WEBVTT - Charles Kuykendoll, Blavity House Party 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:02.920 Afro Tech is a global gathering where inclusive tech companies 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.320 meet innovators. It's the only tech event you. 0:00:05.240 --> 0:00:05.880 Need all year. 0:00:06.080 --> 0:00:09.000 Get ready for Afrotech twenty twenty three in Austin, Texas, 0:00:09.160 --> 0:00:10.559 November first through the fifth. 0:00:10.640 --> 0:00:11.520 We built a whole. 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:13.160 Temper you can use to help you get your employer 0:00:13.200 --> 0:00:16.079 to sponsor your trip and enjoy experiences built for every 0:00:16.079 --> 0:00:18.439 stage of your career. Whether you're a college student looking 0:00:18.480 --> 0:00:20.360 for your next internship, or if you're work in a 0:00:20.480 --> 0:00:22.920 venture capital looking for your next business to invest in, 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:24.599 and if you're looking for a co founder of a 0:00:24.600 --> 0:00:26.960 people that'soin your team, there's no better place to be. 0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:29.520 The massive corporate layoffs of twenty twenty two and twenty 0:00:29.560 --> 0:00:31.720 twenty three have affected our community in a big way. 0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:33.960 An Afrotech wants to help you get back on your 0:00:33.960 --> 0:00:36.919 feet with skill development, making it easier to switch industries 0:00:36.960 --> 0:00:39.279 if that's your route. In an afro tech, you'll make 0:00:39.280 --> 0:00:42.360 connections to help you get your next opportunity. Visit afrotech 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:44.080 dot com Slash conference. 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:44.240 To learn more. 0:00:45.720 --> 0:00:48.040 I'm Will Lucas and this as Black Tech, Green Money. 0:00:49.680 --> 0:00:52.479 Charles Beloved cirtaindal is the founder at R and B 0:00:52.560 --> 0:00:55.520 House Party a unique party experience where R and B 0:00:55.640 --> 0:00:58.040 and gospel and music are at the center, bringing the 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:01.920 vibes as well as the nostalgia. Just recently, R and 0:01:01.960 --> 0:01:04.600 B a House Party was acquired by Blavity, Inc. Which 0:01:04.640 --> 0:01:08.600 is also the peering company Afrotech is rebranded as Blavity 0:01:08.600 --> 0:01:12.800 House Party. Charles comes aboard as the general Manager Community 0:01:12.800 --> 0:01:16.360 at Blavity, Charles was creating even more experiences for us 0:01:16.440 --> 0:01:20.920 to connect globally around music, networking and more. Pre used 0:01:20.920 --> 0:01:24.000 to joining Blavity, Charles was also a recruiter and had 0:01:24.080 --> 0:01:27.960 leadership roles at companies like Facebook, Play Versus, and Stripe. 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:30.720 But by nightfall, he was back on the stage in 0:01:30.800 --> 0:01:34.120 every corner of the globe curating R and B experiences. 0:01:34.959 --> 0:01:38.320 After being laid off earlier this summer, Glavity CEO Morgan 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:41.320 Debond sent them a DM that basically said, you don't 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:44.360 have to live two separate lives. Come to Blavity. 0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:49.800 Yes, So in June of this year, just a knowing 0:01:50.120 --> 0:01:54.400 what Blavity is, what has been built over time, you know, 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:58.280 it just felt like a blessing to even be considered 0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:01.760 for an opportunity to come join you guys, in house, 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:07.120 but the novice thinking that I had to think that 0:02:07.200 --> 0:02:09.040 it was only gonna be just for what I had 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:12.679 proven to do from like a talent acquisition space to 0:02:12.800 --> 0:02:16.280 date and not the product that you know, we had 0:02:16.320 --> 0:02:18.639 been building myself in Kareem over some years and have 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:24.280 partners successfully with blvity on for so many, so many years. 0:02:24.320 --> 0:02:27.480 So when it became clear that the opportunity that was 0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:30.560 being presented was an acquisition, I think. 0:02:30.400 --> 0:02:33.920 That it a blew my mind. But be put me and. 0:02:33.960 --> 0:02:36.480 My business partner in the space to say, not only 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:40.040 is this like incredible for us as founders and what 0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:42.760 that looks like, but be like to be able to 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:46.560 join forces with this company, like this was the right company. 0:02:46.639 --> 0:02:51.600 So it was really exciting and should Knight got it done? 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:54.760 Jada, because it's so interesting to me because you know, 0:02:54.919 --> 0:02:57.639 coming to Blavity, like my experience like on day one, 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:00.600 like being in slack on this one black really slack, 0:03:01.000 --> 0:03:03.880 it's super black, and you get the memes, you get 0:03:03.919 --> 0:03:06.440 the jokes, like you get all the things, and you've 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:09.560 talked about having the code switch in your corporate career, 0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:12.080 so like, what what has that experience been like knowing 0:03:12.080 --> 0:03:14.280 that you can bring your full self. You can be 0:03:14.280 --> 0:03:15.560 beloved over here. 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:20.200 Yeah yeah, like and the intriguing party is beloved is 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:21.360 signed to bloviting. 0:03:21.400 --> 0:03:25.200 Now I'm really my authentic self. 0:03:25.840 --> 0:03:30.160 But what was interesting to me to see now having 0:03:30.280 --> 0:03:32.320 been a part of the company for going on a month, 0:03:32.720 --> 0:03:37.960 what's the incredible infrastructure that has built the culture that. 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:38.680 Is built here. 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:43.160 And I'm just a fan, like I'm in slack and 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:44.520 I'm even feeling like, hey. 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:46.120 Am im too corporate. 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:52.640 Meme And it's really because people are just like being 0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:55.920 the authentic self. The level of depth of conversation that 0:03:55.960 --> 0:03:58.600 I've even seen take place on political issues and things. 0:03:58.600 --> 0:03:59.920 And I'm from. 0:04:00.040 --> 0:04:04.120 I'll go it's a place where hey, MJ said, Republicans 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:05.720 are democrats by shooting. 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:09.800 That is that is my line of thinking. 0:04:10.560 --> 0:04:12.960 But to just see the depth of conversation that has 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:16.320 taken place in this organization, it's just been beautiful, Like 0:04:16.480 --> 0:04:17.440 people feel heard. 0:04:18.120 --> 0:04:20.160 It's just an incredible company Like. 0:04:20.120 --> 0:04:22.320 That is one of the things that I felt like 0:04:22.360 --> 0:04:23.920 I knew, but I didn't really know. 0:04:23.920 --> 0:04:24.760 Until I joined. 