are overseeing 384 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: that deployment and where that money goes. And so now 385 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,400 Speaker 1: they're like, Okay, now they're going at the more government contracts, 386 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: and they're non profit and they're going at the government 387 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 1: contracts in the same way business will be going after 388 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:13,159 Speaker 1: those contracts. And they got more power because they got 389 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: the community. And so somebody like, oh, who do we 390 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:17,439 Speaker 1: may we're gonna first of all the resources, and so 391 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: now profits could win like that when they start thinking 392 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:47,879 Speaker 1: like that. Recent uprisings regarding racial injustice prompted several major 393 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: corporations to step up to the plate with bags of 394 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 1: money to fight racism. Opened up doors of opportunity to 395 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 1: reinforce their pipelines with diverse talent. Some of this we've 396 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 1: seen before. Skeptics will say it's not enough, and to 397 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 1: look at them corporate history, look at their board of directors, 398 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 1: look at their vendor diversity, so with previous efforts instance here, 399 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: or do they simply not know what to do to 400 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:14,919 Speaker 1: solve these problems? Sevitra speaks on it. Yes, So I 401 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: do think that we're coming into a different age of 402 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:23,120 Speaker 1: corporate giving UM, where people are beginning to hire people 403 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 1: that are a little bit more into right uh, to 404 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 1: try and to make an impact. UM. In addition to that, 405 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 1: I do feel that, UM, we know, we know people 406 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,119 Speaker 1: be instant not hear about stuff. We're like, all right, 407 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:42,679 Speaker 1: get the girl. I've been very critical like Gucci right, 408 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:45,439 Speaker 1: Gucci at the back people and then they was like 409 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:50,440 Speaker 1: fi million dollars, Like the owner is a Gucci behind 410 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: and it's just like that's an insult to my intelligence. 411 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:58,199 Speaker 1: You're now like that's just been ins off to my 412 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: intelligence right there. But you know, there are other institutions 413 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: like you will say like a j People organ Chase 414 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 1: right where they have essentially deployed billions at this point UM, 415 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 1: and people will say Jake Morgan Chase, like, oh, we 416 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: don't like this site for corporate philanthrothy because they're essentially 417 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 1: disrupting where some people would say, um, and they're rebuilding 418 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 1: and redesigning say black cities like Detroit, and so what 419 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,040 Speaker 1: do we feel about that? Right? Are we paying attention? Like, 420 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,679 Speaker 1: are we really paying attention to what's going on and 421 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:37,480 Speaker 1: who's involved? Now, I will say, um on JP Morgan, um, 422 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 1: for if you look at their team in Detroit, very 423 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 1: like it's a lot of black people there, but also 424 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:44,879 Speaker 1: holding black people accountable for doing things with black people, 425 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: right and um, being sincere about that is important. Um. 426 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 1: But you do see corporations now who are really putting 427 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:55,640 Speaker 1: a huge steak into not just like oh we're gonna 428 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 1: give here, We're gonna give these organizations, but they're trying 429 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: to actually transform um entire um consider like sectors, um, communities, cities, 430 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:08,919 Speaker 1: and so we also have to be very mindful of 431 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: what that means, all right, and so not just for nonprofits, 432 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: but do you have a proficiency in helping people figure 433 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,640 Speaker 1: out how to charge for their stuff their value? Right? 