0:04:24.880 --> 0:04:27.880 I understand And before we talk about the business, I 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:30.120 want to get into the beginning of your journey here, 0:04:30.160 --> 0:04:33.120 because if anybody has seen you on stage, they can 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:36.599 tell that guy has directed a choir before. And you've 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:38.960 talked about this, and it makes me think, and I've 0:04:38.960 --> 0:04:41.040 said this before on this podcast, my favorite quote from 0:04:41.080 --> 0:04:44.480 Steve Jobs, which says, you can't connect the dots looking forward. 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:47.320 You can only connect the dots looking backward. And so 0:04:47.360 --> 0:04:49.600 when you look back at your life, you can see, oh, 0:04:50.080 --> 0:04:51.880 now I know why I did that, so I can 0:04:51.920 --> 0:04:54.960 do this. And so can you talk about how that 0:04:55.080 --> 0:04:58.320 journey from being a kid in the black church directing 0:04:58.400 --> 0:05:01.240 the choir enables you to do what you do today. 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:03.719 No, that's a great question. 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:08.360 And you know I didn't realize and I won't say 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:10.960 that I won't be a pastor. People are on my 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:14.520 comments saying that that's inevitable future. 0:05:16.000 --> 0:05:18.200 My dad is a pastor. I'm leaving that all to him. 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:21.599 But you know, directing the high school choir the entire time, 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:27.520 and then going to college primarily white institution, who had 0:05:27.560 --> 0:05:30.400 a gospel choir and was able to like step in 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:32.960 and lead that choir for another four years. 0:05:33.320 --> 0:05:36.080 I was heavy into like music production. 0:05:35.880 --> 0:05:38.800 And I thought I was gonna, you know, be a 0:05:38.839 --> 0:05:40.840 famous I don't want to say singer because I know 0:05:40.920 --> 0:05:45.240 people who could really sing. I'm not a famous background singer, 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:48.920 like I knew my space, and then I just let 0:05:48.960 --> 0:05:52.320 all of that passion and music, that love for bringing 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:55.360 people together to the wayside, you know what I mean. 0:05:55.400 --> 0:05:58.200 I just attend church, and the hecticness of our lives 0:05:58.240 --> 0:06:00.800 didn't allow me to like continue being acquired director. But 0:06:00.839 --> 0:06:03.720 who knew this medium of r and being music you 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:06.880 can still kind of like bring that level of ministry 0:06:06.960 --> 0:06:09.320 and how people feel in the way that they feel 0:06:09.560 --> 0:06:12.280 leaving church, which is to be uplifted, which is to 0:06:12.920 --> 0:06:15.560 you know, be inspired, and that is all that we 0:06:15.560 --> 0:06:18.720 were trying to do at the now. You know, formerly 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:24.159 I call myself the artist formally, and what we will 0:06:24.200 --> 0:06:27.920 continue to do through Blaviting House party bring that level 0:06:27.960 --> 0:06:30.919 of inclusiveness and that level of community. So I didn't 0:06:30.920 --> 0:06:35.240 even know it that the church was grooming this opportunity 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:37.599 to kind of be in the seat of like a 0:06:37.640 --> 0:06:39.839 community gatherer or community organizer. 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:42.440 But I'm very thankful for that. And be on key, 0:06:42.760 --> 0:06:47.560 don't come to correct. 0:06:49.200 --> 0:06:55.920 Somebody's off in soprano section with the sopranos flat. So 0:06:55.920 --> 0:06:58.240 so when I think about you know, there's a story 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:00.599 you told about having to learn how to host, because 0:07:00.600 --> 0:07:02.920 it's one thing that's different about just being a hype 0:07:02.960 --> 0:07:05.520 man on stage and yelling out a bunch of cool stuff, 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:08.360 but learning how to actually create a narrative of the night, 0:07:08.640 --> 0:07:11.440 create movement to the party. Can you talk to me 0:07:11.520 --> 0:07:15.920 about learning how to create these moments during a party? 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:17.800 To us, you found success where a lot of people 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:20.480 have tried. They just party promoters and it's a lit party, 0:07:20.840 --> 0:07:22.400 but they've not been able to have the type of 0:07:22.400 --> 0:07:23.280 success you've had. 0:07:24.680 --> 0:07:29.040 So I really just replicated church. And there's an arc 0:07:29.320 --> 0:07:32.760 to every church service. You have typically the beginning praise 0:07:32.800 --> 0:07:36.360 and worship, and they set in the tune for like choir, 0:07:36.680 --> 0:07:38.680 and then they're going up a notch, and then you 0:07:38.720 --> 0:07:41.120 get to the sermon, which again is high, but. 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:42.120 It's also low. 0:07:42.480 --> 0:07:44.600 But then they build up their sermon to end on 0:07:44.680 --> 0:07:48.680 like a crescendo of shouting praise or an organ going 0:07:49.120 --> 0:07:51.640 they're tithes and off a mixture. You know they're not 0:07:51.720 --> 0:07:54.720 on a high too, and then they get out of there. 0:07:55.080 --> 0:08:00.000 And so I was just over talking. When I first 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:03.880 started out, I did not understand how to translate this movement, 0:08:03.920 --> 0:08:07.280 which is choir directing, where I didn't have the microphone 0:08:08.040 --> 0:08:09.920 into where to pick my spots. 0:08:09.960 --> 0:08:12.120 And then that was when it became. 0:08:11.920 --> 0:08:15.200 Clear and I had hired previous hosts, and I just 0:08:15.200 --> 0:08:17.320 felt like the vibe wasn't the same as when I 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:19.480 did it. And then I had even like brought in 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:22.600 artists and things, and I didn't in my opinion, the 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:26.080 artists had done very very well. But patrons will respond 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:28.040 on our page and say, hey, we prefer the party 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:31.520 with just you. Then that was a nice to have, 0:08:31.640 --> 0:08:33.520 And I was like, wait a minute, Okay, we really 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:36.400 need to like lock in and understand what this experience 0:08:36.520 --> 0:08:39.800 is for the people and continue and consistently deliver that. 0:08:39.880 --> 0:08:43.360 So what that ultimately looked like was us building a 0:08:43.440 --> 0:08:47.319 crescendo of moments, us taking you on a musical journey. 0:08:47.400 --> 0:08:50.599 Not to not certain songs too early, you know what 0:08:50.640 --> 0:08:50.920 I mean. 0:08:50.960 --> 0:08:53.280 It just build up to a point where we're doing 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:56.319 that sing along where we're on that nostalgic moment of 0:08:56.360 --> 0:08:59.640 you and your tens, your twenties of Terrence J and 0:08:59.720 --> 0:09:01.720 Rocks on one O six in Park, or if you 0:09:01.720 --> 0:09:03.800 were older like me, you know what I mean, freeing 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:06.599 age one Park and all the songs that you have 0:09:06.760 --> 0:09:09.720 memorized because we were all at home together, like bringing 0:09:09.760 --> 0:09:13.360 you to that moment and then you know, get getting 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:14.880 you out of there on a high note, you know, 0:09:14.960 --> 0:09:17.520 going gospel. So it was important to like learn what 0:09:17.559 --> 0:09:20.199 that looked like and to understand that you could control 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:24.000 the vibe of the party without speaking. And that's when 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:26.000 it went back to that choir director mindset. So it 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:29.680 was like picking spots, let them do the talking. 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:32.199 I choose to like pick and choose. 0:09:32.240 --> 0:09:35.080 Now it's about like forty five minutes that I'm really 0:09:35.120 --> 0:09:37.640 trying to heavily be on the mic, But early on 0:09:37.720 --> 0:09:40.120 it's like greeting people like your ushers. I go around 0:09:40.600 --> 0:09:44.000 every party, you know, back when we were first starting out, 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:45.480 and even now we still do it. 0:09:45.559 --> 0:09:46.080 My wife and I. 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:48.160 We meet everybody, we say thank you so much for 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:50.360 coming out, the same way you would at church, make 0:09:50.400 --> 0:09:53.520 them feel welcomed at home. People don't ask me these questions, 0:09:53.520 --> 0:09:56.400 so this is great. But secondarily, we used to do 0:09:56.440 --> 0:09:58.400 it because we didn't want them to leave. Because if 0:09:58.400 --> 0:10:00.000 you had like a group of four that didn't think 0:10:00.120 --> 0:10:02.280 the party was going to be popping, and they left. 0:10:02.200 --> 0:10:03.840 Yeah, yeah, that's right. 0:10:06.280 --> 0:10:07.360 Stay Yeah. 0:10:07.559 --> 0:10:11.000 As a mechanism but now it's just you set you usher, 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:13.880 feeling the bob early on to get people to have 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:15.320 self facilitate the party. 0:10:15.760 --> 0:10:17.480 I love that because you know, I'm one of those 0:10:17.480 --> 0:10:19.400 people when I go to an event, like I'm looking 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:21.800 at the logistics if I'm looking at the tresses that's 0:10:21.800 --> 0:10:24.040 holding the lights, and you know how they weren't in 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:26.560 the wires? Are the wires? Neat are they just ran 0:10:26.679 --> 0:10:28.840 up there? And I was paying attention to you. I 0:10:28.880 --> 0:10:31.440 was on stage last year afro Tech for the while 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:34.800 at Andrew Hill, and so I'm watching you on stage 0:10:35.240 --> 0:10:39.000 and I'm paying attention to the level of excellence and 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:42.240 perfection that you were operating in. And there was as 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:45.800 an attendee, they wouldn't notice that a certain drop didn't 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:48.000 land when you wanted it to land. But I saw 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:51.559 you go off on the DJ. No shade to the DJ. 0:10:52.200 --> 0:10:56.160 But I'm watching you like here's things and see things. 0:10:59.400 --> 0:11:03.000 I'm watching you like, you know, getting ready to go 0:11:03.080 --> 0:11:05.680 in because you you're noticing things. And this is gonna 0:11:05.720 --> 0:11:07.040 lead to a question. I don't know what the question is, 0:11:07.080 --> 0:11:08.920 but I just want you to speak to this, like 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:12.240 what are you seeing in or what are you feeling? 0:11:12.320 --> 0:11:15.600 In the space that says, you know what, bro, you 0:11:15.640 --> 0:11:17.480 gotta feel me because this is there's something about the 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:20.000 preacher like you got to know when the organ should drive, 0:11:20.240 --> 0:11:21.800 and you got to know when the organ is supposed 0:11:21.840 --> 0:11:23.960 to drive, and so he speak to this. 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:29.239 So, you know, six or seven years into curating these spaces, 0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:34.480 like it's to get to that point where you feel 0:11:35.000 --> 0:11:39.520 highly likely that almost every person, almost like every single person, 0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:42.080 almost every person in that event is going to have 0:11:42.120 --> 0:11:44.720 a great time. That build up, you got to hit 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:47.960 the marks to get that build up, to build that nostalgia, 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:52.719 and so I'm extremely meticulous when it comes to that. 0:11:52.840 --> 0:11:55.240 And when we think about the future of livet the 0:11:55.280 --> 0:11:58.280 house party and the music festival, Like even that Afrotech 0:11:58.320 --> 0:11:59.600 event that you're mentioning. 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:01.920 I lost my voice. I was supposed to host the 0:12:02.040 --> 0:12:02.440 entire night. 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:05.640 I couldn't, but it actually unlocked something that you know, 0:12:06.520 --> 0:12:08.800 I hadn't leaned into heavily, which was like being an 0:12:08.920 --> 0:12:09.880 executive producer. 0:12:09.920 --> 0:12:12.840 I pretty much eped that event. 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:16.200 And now along with the Blavity team, we're excited to 0:12:16.280 --> 0:12:21.439 executive produce this festival for everybody that's locked into culture, 0:12:21.480 --> 0:12:26.680 that's locked into the musicality, musicality and the diverse, you know, 0:12:26.840 --> 0:12:30.960 plate of songs and artistry that we all have grown 0:12:31.000 --> 0:12:34.320 to love. So that level of meticulousness that I was 0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:37.240 bringing to R and B House Party, Like, it's a 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:41.199 level of meticulousness that Afrotech has with all of. 0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:42.520 The events in the Wilde event. 0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:46.280 There's level of meticulousness that you have with this podcast 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:49.520 in your posting on stage. So I think that we 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:52.320 really really fit well with each other to you know, 0:12:52.840 --> 0:12:55.400 understand the needs and put the people at the forthfile. 0:12:55.440 --> 0:12:58.080 It wasn't about my ego. It was about making sure 0:12:58.080 --> 0:12:59.600 that we gave the people what they wanted. 0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:07.280 When I was sorry, nobody was like you were going off, 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:10.240 But if you were on stage, you saw I saw it. 0:13:10.559 --> 0:13:11.080 I saw it. 0:13:11.280 --> 0:13:13.280 I fell for him a little bit, I'm like, but yeah, 0:13:13.280 --> 0:13:14.720 but he took it like a champ. He took it 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:15.200 like a chimp. 0:13:16.320 --> 0:13:16.920 He's just. 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:21.360 And so one of the things, and I do encourage 0:13:21.360 --> 0:13:24.520 everybody who is not listening to your podcast with Morgan 0:13:24.520 --> 0:13:28.040 Debond on the Journey that you should go listen to 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:30.040 that podcast because you talk about some things. I'm not 0:13:30.040 --> 0:13:31.720 going to step on those questions, but there are things 0:13:31.720 --> 0:13:34.560 I want to follow on to. But you talked about 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:37.200 getting acquired and having to learn how to get acquired, 0:13:37.240 --> 0:13:41.320 and most people, if you ever get acquired, it happens 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:43.240 once in your life, and so it's kind of one 0:13:43.240 --> 0:13:44.880 of those things that you got to do right and 0:13:44.920 --> 0:13:47.320 you're only going to do it one time ever, And 0:13:47.360 --> 0:13:50.720 so how did you learn how to get acquired? So 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:53.600 you were asking the right questions, the right call outs 0:13:53.640 --> 0:13:56.240 in the contract, were picking your interest in et cetera. 