434 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: And so I would imagine that most entrepreneurs will look 435 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 1: at the landscape of the market and say, Okay, what 436 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 1: is the closest person to what I'm doing charging and 437 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 1: let me base my price upon that, Like, is that 438 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: in your mind the best way to go about this? 439 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:44,080 Speaker 1: So I think that that is like the easiest way 440 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: to go about it, um, but it might not be 441 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 1: what's best for your work, right um. And so I 442 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:54,160 Speaker 1: do think that we have a problem with like pricing 443 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: in general, UM in a way that it actually takes 444 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 1: us under right. And so I think that when we 445 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:06,439 Speaker 1: think about pricing, it's from an organizational standpoint. It's like, 446 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 1: can you also, you know, make a living? Can you 447 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: get the work done? Can you hire people? Um? Effectively? 448 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: When you scope out your entire budget, you know, is 449 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: it actually related to um, your demographics, who you're serving, um, 450 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: the additional need that may exist around them, right. And 451 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 1: so I think you have to take into consideration all 452 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 1: the complexities that may impact your price that may not 453 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,360 Speaker 1: impact the person across from use price. So when when 454 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:41,120 Speaker 1: you say I'm going to charge X, and it's probably 455 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:45,120 Speaker 1: more money than a lot of people may be comfortable 456 00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 1: with charging for something, how do how do you get 457 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,399 Speaker 1: over the internal like, oh, how do I put this 458 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 1: number in front of folks? Well me today, I mean 459 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:58,879 Speaker 1: say today you probably like, look, this is the number, family, 460 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 1: this is the number. You know your numbers changed with 461 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:06,919 Speaker 1: experience too, right, UM. And so that's something about like 462 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,680 Speaker 1: your numbers changed with your experience and teen years ago 463 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 1: in my experience, a lot different than it is now. 464 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:17,679 Speaker 1: And what I have to bring to the table, but 465 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 1: the resources that I bring, the partners that I bring, UM, 466 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:23,000 Speaker 1: the network that I bring, And so you're bringing to 467 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 1: the table more than just what you can do uh 468 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:28,919 Speaker 1: pen the paper right uh. And so you take an 469 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:32,239 Speaker 1: account all those things when you're setting your price, and 470 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 1: I know I do at least. Uh So I think 471 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: that the only things that people have to consider. Do 472 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 1: you to that point? Is it is it that people 473 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: are just paying for the service that you're offering, or 474 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 1: they're paying for the value of being able to work 475 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: with you? So Resilia, Yeah, for the Resilia, they're paying 476 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: for the service. Right. So because we're sas business model, UM, 477 00:28:57,800 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 1: what you paying with the next person paying is not 478 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 1: gonna change change, right, So we have like set numbers. 479 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,080 Speaker 1: If you're on the enterprise platform and you're paying per 480 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:09,520 Speaker 1: sit um, if you are a non propranization, you're paying 481 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: specifically for your subscription. So those numbers were unchanged, UM 482 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: now in solid ground. So my other business that is 483 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: based on you know what, I'm setting my fees and UM, 484 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 1: anything related to my expensions for UM. I'll tell you 485 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 1: like now, when I'm actually be a part of projects, 486 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 1: it's kind of if when you start planning, sees those 487 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 1: fees are going to start to grow UM and it 488 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 1: may not come to fruition immediately, but over time it will. 489 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 1: And so today I literally get acts to be a 490 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 1: part of UM projects and on like pull into like 491 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: RPS responses for work that I never you have to touch. 