0:13:57.240 --> 0:14:01.120 So first I was respectful smart enough to know what 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:03.480 I did not know, and we put together that's me 0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:05.920 and Kareem, my business partner for our house party c 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:10.880 or A team. Uh he has his NBA. I graduated, 0:14:11.120 --> 0:14:13.240 but we were like no, no, no, no, no. You see 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:16.720 what's called a due diligence checklist and it was the 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:22.520 most robust, in depth but naked document I have ever 0:14:22.680 --> 0:14:25.720 had to fill out my life. 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:26.720 Like you know. 0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:30.160 I actually got a chance to meet Wasser, who is 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:35.680 the chief business officer here, maybe a week into being acquired. 0:14:35.960 --> 0:14:37.960 He was like, hey, Charles, nice to meet you. I said, no, 0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:41.240 it's not nice to meet you. You know everything my 0:14:41.360 --> 0:14:45.800 social Security numbers give me. But that's the level of 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:49.600 depth that you had to go into. And so the 0:14:49.680 --> 0:14:52.080 team that I put together, I'll give some per sistent people. No, 0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:55.680 my account want played a huge role in the acquisition. 0:14:56.720 --> 0:15:00.640 My lawyer, my my counsel played a huge role in 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:04.120 the acquisition in terms of breadlining and getting and explaining 0:15:04.160 --> 0:15:07.840 all of the legal terms from all the different contracting components. 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:09.200 And then I had an. 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:13.400 Acquisition consultant who was able to do research on like 0:15:13.560 --> 0:15:16.960 what this acquisition looks like, what comps look like, and 0:15:17.000 --> 0:15:18.720 all of that for us to be able to properly 0:15:19.160 --> 0:15:21.840 valuate what we thought the brand was worth on the 0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:24.640 asset was worth. And then obviously we had conversations with 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:26.920 Poverty about where they thought the asset was worked in 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:29.520 Lower air Landed and then coming to the middle of 0:15:29.840 --> 0:15:32.000 how we both can walk away from this fielding real 0:15:32.040 --> 0:15:33.120 good about moving forward. 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:37.520 So you mentioned, you know, when you first started to 0:15:37.520 --> 0:15:40.840 brost these conversations, like your business was kind of all over, 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:43.600 like your documents were everywhere. Things were not because you 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:46.200 weren't planning to be acquired. You weren't building a business 0:15:46.200 --> 0:15:49.880 to be acquired. Talbot talk about the bridge between having 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:52.480 stuff all over the place to having it in a 0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:54.400 format that you can actually deliver it. 0:15:55.240 --> 0:15:59.120 Yeah, so the term is called data will and shout 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:02.520 out to my account USAIO, a big copple of account. 0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:03.960 He might have listed his name, but you could look 0:16:04.000 --> 0:16:05.640 at Mosiah. 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:08.120 He had been preaching to me about a data room 0:16:08.240 --> 0:16:14.040 for multiple years. But being CEO slash host, which are 0:16:14.080 --> 0:16:17.400 two completely different whole side has me on the road 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:22.600 literally seventy percent of every weekend, I will and CEO 0:16:22.760 --> 0:16:25.760 side the planning of the events. Like I'm very very 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:28.760 much in the weeds. From the experience standpoint as well. 0:16:29.520 --> 0:16:33.640 That type of stuff, I don't really care. But when 0:16:33.680 --> 0:16:36.600 it came to, you know, a company doing their due 0:16:36.600 --> 0:16:38.680 diligence on you, I wish I would have cared when 0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:41.360 he told me to care two years ago, and had 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:44.440 that stuff in order, and had all of our partners outline, 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:48.400 and had all of our you know, P and L 0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:51.480 in order gross versus net and all of that. What 0:16:51.600 --> 0:16:54.800 I really cared about, what my business partner really cared about, 0:16:54.880 --> 0:16:56.760 was our net profit because that was what we were 0:16:56.800 --> 0:17:00.560 able to take home our business partners. But gross top line, 0:17:00.560 --> 0:17:04.440 that is a very important metric for companies, and we 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:08.359 were oftentimes not you know, leaning into doing things that 0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:10.560 we're going to help us at the top line, but 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:13.040 doing things that we're going to, you know, help us 0:17:13.080 --> 0:17:14.560 from a net profit perspective. 0:17:14.560 --> 0:17:15.640 So just really. 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:18.440 Understanding that balance with something that we needed to do, 0:17:18.520 --> 0:17:21.280 and we just had to get our business in order. 0:17:21.359 --> 0:17:22.520 There the very quickly. 0:17:22.640 --> 0:17:25.920 The bill took place very quick, but we were both 0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:28.240 motivated to make it happen. But I would just say 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:32.240 to somebody who was even starting out their entrepreneurial journey, 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:34.840 had get your ROC now, get your business credit card. 0:17:34.880 --> 0:17:36.760 Now, don't file. 0:17:36.600 --> 0:17:39.800 Your taxes as an individual, like have your entity separate 0:17:39.800 --> 0:17:40.440 from your person. 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:42.600 It was a mess four or five years ago. 0:17:42.680 --> 0:17:45.919 Then it got better after I paid the government a 0:17:45.920 --> 0:17:48.240 lot of money, but it still wasn't to the level 0:17:48.240 --> 0:17:50.199 that it needed to be for like an acquisition. 0:17:50.320 --> 0:17:53.440 So I would just say, take care of your business. 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:58.159 Yeah, you are very much R and B House Party, 0:17:58.200 --> 0:18:01.439 and therefore you are very much Blackvity House Party like 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:04.760 you're It's kind of like the acquisition of a personal brand. 0:18:04.800 --> 0:18:07.199 Because you talked about when you were building R and 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:10.320 B House Party befre that people were going to the 0:18:10.320 --> 0:18:12.040 party because they wanted to know if you were there, 0:18:12.600 --> 0:18:15.600 and so when you're being acquired. You know, I've talked 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:18.120 to so many founders who are who will talk about 0:18:18.160 --> 0:18:20.480 the dismay of being a when you're the when you're 0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:22.800 the face of it, how hard that is to sell 0:18:22.840 --> 0:18:26.119 it because you're a human being. Can you talk about 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:28.360 and you still have other things? I mean, you've got 0:18:28.400 --> 0:18:30.359 you know for better best podcast that you're still a 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:34.359 personal brand and so can you talk about the pathway 0:18:34.840 --> 0:18:41.320 for very much a personality driven brand in an acquisition 0:18:41.440 --> 0:18:42.600 type of landscape. 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:47.760 Yeah, so I think that in an acquisition landscape, the 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:51.000 personal brand it's actually worked in my favor. And it 0:18:51.119 --> 0:18:55.160 worked in my favor because you know, Blavity Morgan executive 0:18:55.200 --> 0:18:59.199 team could see me fitting into the culture. This was 0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:01.879 just going to be I said, purchase agreement hard stop, 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:05.120 thank you for what you did before. Now we take 0:19:05.160 --> 0:19:07.479 it to the next level independent of view. You know, 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:11.880 that is what could have been the call out if 0:19:11.920 --> 0:19:15.760 the personality or the person didn't fit with the overall 0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:19.040 company's brand value. So I'm just appreciative and grateful that 0:19:19.080 --> 0:19:21.639 they saw, you know, who I was, you know, in 0:19:21.640 --> 0:19:24.720 my previous roles as a leader in tech across recruiting 0:19:24.800 --> 0:19:26.040 and the partnerships. 0:19:26.200 --> 0:19:28.240 They saw that as a value add to an organization. 0:19:28.800 --> 0:19:32.680 How I operated as a CEO to manage my business 0:19:32.680 --> 0:19:36.360 and secure brand partnerships and you know, to mortgage point say, 0:19:36.800 --> 0:19:38.600 one of the hardest work of people that she's met, 0:19:38.600 --> 0:19:41.639 which is a compliment, but you know, a second nature 0:19:41.680 --> 0:19:44.280 to me because I really really cared, cared about all 0:19:44.320 --> 0:19:47.240 the things that I did in tech to enable people 0:19:47.280 --> 0:19:49.760 to get jobs. I cared about every experience that we 0:19:49.880 --> 0:19:52.679 curated with the R and B House Party, and so 0:19:52.720 --> 0:19:55.320 it made a lot of sense to bring the person 0:19:55.440 --> 0:19:58.119 with the brand. And I'm just really excited about what 0:19:58.160 --> 0:20:01.560 the future looks like. You know, now being under the umbrella, 0:20:01.560 --> 0:20:04.040 I feel like there's an army, you know, what happens, 0:20:04.680 --> 0:20:08.199 all aligned to create these experiences for people, versus just me, 0:20:08.400 --> 0:20:11.080 my business partner and the great, great, great team that 0:20:11.160 --> 0:20:11.919 helped build R and. 0:20:11.920 --> 0:20:14.560 B House Party or what it was, and now being 0:20:14.640 --> 0:20:17.919 the director of Community of Blavity. So there had to 0:20:17.920 --> 0:20:21.360 be conversations around, Okay, there's there could be one day 0:20:21.400 --> 0:20:23.840 where Charles is not the guy out there on stage 0:20:24.040 --> 0:20:27.040 one day, So how do you continue to build this 0:20:27.119 --> 0:20:31.360 thing so where you're still a so where you can 0:20:31.480 --> 0:20:33.960 build in the in the interim, like this is based 0:20:33.960 --> 0:20:37.360 on Charles Beloved, you know, coming along, but there's there's 0:20:37.400 --> 0:20:41.280 a day two years, five years, twenty years away that 0:20:41.520 --> 0:20:42.679 it's not going to be Charles. 0:20:43.800 --> 0:20:45.880 Yeah, and that makes that makes a lot of sense. 0:20:45.920 --> 0:20:49.040 And it's already not Charles. This is Glavity House Party. 0:20:49.320 --> 0:20:52.320 And that even you know, to some degree, had to 0:20:52.359 --> 0:20:55.880 be an ego cham Like, this is not Charles's baby anymore. 0:20:55.920 --> 0:20:59.960 This is Glavity House Party. We're opening up the demographic 0:21:00.200 --> 0:21:03.679 of you know, people that fall under what we're looking 0:21:03.720 --> 0:21:05.080 for from our experiences. 0:21:05.119 --> 0:21:06.840 From an inclusive standpoint. 0:21:06.480 --> 0:21:09.680 It was a silo community that we were trying to 0:21:09.720 --> 0:21:12.119 really attract. Now we've opened that up and we think 0:21:12.200 --> 0:21:15.680 that with the things that we're able to do, everybody 0:21:15.720 --> 0:21:18.440 can benefit and have a great time at the experiences 0:21:18.480 --> 0:21:21.719 that we ultimately curate. But in this seat now it's 0:21:21.800 --> 0:21:25.520 general maiged community. It's really all about the community. It's 0:21:25.520 --> 0:21:29.000 about the community of DJs that exist that we can 0:21:29.040 --> 0:21:31.639 amplify through the things that we do. It's the community 0:21:31.640 --> 0:21:34.960 of hosts who have so many different styles that can 0:21:35.200 --> 0:21:37.920 add value to the events that we care about to do. 0:21:38.280 --> 0:21:41.000 It is the community of music and the diversity of 0:21:41.160 --> 0:21:43.520 music have been gone and done events and Ghana. You 0:21:43.520 --> 0:21:45.560 gotta me feel like I'm preaching. I told you'll can 0:21:45.560 --> 0:21:48.480 build it up, you know what I mean. I'm an 0:21:48.520 --> 0:21:52.280 Afro peace the great game. My wife is you know, 0:21:52.359 --> 0:21:55.520 from Antigua and Jamaica, what type of music do they love? 0:21:55.760 --> 0:21:56.600 Soca and all that. 0:21:57.880 --> 0:22:02.320 I'm anovilist, But to celebrate all of those cultures in 0:22:02.359 --> 0:22:05.160 the constructs of what's to come, you know what I mean. 0:22:05.200 --> 0:22:07.240 But still having that r and beat, you know, that's 0:22:07.280 --> 0:22:08.800 my bread and butt of that gospel. 0:22:08.920 --> 0:22:10.720 Yeah, that's my bread and But we want to open 0:22:10.760 --> 0:22:11.040 it up. 0:22:11.080 --> 0:22:14.080 And so I'm excited that in this role, you know, 0:22:14.200 --> 0:22:18.560 we will have the opportunity to ultimately create new avenues 0:22:18.760 --> 0:22:22.400 and highlight other people. It is no longer the beloved show, 0:22:22.560 --> 0:22:24.080 and I'm really excited about what that. 0:22:24.040 --> 0:22:24.560 Could look like. 0:22:25.560 --> 0:22:28.200 There's this quote I found that I'm going to read back, 0:22:28.280 --> 0:22:30.320 and it's something you said a couple of years ago, 0:22:30.560 --> 0:22:34.760 and it made sense because speaking to what we're talking 0:22:34.760 --> 0:22:37.360 about today, and you said, the biggest challenge that I've 0:22:37.359 --> 0:22:39.800 had to overcome was fear. I think a lot of us, 0:22:39.800 --> 0:22:42.720 myself included approach problems with a high level of caution. 0:22:43.320 --> 0:22:45.760 When you overcome that fear and try something new, you 0:22:45.800 --> 0:22:47.960 get a whole new perspective and a whole different set 0:22:47.960 --> 0:22:51.800 of learnings and options become available because you tried. But 0:22:51.840 --> 0:22:54.320 if you just never actually step out on faith and 0:22:54.480 --> 0:22:57.320 actually do something where you already know what not doing 0:22:57.359 --> 0:23:00.560 looks like. So overcoming fear is something very very hard 0:23:00.600 --> 0:23:04.280 to do. That's something you said, Yeah, yeah, you said that. Wow, 0:23:08.840 --> 0:23:11.159 So you said that, and so I want to I 0:23:11.160 --> 0:23:14.879 want to bring that that quote up under the guise 0:23:15.040 --> 0:23:18.600 of getting acquired, because there's you know, when you're building 0:23:18.640 --> 0:23:21.480 a company, particularly a lifestyle thing, to whereas you you 0:23:21.520 --> 0:23:23.240 may have some of your homies, some of your people 0:23:23.240 --> 0:23:25.400 that grew up with you working with you, and then 0:23:25.480 --> 0:23:27.840 somebody wants it. You're like, there's a part of you, 0:23:27.840 --> 0:23:29.920 this side that wants the bag. Yeah, but there's also 0:23:29.920 --> 0:23:32.679 a part that's like romantic about the thing that you built. 