492 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:55,560 Speaker 1: They just need to use my name and my resume 493 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 1: in my background and they they just want me on 494 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 1: the team. And the really I do some consulting and 495 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: I get a check like I don't have to doing so, 496 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: but that's what ten plus years of work now force 497 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 1: me to be a part of teams who are going 498 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:19,959 Speaker 1: at the montimillion dollar contracts and they're like, we need 499 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 1: to set you our team, and so, uh, how much 500 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: you're gonna charge us to be on our you know, well, boom, 501 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:28,719 Speaker 1: that's what I'm gonna charge. And we all we all 502 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: started doing the work. They called me like, all right, 503 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:33,280 Speaker 1: what do you think about this is? And this because 504 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 1: then you know, I have to actually do some work 505 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:38,120 Speaker 1: as a part of the contract UM. But for the 506 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 1: most part, I don't have to change business on my 507 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: solid ground consulting company. The business comes to me back 508 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:46,959 Speaker 1: now like it comes to me now. Uh. And so 509 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 1: like that's where that's like we think about like buildings 510 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:53,080 Speaker 1: for ourselves, as you mentioned earlier, So we don't have 511 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:55,800 Speaker 1: to go act these people for money. UM. Then we 512 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 1: become the philanthropists, right, and so then we can direct 513 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 1: money to organizations that look like us and they don't 514 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 1: have to go chase money from these regulations that don't 515 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 1: look like them. And so like we're talking about like 516 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:09,040 Speaker 1: the ultimate goals, like that's what we're building for. Oh yeah, 517 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 1: we're gonna come back. We're gonna come back to that. 518 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: Matter of fact, we might close on that topic. But 519 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 1: I want to there's a couple of things I want 520 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:16,880 Speaker 1: to I want to make sure I pull out of here. 521 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:19,720 Speaker 1: And it's you know you talked about you know, over 522 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 1: ten years, you've built up a reputation in the name 523 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 1: and integrity and all these things that say, you know, look, 524 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:28,880 Speaker 1: if we're trying to do X, Y and Z, we 525 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:31,440 Speaker 1: need to v treat on the team, right. And so 526 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 1: you've got so many people, UM in our audience, who 527 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: are you know building UM you know, for lack of 528 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 1: a better phrase, you know boutique services, consulting services, you know, 529 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:46,959 Speaker 1: personal services and etcetera. And how how is it that 530 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 1: you saw the long game in that? Because I would 531 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 1: I would imagine that you knew one day it would 532 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 1: pay off, but you might and I don't know, but 533 00:31:56,160 --> 00:32:00,040 Speaker 1: you perhaps didn't know that you know one day it 534 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: will be people just call me and I'll set my price. 535 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 1: And I stepped before a meeting in a bounds you 536 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:10,360 Speaker 1: may have no I'm I'm assuming I shouldn't do it. 537 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 1: I don't know if I knew that. I think that 538 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 1: when it started to happen to me, I think that 539 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 1: it became very obvious. Why right, And so when I 540 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:26,960 Speaker 1: think about and you know, I have like mentors, etcetera. 541 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 1: You know, my mentors got contracts with Chevron and this 542 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 1: person this person, and they get twenty five dollar monthly 543 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:35,600 Speaker 1: retainers and they people might call them for our months. 544 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:43,600 Speaker 1: Like there's levels to this, right that level yet, but 545 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: there are levels of this. And so when you hear 546 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: stuff like that, and you know, people are kind of 547 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,640 Speaker 1: like trying to show you, like how this works, right, 548 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 1: and how um your ability? People think that social media 549 00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:01,960 Speaker 1: influencing and something no, no being able for public affairs 550 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: from a gas oil company to call you once a mother, 551 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,840 Speaker 1: you can twenty five dollars per hour. That's influenced, Like 552 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:12,400 Speaker 1: don understand, like it's level of that levels UM. And 553 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 1: so when I think about influence, that's like the sphere 554 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 1: of influence. I think about like things that can drive elections, 555 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 1: people that can drive people to pose, people that can 556 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 1: help influence someone getting into a position. UM. Like those 557 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 1: are type of influences that I think about. And when 558 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:32,160 