0:23:33.280 --> 0:23:37.200 You're like, this is my baby. And so that fear 0:23:37.400 --> 0:23:41.080 that what is that internal dialogue like where you're like, yeah, 0:23:40.680 --> 0:23:43.920 I like the number you presented me with, but how 0:23:44.000 --> 0:23:46.360 am I going to let go of this thing? 0:23:47.520 --> 0:23:48.040 Mm hmmm. 0:23:48.680 --> 0:23:52.960 So to that end, it was important that I actually 0:23:53.040 --> 0:23:57.240 heavily leaned on where that initial quote came from, which is, 0:23:57.280 --> 0:23:59.320 you know, the birth of R and B House party 0:23:59.359 --> 0:24:01.840 and the fear that came of doing something new, or 0:24:01.840 --> 0:24:04.520 the fear that came with the career change from working 0:24:04.520 --> 0:24:08.080 in finance to you know, taking an agency recruiter job 0:24:08.160 --> 0:24:10.600 that paid me less than my internships when I was 0:24:10.880 --> 0:24:14.280 you know, five years into my career. I leaned on that, 0:24:14.320 --> 0:24:17.120 and it was if we look at the brand five 0:24:17.200 --> 0:24:19.120 years from now, and I look at my career five 0:24:19.200 --> 0:24:22.399 years from now, I know what this path looks like. 0:24:23.000 --> 0:24:26.480 I mean, tech was laid off that there were another roles. 0:24:26.520 --> 0:24:29.280 There were other opportunities that could come. You get you know, 0:24:29.320 --> 0:24:32.320 your marginal increase in salary, you get a higher level 0:24:32.680 --> 0:24:36.119 that equity package increasing slightly. But then there was like 0:24:36.240 --> 0:24:38.879 this other path of being a P and L owner, 0:24:38.920 --> 0:24:42.080 being general manager community, doing things that are literally the 0:24:42.119 --> 0:24:45.960 most authentic to the twenty four hour charles of the 0:24:46.119 --> 0:24:49.320 entire day and learning under the tutelage of a Morgan 0:24:49.359 --> 0:24:52.159 Debond and a small White and you know, being on 0:24:52.240 --> 0:24:55.880 the back end of afrotech that I love as a product, 0:24:55.920 --> 0:25:00.560 Like what does five years of that look so personally 0:25:00.560 --> 0:25:03.399 hate when people say it wasn't about the money that 0:25:03.680 --> 0:25:04.040 let me. 0:25:04.000 --> 0:25:08.919 Be clear, I would fix my mouth to say that. 0:25:09.359 --> 0:25:11.520 But the value pop for me for us to be 0:25:11.600 --> 0:25:15.080 able to get to the finish line was the money, 0:25:15.280 --> 0:25:19.560 honestly with secondary for me, what me and my business 0:25:19.560 --> 0:25:23.800 partner were extremely after was knowing like, hey, there's some 0:25:24.000 --> 0:25:25.959 point we're not gonna be able to do this experience 0:25:26.040 --> 0:25:28.680 in the way that it was, and that means it's 0:25:28.680 --> 0:25:31.119 either gonna phase out, that means that we're gonna have 0:25:31.160 --> 0:25:33.280 to shift it. But there was a shift that was 0:25:33.280 --> 0:25:35.760 going to need to ultimately take place. And what better 0:25:35.800 --> 0:25:38.399 way for that to have taken place than an opportunity 0:25:38.440 --> 0:25:40.880 for our community to be able to get this experience 0:25:40.920 --> 0:25:45.359 on a ten X level of a music festival and 0:25:45.359 --> 0:25:49.240 then secondarily from a career side, the role was just 0:25:49.520 --> 0:25:52.200 literally from day one, the minute that you mentioned it, 0:25:52.520 --> 0:25:55.560 where I saw as the next step for my life, 0:25:55.640 --> 0:25:57.400 my career that the role was a yes. 0:25:57.440 --> 0:25:59.560 From the first call, it was getting through all the 0:25:59.600 --> 0:26:00.000 other people. 0:26:00.920 --> 0:26:03.600 So talk to me about you said, this deal happened quick, 0:26:03.680 --> 0:26:06.920 So talk to me like, what, like what the milestones 0:26:07.000 --> 0:26:09.879 look like when you're putting from that first DM to 0:26:09.960 --> 0:26:11.920 the day where you both signed off. 0:26:12.359 --> 0:26:14.560 What does that? What do those mile markers look like? 0:26:15.800 --> 0:26:19.000 Yeah, so initially you know the conversation. Then it was like, Okay, 0:26:19.080 --> 0:26:22.040 we're going to figure this out. I'll introduce you to 0:26:22.160 --> 0:26:24.679 my cheap business off for Sir watsap, and then he 0:26:24.760 --> 0:26:27.840 sent the due diligence checklist. So I was like quite 0:26:28.240 --> 0:26:31.040 quite quiet on social for a while, but because I 0:26:31.119 --> 0:26:34.080 was literally putting in twenty four hour days to get 0:26:34.119 --> 0:26:36.520 all of that stuff together. So it took about a 0:26:36.520 --> 0:26:40.399 week of many sleepless nights on my accountant, myself, my 0:26:40.440 --> 0:26:45.080 business partner are consultant to figure out all the documents 0:26:45.080 --> 0:26:46.760 that needed to be in place to be able to 0:26:46.800 --> 0:26:49.640 present back so that Blobary could then do their due 0:26:49.640 --> 0:26:51.880 diligence to see if this was something that they did 0:26:51.960 --> 0:26:57.399 actually want, and so went through that the NBA and 0:26:57.440 --> 0:27:00.520 then from that point we were able to trying to 0:27:00.560 --> 0:27:05.439 transition into actually determining what the value of the asset 0:27:05.600 --> 0:27:09.359 was and negotiations. Negotiations took a while because this was 0:27:09.440 --> 0:27:12.240 quite the complex deal A because it was going to 0:27:12.280 --> 0:27:15.399 include an employment contract for me, meaning that there was 0:27:15.440 --> 0:27:17.919 not going to be Charles doing his tech job, and 0:27:17.960 --> 0:27:18.960 then this on the side. 0:27:19.040 --> 0:27:21.440 This was now going to be my full time role. 0:27:22.119 --> 0:27:24.640 I have a lot of things happening as Charles Beloved 0:27:24.680 --> 0:27:27.840 the influencer, and then there was a separation that needed 0:27:27.880 --> 0:27:31.280 to take place between Charles Beloved the talent and Charles 0:27:31.359 --> 0:27:33.760 Beloved the host of R and B House Party, in 0:27:33.760 --> 0:27:36.920 which I used R and B House Party interchangeably with 0:27:37.000 --> 0:27:40.280 myself since I went to every event under the construct 0:27:40.320 --> 0:27:41.800 of the now Blobbery House Party. 0:27:42.240 --> 0:27:44.159 My role is to produce it. 0:27:44.240 --> 0:27:46.719 But not necessarily be talent at it, and so we 0:27:46.800 --> 0:27:49.280 had to like segment those two and then price out 0:27:49.520 --> 0:27:52.480 what that looked like and then that I said, outside 0:27:52.560 --> 0:27:56.240 of me being a talent. So it was extremely complex 0:27:56.320 --> 0:28:00.560 to make all these different pieces make sense. That part 0:28:00.680 --> 0:28:04.840 probably took an additional week and a half, but we 0:28:04.840 --> 0:28:08.040 were I mean, Morgan was working twenty four seven. Whys 0:28:08.280 --> 0:28:10.080 was working twenty four seven because I would take me 0:28:10.400 --> 0:28:12.119 a few days to come back, and I'm sure she 0:28:12.320 --> 0:28:15.719 was like, what's taking someone with texting men just like, bro, 0:28:15.880 --> 0:28:20.439 what's up? And I'm trying to get advice. We're creating 0:28:20.480 --> 0:28:23.639 this document. And then once we actually got to it, 0:28:24.119 --> 0:28:27.159 the actual negotiations happened there very fast because we were 0:28:27.160 --> 0:28:31.280 both motivated. She understood what the value prop of you know, 0:28:31.359 --> 0:28:34.960 I was trying to get for myself and my shareholder Kareem, 0:28:35.000 --> 0:28:36.600 as well as. 0:28:36.680 --> 0:28:40.600 You know, understanding what the future needed to look like for. 0:28:40.080 --> 0:28:43.280 Us to still be incentivized to build this into what 0:28:43.320 --> 0:28:46.320 we think it has potential to be. Then everything worked out, 0:28:46.320 --> 0:28:47.920 but we just had to be silent because we had 0:28:47.960 --> 0:28:49.600 to do it. It was suppress release. So I was 0:28:49.640 --> 0:28:52.880 actually like, they're working already, no one knew. 0:28:53.000 --> 0:28:55.760 She was like, Charles, please do not go out other 0:28:55.840 --> 0:28:59.280 people until oppress rely. So then when I was able 0:28:59.280 --> 0:29:01.720 to happen, it was an exciting day. 0:29:02.040 --> 0:29:05.719 One more piece though, is that you know, I think 0:29:06.200 --> 0:29:13.840 we undervalued or didn't really put enough stock into what 0:29:14.000 --> 0:29:18.400 people would think about this collaboration coming together. I thought 0:29:18.440 --> 0:29:21.160 it was a great call, not just personally, but for 0:29:21.280 --> 0:29:23.840 the brand and for the people and for you know, 0:29:23.880 --> 0:29:25.640 the people that we serve, which is our patrons. 