Speaker 1: you began to have those type of influences in your 559 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 1: community UM and in your sphere or your business circles, 560 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:39,480 Speaker 1: people begin to reach out to you because that makes you, 561 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:43,880 Speaker 1: you make them more competitive. Right. And so for me 562 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 1: starting out, I was just you know, coming I was 563 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 1: so young when I started my first business that I 564 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:52,160 Speaker 1: was just like so green. So at twenty two, I 565 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 1: was just out here. First very small contracts UM doing 566 00:33:56,320 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 1: consulting like marketing, public relations UM, digital advertising stuff like that. UM. 567 00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 1: From there we started getting contracts, starting off with like 568 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:09,960 Speaker 1: nonprop organizations doing work for them, then law firms, you know, 569 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,200 Speaker 1: building their website stuff like that, UM. And then those 570 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:16,799 Speaker 1: contracts started to like increase. Then I went to a 571 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:21,240 Speaker 1: conference and at that entrepreneurs conference, they basically talking about 572 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 1: government contracting. And then I was like, govern contract this 573 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: is interesting. And then this woman, um Nicole, she was 574 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:30,160 Speaker 1: talking about how she was living in her mother's basement, 575 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: she was a single mother, UM, and she got into 576 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:36,760 Speaker 1: government contracting and she was going as a junior partner. 577 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:39,800 Speaker 1: So she was basically subcontracting, right. And so that's another 578 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:42,480 Speaker 1: hack for any entrepreneurs out there who were trying to 579 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:45,320 Speaker 1: get started. Sometimes our eyes been on the Big Pride. 580 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 1: We were like, Oh, we're about to go after this 581 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:49,719 Speaker 1: large contract. What you really need to be going after? 582 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: Is this this the company that's gonna get the contract? 583 00:34:52,560 --> 00:35:00,239 Speaker 1: And then yes, because that's because that's just the things 584 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:02,120 Speaker 1: that we just don't know yet, right, And so we're 585 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:05,480 Speaker 1: gonna be going after large contract with no capabilities, not 586 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,600 Speaker 1: enough proof, like none of this, and it's just because 587 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:12,200 Speaker 1: we're just not we're not there yet, um as we 588 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:15,479 Speaker 1: know somebody that's gonna right right as a check, which 589 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 1: is very seldom UM. And so going and subcontracting and 590 00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 1: learning the game from these larger companies is something that 591 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:27,359 Speaker 1: I got hit to UM pretty earlier, and the same 592 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 1: thing with hole in government contracting. Once she got hit 593 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:33,040 Speaker 1: to that then allowed her to go after these larger 594 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:37,000 Speaker 1: contracts as the prime and then subcontract other consultants and 595 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 1: agencies gonna meique uh. And so that's essentially how I 596 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:43,359 Speaker 1: started building my company UM as a whole. But then 597 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: when I started Resilia, I had to like pull back 598 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 1: from s g I and I was like, Okay, we're 599 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:52,359 Speaker 1: gonna like maintain these contracts over here. But from that 600 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 1: just sitting a little bit, you know, letting marinate, other 601 00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: stuff started happening, and people try just coming to me um. 602 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,160 Speaker 1: And so I think that that's something that you know, 603 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:07,279 Speaker 1: this this out here and is aren't working, Like get 604 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: out here and work y'all, and like just make it happen. 605 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:12,239 Speaker 1: Because at the end of the day, the door is 606 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:15,239 Speaker 1: gonna store can open. Um. You just have to understand 607 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,920 Speaker 1: how what's the code? Right? You have to figure out 608 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:21,600 Speaker 1: the code. UM. And once you figure out the code 609 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:23,960 Speaker 1: is gonna lock your door, then you gotta unlock another door. 610 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:26,759 Speaker 1: Do you unlock another door? Um? Yeah, that's just like 611 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 1: kind of the process. So I would be remiss if 612 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 1: I didn't ask you, like you're building in a community 613 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 1: that is not historically known for technology, right, you know, 614 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:40,840 Speaker 1: you're the biggest ecosystem in the world, and you just 615 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:44,360 Speaker 1: raised UM, you know, eight million dollars on a series 616 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:48,680 Speaker 1: A series A recently, And talk to me a little 617 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:51,600 Speaker 1: bit about because I think sometimes we take for granted 618 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:54,000 Speaker 1: that the large part, the large portions of people trying 619 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,080 Speaker 1: to build tech companies are not in Silicon Valley, right. 