0:29:25.640 --> 0:29:28.840 But it was a lot of positive feedback about a. 0:29:28.800 --> 0:29:33.560 Black owned entity acquiring another black entity, about what collaboration 0:29:33.680 --> 0:29:37.080 looks like. Promoters thinking of saying, hey, there's a new 0:29:37.120 --> 0:29:39.560 pathway that we didn't even know existed for the things 0:29:39.560 --> 0:29:42.800 that we're building from people to I mean, it blew 0:29:42.880 --> 0:29:46.280 my mind how positive people felt about im. Obviously, I'm 0:29:46.320 --> 0:29:48.760 sure some people that was like, no, horrible idea, and 0:29:49.080 --> 0:29:51.560 I get that, but you know, we're excited for the 0:29:51.600 --> 0:29:52.720 opportunity to try and. 0:29:52.880 --> 0:29:56.360 Prove that this was the right call. As people were saying. 0:29:56.440 --> 0:29:59.280 Afro Tech is a global gathering where inclusive tech companies 0:29:59.320 --> 0:30:01.680 meet innovat It's the only tech event you. 0:30:01.640 --> 0:30:02.280 Need all year. 0:30:02.440 --> 0:30:05.400 Get ready for Afrotech twenty twenty three in Austin, Texas, 0:30:05.560 --> 0:30:07.960 November first through the fifth. 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An afro Tech wants 0:30:29.360 --> 0:30:31.560 to help you get back on your feet with skill development, 0:30:31.720 --> 0:30:33.280 making it easier to switch industries. 0:30:33.320 --> 0:30:34.160 If that's your route. 0:30:34.240 --> 0:30:36.680 In an afrotech, you'll make connections to help you get 0:30:36.680 --> 0:30:40.080 your next opportunity. Visit afrotech dot com slash conference to 0:30:40.160 --> 0:30:43.880 learn more. Is you've used the phrase here on that 0:30:43.960 --> 0:30:46.800 you know Blavity boughten asset and you've not said Blavity 0:30:46.800 --> 0:30:49.760 bought a company. Can you talk about the difference between 0:30:49.760 --> 0:30:54.360 buying the assets and buying a company, which Blavity didn't do. 0:30:55.200 --> 0:30:55.560 Yeah. 0:30:55.600 --> 0:30:59.560 So when Morgan and Shama business as all over the place, 0:31:00.080 --> 0:31:03.240 we had two LLC's that kind of I want to 0:31:03.280 --> 0:31:06.240 say co manage the brand of R and B House Party. 0:31:06.240 --> 0:31:08.200 It's made a little bit more difficult. So we have 0:31:08.320 --> 0:31:12.360 the Quest LLC, which Kareem and I started, and we use. 0:31:12.320 --> 0:31:15.880 That as the housing for R and B House Party. 0:31:16.320 --> 0:31:20.360 I also have Charles Kirkandaal LLC, which ultimately we pivoted 0:31:20.440 --> 0:31:23.320 R and B House Party two. But I was operating 0:31:23.440 --> 0:31:26.480 all of my individual Charles Beloved things out of that LLC. 0:31:26.880 --> 0:31:30.600 So the money without her, you know, spilling my dirty 0:31:30.680 --> 0:31:33.719 laundry was all mixed in because I had influencer stuff, 0:31:34.200 --> 0:31:39.920 brand partnerships, I had hosting stuff, stuff, and R and 0:31:39.920 --> 0:31:42.400 B house party revenue all going into you know, the 0:31:42.400 --> 0:31:46.960 same LLC, So that would have been a purchase of 0:31:47.440 --> 0:31:48.040 the company. 0:31:48.200 --> 0:31:51.480 Charles kirkandaal LLC. She said, I don't want that be. 0:31:51.600 --> 0:31:55.720 Very clear, but the asset purchase agreement was like the 0:31:55.760 --> 0:32:01.800 logo purchasing, the licensing, the e mail list serve, purchasing 0:32:01.840 --> 0:32:04.680 our website domain. So just all things that were R 0:32:04.720 --> 0:32:07.680 and B house party specific that could be transferred of 0:32:07.800 --> 0:32:12.920 ownership is well. Ultimately the APA asset purchase agreement was purchasing. 0:32:13.200 --> 0:32:13.840 No, I love that. 0:32:15.080 --> 0:32:18.200 The elephant in the room is how you guys are friends, 0:32:18.520 --> 0:32:20.760 you know, and so how do you go to the 0:32:20.840 --> 0:32:25.560 negotiating table against somebody that you know previous pre pregnancy, 0:32:25.600 --> 0:32:27.000 like you might have a drink with and you know 0:32:27.040 --> 0:32:29.400 what I mean, and so you know, how do you 0:32:29.520 --> 0:32:29.880 do that? 0:32:31.120 --> 0:32:35.000 Yeah, it was it was very tough. I know I 0:32:35.120 --> 0:32:37.719 had a lot of frustrated days. I'm sure she had 0:32:38.000 --> 0:32:41.520 a number of frustrated days. And you know, working with 0:32:41.640 --> 0:32:46.840 friends is always like what's the word, A touchy, touchy 0:32:46.840 --> 0:32:49.880 topic girl, and maybe even discussing something that you should 0:32:49.960 --> 0:32:54.120 not do. I actually disagree with that for a number 0:32:54.160 --> 0:32:57.800 of reasons. But primarily I think that doing business with 0:32:57.880 --> 0:33:00.800 your friends when you both have interry and how moral 0:33:00.880 --> 0:33:02.440 compass and you know how. 0:33:02.440 --> 0:33:04.000 A shared vision is the greatest. 0:33:04.040 --> 0:33:07.120 Kareem is my business partner and also my best friend, 0:33:07.120 --> 0:33:10.160 and we have operated great and sure we get frustrated 0:33:10.200 --> 0:33:13.240 with each other. That makes sense, and so on my 0:33:13.320 --> 0:33:16.520 operatings with Morgan. It wasn't like this is the first 0:33:16.520 --> 0:33:19.880 thing that we ever did together. We have four years 0:33:19.880 --> 0:33:22.880 of partnering with Blivity and R and B House Party 0:33:22.880 --> 0:33:27.200 as entities, also seeing success with the collaborations, but also 0:33:27.280 --> 0:33:29.920 going through the growing pains of the yes is the 0:33:30.040 --> 0:33:33.960 nose the disappointment. And so I think from my own 0:33:34.000 --> 0:33:38.120 personal purview, Morgan has always had my best interests at part. 0:33:38.560 --> 0:33:44.160 Now in this deal she had blobdy. 0:33:43.240 --> 0:33:47.240 Art, But I couldnot lose sight of that every single 0:33:47.280 --> 0:33:51.280 thing that we have done as business entities, as Blivity 0:33:51.520 --> 0:33:55.160 and as R and B House Party has benefited me exponentially. 0:33:55.200 --> 0:33:58.680 So I knew the collaboration would work and just understanding like, hey, 0:33:58.720 --> 0:34:01.920 it was never Charles Morgan thing. It was a business 0:34:02.000 --> 0:34:04.320 thing and a business thing, and that was how we 0:34:04.320 --> 0:34:06.560 were able to get to the table and work together. 0:34:06.600 --> 0:34:08.160 But our moving forward relationship. 0:34:08.560 --> 0:34:11.600 I have worked with all the personalities you could possibly 0:34:11.640 --> 0:34:15.239 think of, and Morgan is a phenomenal CEO. I'm excited 0:34:15.280 --> 0:34:18.120 to learn so much from her and the other executives 0:34:18.160 --> 0:34:21.680 in this organization. But we keep the friendship separate. We 0:34:22.280 --> 0:34:25.080 get frustrated with each other more. I'm gonna tell you 0:34:25.120 --> 0:34:28.239 an example. Morgan asked the R and B House party, 0:34:28.320 --> 0:34:30.400 or to say, block the ass RMB House party, to 0:34:30.560 --> 0:34:34.920 produce happy hours in the pandemic at three different times 0:34:34.960 --> 0:34:37.360 across three different locations. 0:34:37.840 --> 0:34:41.480 And I listen what I need to three pm, LA, 0:34:42.360 --> 0:34:47.440 five pm Chicago, six pm New York, exact same time, 0:34:47.600 --> 0:34:50.720 same video needed to play in three different me I said, 0:34:50.760 --> 0:34:54.480 she's nuts, that's crazy now. 0:34:54.640 --> 0:34:56.359 So I referenced that, like she's a. 0:34:56.360 --> 0:35:00.239 Visionary, I believe in doing the work and to that 0:35:00.280 --> 0:35:02.040 we're gonna be able to make anything. 0:35:03.239 --> 0:35:05.120 Of benefit in the community. 