620 00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:01,400 Speaker 1: But they're in Oklahoma, and they're in New Orleans, and 621 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:05,000 Speaker 1: they're in Ohio, and they're in you know, these other communities, 622 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:08,399 Speaker 1: and you've got people with different lifestyles trying to do 623 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:12,319 Speaker 1: this thing, and we don't always speak to them, but 624 00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:14,680 Speaker 1: we speak the language of a Silicon Valley. And so 625 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:18,080 Speaker 1: talk to me about UM the challenges you've had to 626 00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 1: overcome with building in the community that's not a traditional 627 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:25,799 Speaker 1: tech home. Yes, so, UM so building in the industry 628 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:29,920 Speaker 1: rights interesting because when I first started UM building the 629 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:36,400 Speaker 1: company UM Resilia, nobody, nobody believes me. Nobody believes that 630 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:38,880 Speaker 1: we can build a company in this space, and it 631 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:44,360 Speaker 1: honestly hasn't been You have like the black bots out there, UM. 632 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:47,839 Speaker 1: You have like these grand manager systems, which were quite 633 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:50,839 Speaker 1: a bit different than grant managing systems who have been 634 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:52,960 Speaker 1: dominating the space for like twenty plus years. So and 635 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:56,560 Speaker 1: that this old school technology they're using UM. And so 636 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:59,120 Speaker 1: when we started coming into the space, people are like, oh, 637 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:01,160 Speaker 1: this is how it gets the space, you know, is 638 00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:03,839 Speaker 1: it really is a two niche, etcetera. So the same 639 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:06,000 Speaker 1: thing they were telling the companies like Carter and everybody 640 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,840 Speaker 1: else who now worked billions of dollars UM. And it 641 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:14,719 Speaker 1: to me, it was actually Seals Scorce that began, in 642 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:17,400 Speaker 1: my opinion, to open up like just the BC world 643 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:21,719 Speaker 1: around like selling to philanthropy, because they began to aggressively 644 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:25,520 Speaker 1: start acquiring companies in our space UM and like over 645 00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:27,279 Speaker 1: the past year and a half they probably acquire on 646 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: what was like a billion a half companies in our 647 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:32,400 Speaker 1: space UM to build out the suite of products for 648 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:35,960 Speaker 1: nonpark organizations. And so if you follow those for as 649 00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:37,480 Speaker 1: they had like a one percent pledge and all these 650 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:40,520 Speaker 1: other things going on UM that they've kind of pushed 651 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:43,000 Speaker 1: in Silicon Valley. And so when we came into the 652 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:46,399 Speaker 1: space earlier than that, before they started happening, no one 653 00:38:46,600 --> 00:38:50,400 Speaker 1: really felt it. But now we get so much outreach 654 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:54,400 Speaker 1: from investors like Oh, yes, we've been following the nonprofit 655 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:57,640 Speaker 1: world technology and we feel like there's so much room 656 00:38:57,719 --> 00:39:01,560 Speaker 1: for improvement UM and to chnology advancements in this space. 657 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:03,839 Speaker 1: But that wasn't the case a couple of years ago. Uh, 658 00:39:03,880 --> 00:39:06,680 Speaker 1: and so now we don't really have to prove that 659 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:11,360 Speaker 1: part of it anymore. But had I not had the 660 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:16,480 Speaker 1: opportunity to keep going, we probably wouldn't exist anymore, right um. 661 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:20,799 Speaker 1: And for us, we began to really evaluate how we 662 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:24,880 Speaker 1: can expand, right, how can we expand beyond nonprofits? And 663 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:29,320 Speaker 1: that gave birth like our enterprise platform, which targets obviously 664 00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:33,920 Speaker 1: three core verticals um. But it was definitely like really challenging. 665 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:36,840 Speaker 1: And then in New Orleans, the tech space is definitely 666 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:42,160 Speaker 1: We've had like a few um success stories here and there, 667 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:44,560 Speaker 1: but really, ain't nobody come in scout in the New Orleans? 668 00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:47,680 Speaker 1: You know, Like that's just what it is. And for me, 669 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:49,560 Speaker 1: at one point, I was like, oh, man, do I 670 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 1: have to move to San Francisco to husband Silicon Valley? 671 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:54,799 Speaker 1: And was actually legitimately like thinking about it, and I 672 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:57,280 Speaker 1: just realized how much that would have like completely drastically 673 00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:00,360 Speaker 1: changed my entire journey, Like my whole journey will different 674 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 1: had I done that, And so I am happy that 675 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:04,920 Speaker 1: I stayed in the South and began to like find 676 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:09,359 Speaker 1: people who were investing in founders outside Silicon Valley, which 677 00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:12,879 Speaker 1: now I believe, like particularly like SaaS companies, people are 678 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:16,799 Speaker 1: doing like more of that than they were several years ago. 679 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:21,680 Speaker 1: And so one of the things that um, you know, 680 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:26,759 Speaker 1: these uprisings, these social justice uprisings and the not only 681 00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:29,680 Speaker 1: did the George Floyd's with Damy Cooper's and them out 682 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:32,200 Speaker 1: our berries or Amy Coopers who was on the other 683 00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:36,080 Speaker 1: side of this conversation, Yeah, you know what I'm saying. 684 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:40,359 Speaker 1: And so these situations brought me to is you know, 685 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:44,400 Speaker 1: when I think about being a founder and being in 686 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:47,879 Speaker 1: the technology industry and trying to generate wealth, right, we're 687 00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:50,560 Speaker 1: obviously we're not just doing this to do stuff, but 688 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:54,560 Speaker 1: we're trying to build wealth, wealth for our communities and 689 00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:57,920 Speaker 1: for our families. And it started to make me think 690 00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:01,839 Speaker 1: more about what is like, Okay, we want to build 691 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:04,400 Speaker 1: well take care of our people, but like, what is 692 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:08,560 Speaker 1: how are we activating that? So? And what I mean 693 00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:11,160 Speaker 1: by that is we can't just be silent anymore. In 694 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:15,319 Speaker 1: my opinion, I believe and I'm wondering your take on 695 00:41:15,360 --> 00:41:17,959 Speaker 1: this is because we see so many people who will 696 00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:21,879 Speaker 1: be in it for the bag but won't speak up 697 00:41:22,239 --> 00:41:24,120 Speaker 1: or maybe they're afraid to speak or don't know how 698 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,879 Speaker 1: to speak up. Um, and maybe maybe And I don't 699 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:30,279 Speaker 1: want to be unfair because not everybody's public about how 700 00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:32,600 Speaker 1: they do things and how they move. But I do 701 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:35,800 Speaker 1: feel like there's a there is a new day upon 702 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:40,920 Speaker 1: us where we have to be vocal about these issues. 703 00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:43,480 Speaker 1: And I'm wondering how you think about things as your 704 00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:47,920 Speaker 1: feelings changed about how we behave as black entrepreneurs who 705 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:50,640 Speaker 1: are building wealth and who are impacting our communities in 706 00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:53,200 Speaker 1: a certain way, because I've really been thinking about that 707 00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:59,480 Speaker 1: and how like what is the purpose of wealth? Yeah? 708 00:41:59,719 --> 00:42:05,520 Speaker 1: You know, yeah, So I mean let's like unpack that 709 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:10,680 Speaker 1: a little bit, right, and so we think about I 710 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:13,279 Speaker 1: think about, first of all, this conversation I was having 711 00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:17,920 Speaker 1: recently um about some of the issues that I had 712 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:22,479 Speaker 1: with like black investors, right, Um, when I was first 713 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:24,160 Speaker 1: going out to raise money, how difficult it was to 714 00:42:24,239 --> 00:42:27,600 Speaker 1: raise money from black investors like um kind of coming up. 715 00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:31,359 Speaker 1: And what I began to realize is that because we 716 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,879 Speaker 1: are so new to well, we're so new to money 717 00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:40,480 Speaker 1: that we're so risuverse UM. And so I started thinking 718 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:43,239 Speaker 1: about that right as far as like investors worth with 719 00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:45,839 Speaker 1: their money. You know black investors, they like real estate 720 00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:48,759 Speaker 1: and you know, things that they have historically to life 721 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:50,520 Speaker 1: and share. A lot of them are new to technology 722 00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:53,200 Speaker 1: investor technology and idea that oh, man, like I could 723 00:42:53,239 --> 00:42:57,799 Speaker 1: lose my money like and though like a lot of 724 00:42:57,800 --> 00:42:59,359 Speaker 1: them have a hard time really been wrapping their mind 725 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:02,160 Speaker 1: around that UM and just now kind of being pulled 726 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:05,239 Speaker 1: into it, whether they're like private equity space UM. And 727 00:43:05,280 --> 00:43:08,560 Speaker 1: so we think about like how we challenge UM from 728 00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:12,440 Speaker 1: that perspective to helping our businesses or businesses around us 729 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:15,640 Speaker 1: to get the rest they need internally so that they 730 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:19,120 Speaker 1: can build their companies. I think that that's one challenge UM. 731 00:43:19,160 --> 00:43:22,200 Speaker 1: But as we create more millionaires, and I think generally, 732 00:43:22,239 --> 00:43:26,719 Speaker 1: like our generation, as we accumulate more UM, we'll do 733 00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:29,200 Speaker 1: more by way of the generation that we were born 734 00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:32,839 Speaker 1: in and how we kind of came through society UM. 735 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:34,360 Speaker 1: And so I think that that's the only thing about 736 00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:38,480 Speaker 1: like generationally, what does wealth look like, UM, how it's 737 00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:42,080 Speaker 1: passed down, how it's held onto and then what is 738 00:43:42,239 --> 00:43:45,000 Speaker 1: the thought process around that is, it's something that oh, 739 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:47,240 Speaker 1: I'm holding wealth to pass it down to my kids 740 00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:52,160 Speaker 1: versus oh, I have wealth. So now I can ensure 741 00:43:52,680 --> 00:43:54,640 Speaker 1: I made this wealth via my company, and I want 742 00:43:54,680 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 1: to ensure that um tend other individuals become millionaires through 743 00:44:01,200 --> 00:44:03,920 Speaker 1: ensuring their companies are successful. Right. And so it also 744 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:07,280 Speaker 1: becomes like what becomes our legacy that we internally hold 745 00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:10,960 Speaker 1: around wealth in our communities, and then how do we 746 00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:14,520 Speaker 1: begin to build upon that legacy? Um And it doesn't 747 00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:18,319 Speaker 1: necessarily have to be by me exchanging money. It can 748 00:44:18,400 --> 00:44:21,799 Speaker 1: be by another form if you're if you one thing 749 00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:25,600 Speaker 1: I say about cities, right, black people opportunity and contracting 750 00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:28,359 Speaker 1: inside of cities because a lot of times, particularly these 751 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:31,040 Speaker 1: large urban cities, black people have the power of the pen. 752 00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:34,360 Speaker 1: Black people are mayors and cities, and we have to 753 00:44:34,400 --> 00:44:37,399 Speaker 1: hold them accountable to ensuring that black businesses get these 754 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:40,919 Speaker 1: contracts because that creates wealth as well. And so there's 755 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:43,239 Speaker 1: so many ways we can build wealth in our communities 756 00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:45,799 Speaker 1: by holding each other accountable and creating a playbook. And 757 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:48,000 Speaker 1: if these people don't care, you know, they don't want 758 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:50,600 Speaker 1: to do that. You you didn't vote me in here, 759 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:52,840 Speaker 1: to be honest, it's so like why do you nevers? 760 00:44:56,719 --> 00:44:58,800 Speaker 1: And so I feel like there's so many ways to 761 00:44:58,920 --> 00:45:01,279 Speaker 1: come at wealth that we just have to create this 762 00:45:01,400 --> 00:45:04,920 Speaker 1: collective um, just like planning to do it, and we 763 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:07,080 Speaker 1: gotta put the right people in the right positions to 764 00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:09,640 Speaker 1: make it happen UM. And we can't no longer as 765 00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:12,200 Speaker 1: you stay stay quiet, and we can no longer take 766 00:45:12,239 --> 00:45:15,720 Speaker 1: positions in which we are just a diversity face for company. 767 00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:20,960 Speaker 1: And so these are ways that we can incrementally help 768 00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:26,640 Speaker 1: each other feel well and begin to make a pathway 769 00:45:26,640 --> 00:45:30,680 Speaker 1: to financial freedom because financial freedom unlocked so many doors 770 00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:46,680 Speaker 1: for us in our communities. Black Tech Green Money is 771 00:45:46,680 --> 00:45:49,120 Speaker 1: a production of Black of the Afro Tech is produced 772 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:52,840 Speaker 1: by Morgan Dubonk and me Well Lucas, with additional production 773 00:45:52,880 --> 00:45:57,480 Speaker 1: supported by Love Beach, Stephaniel Bogu, Raven near Born. Special 774 00:45:57,520 --> 00:46:00,239 Speaker 1: thank you to Michael Davis, some Car savan Yan you 775 00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:02,600 Speaker 1: know like the wine and yes that's his real name, 776 00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:06,719 Speaker 1: and Karica Green. Learn more about the future Wilson and 777 00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:10,560 Speaker 1: up in tech disruptors and innovators at afrotech dot com. 778 00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:13,040 Speaker 1: Go get your money, Peace and Love. B