0:35:06.360 --> 0:35:08.399 And so, you know, I've heard these stories of tech 0:35:08.400 --> 0:35:11.840 companies particularly but companies in general, when they get acquired, 0:35:12.160 --> 0:35:14.440 they call these big all hands meetings, get everybody in 0:35:14.440 --> 0:35:16.759 the room so everybody can hear, the whole staff can hear, 0:35:17.160 --> 0:35:19.440 and then there's questions about what okay, what happens to 0:35:19.560 --> 0:35:22.319 us based on you know, this us selling to this 0:35:22.400 --> 0:35:25.920 other thing. What happens to the team that you built? 0:35:26.080 --> 0:35:28.239 Yeah, that's great that you asked that. 0:35:29.160 --> 0:35:32.960 And so from an ownership perspective, you know, I was 0:35:32.960 --> 0:35:35.880 an owner along with my wife and then Kareem equity 0:35:35.920 --> 0:35:39.520 owner and started a sweat equity and earned the opportunity 0:35:39.560 --> 0:35:41.880 to be the partner of R and B House Party 0:35:41.920 --> 0:35:47.080 and just a strong business mind Michigan NBA owner of 0:35:47.160 --> 0:35:48.480 a you know, a Chip fil A. 0:35:48.640 --> 0:35:51.680 He's just phenomenal guy. And I couldn't have gotten to 0:35:51.719 --> 0:35:52.400 this point without them. 0:35:52.440 --> 0:35:54.200 So I want to say that now R and B 0:35:54.280 --> 0:35:57.359 House Party is the DJs, is the team that has 0:35:57.480 --> 0:36:00.839 just helped us get to this point. And so while 0:36:00.880 --> 0:36:03.040 they were not a part of the acquisition in terms 0:36:03.080 --> 0:36:06.279 of like becoming employees of Livity, I think the opportunities 0:36:06.320 --> 0:36:10.120 for them with me in this community role are endless. 0:36:10.160 --> 0:36:12.600 You know, the number of events that we could do, 0:36:12.680 --> 0:36:15.399 the visibility of those events go ten next. So when 0:36:15.400 --> 0:36:18.400 you think about, you know, having the stage of twenty 0:36:18.400 --> 0:36:20.720 three hundred people at Drew Hill versus having the stage 0:36:20.760 --> 0:36:24.000 of ten thousand plus, I'm gonna say plus at the 0:36:24.080 --> 0:36:28.799 Music festival, we're able to further amplify their work. The photographers, Hey, 0:36:28.840 --> 0:36:32.799 you you only doing the seventeen events a year that 0:36:32.960 --> 0:36:36.080 you know I can do on the weekends. Now you 0:36:36.080 --> 0:36:37.960 can do thatfro text you can you know what I mean. 0:36:38.000 --> 0:36:40.480 So it's just way more opportunity for me to be 0:36:40.520 --> 0:36:43.319 able to bring them along in this seat without it 0:36:43.560 --> 0:36:46.080 getting to a stop data just saying hey, I no 0:36:46.120 --> 0:36:47.880 longer want to do this, this is the end. Like, 0:36:48.120 --> 0:36:51.080 the opportunities for the team are endless, and to amplify 0:36:51.160 --> 0:36:53.360 the amazing things that they were doing for R and 0:36:53.440 --> 0:36:54.960 B House Party, now they could do it for the 0:36:55.040 --> 0:36:57.839 Liberty House Party and maybe even for all these other 0:36:57.880 --> 0:36:59.400 brands that we're going to bring in to be a 0:36:59.440 --> 0:37:01.120 part of this system and community. 0:37:02.080 --> 0:37:04.600 If you hadn't lost your job, would you have considered 0:37:04.640 --> 0:37:05.320 an acquisition? 0:37:06.760 --> 0:37:13.200 Yes, absolutely, I absolutely would have considered the acquisition I did. 0:37:14.000 --> 0:37:15.120 I do not know that I. 0:37:15.120 --> 0:37:18.719 Would have wanted to do the full time thing, because 0:37:18.719 --> 0:37:21.680 everyone asked me, they were like, Okay, we see the 0:37:21.719 --> 0:37:22.880 trajectory of R and B. 0:37:23.320 --> 0:37:25.680 This is the Lord pushing you to do R and 0:37:25.719 --> 0:37:26.759 B House Party full time. 0:37:26.800 --> 0:37:30.480 And every time somebody said that, I said, absolutely not 0:37:30.840 --> 0:37:36.640 because I love what my role was at my previous company. 0:37:36.680 --> 0:37:38.960 I loved the career that I had in tech. So 0:37:39.000 --> 0:37:41.560 this was very unique for me to be able to 0:37:41.640 --> 0:37:45.680 steal essentially do that, but on the other side, not 0:37:45.760 --> 0:37:48.760 the client side, but on the afrotech side, to create 0:37:48.800 --> 0:37:53.040 these experiences, to assist in getting people jobs and creating 0:37:53.040 --> 0:37:54.880 the spaces for all of that to take place. 0:37:54.960 --> 0:37:55.719 That's what I love. 0:37:55.960 --> 0:37:57.759 It did not feel like work to me, and so 0:37:57.840 --> 0:38:01.440 I still get that aspect, plus being able to do 0:38:01.760 --> 0:38:04.360 the efense stuff for R and B or now Black 0:38:04.520 --> 0:38:08.200 House Party. And so when I tell you, it was 0:38:08.280 --> 0:38:11.080 the fine alignment for this to have been the opportunity 0:38:11.120 --> 0:38:12.680 for this to have been the company, because if it 0:38:12.719 --> 0:38:16.520 were another company that was interested, I probably would have 0:38:16.560 --> 0:38:18.759 been open to selling that I said, but not like 0:38:19.000 --> 0:38:20.120 working there full time. 0:38:20.600 --> 0:38:22.600 I wanted to work here. It was very clear. I 0:38:22.640 --> 0:38:27.359 was like, well, a month more, what we're doing outside? 0:38:27.680 --> 0:38:30.880 You actually posted a photo from old last acrotechnic video 0:38:31.560 --> 0:38:32.560 because I actually took. 0:38:32.400 --> 0:38:35.200 The photo of all of you all yeah, yeah, yes, 0:38:36.520 --> 0:38:39.719 and I had Phonemos sitting there. I have Phon because 0:38:39.719 --> 0:38:41.440 I'm still why I wasn't in the photo. I'm not 0:38:41.480 --> 0:38:45.360 a black employee. I was the one that ye have 0:38:45.560 --> 0:38:47.000 those my homies. 0:38:48.160 --> 0:38:52.600 Out here out here. I'm excited, and so I think 0:38:52.640 --> 0:38:54.600 this is a good time to being to bring up 0:38:54.680 --> 0:38:59.040 Queen Charen because the partnership there. You guys have talked 0:38:59.040 --> 0:39:01.840 about this on your you know, for better or best, 0:39:02.080 --> 0:39:03.920 and I think it's important and there's something here because 0:39:04.000 --> 0:39:06.279 you know, I wouldn't be at Blavity afro Tech if 0:39:06.280 --> 0:39:08.640 it wasn't for my wife. And so when I went 0:39:08.760 --> 0:39:12.120 to my second afro Tech, I took my wife with 0:39:12.200 --> 0:39:12.640 me because. 0:39:12.440 --> 0:39:14.200 I'm like, you've got to see this thing. 0:39:15.120 --> 0:39:18.239 And at the end of it, she's like, wonderful, great, 0:39:18.360 --> 0:39:20.480 all the things. You should not come back unless you're 0:39:20.480 --> 0:39:24.360 on stage, and I'm like, how am I going to 0:39:24.440 --> 0:39:26.799 get on that stage? And so, to make a long 0:39:26.840 --> 0:39:29.279 story short, I'm like, all right, but challenge accepted. That's 0:39:29.280 --> 0:39:31.440 what she said. I'm gonna figure it out. So I 0:39:31.480 --> 0:39:34.840 put a picture of that, that last afrotech on my 0:39:34.960 --> 0:39:37.640 vision board, and every day I woke up and I 0:39:37.640 --> 0:39:39.680 saw the thing on my dresser and I said, by 0:39:39.719 --> 0:39:43.480 the time they opened up speaker proposals, I'm gonna apply. 0:39:44.400 --> 0:39:46.640 When they put up the speaker proposals. I actually got 0:39:46.680 --> 0:39:48.640 an email and said, hey, we actually want you to 0:39:48.719 --> 0:39:51.840 run it, and so I wouldn't have had the vision 0:39:51.920 --> 0:39:54.680 if my wife hadn't called that out. And you talked 0:39:54.680 --> 0:39:58.360 about your journey like your wife saw it, and she 0:39:58.440 --> 0:40:01.000 saw R and B House Party and you before you 0:40:01.040 --> 0:40:04.600 saw it, and therefore you're here now doing Blavity house party. 0:40:04.680 --> 0:40:07.640 So can you talk about the importance of that partnership 0:40:07.680 --> 0:40:08.799 and what it brought out of you. 0:40:10.400 --> 0:40:14.120 Yeah, So I would just say a having a partner, 0:40:14.239 --> 0:40:18.360 whether that is through marriage or friendship, that's able to 0:40:18.400 --> 0:40:21.440 see your blind spots, because it was a blind spot 0:40:21.800 --> 0:40:24.440 for me to know that I could monetize my energy. 0:40:24.680 --> 0:40:27.480 And that's literally what R and B House Party was 0:40:27.480 --> 0:40:29.959 was a monetization of the energy that I bring into 0:40:30.000 --> 0:40:32.840 the world. And I was going to other people's events, 0:40:33.320 --> 0:40:37.560 literally going viral on Snapchat and whatever medium was popping 0:40:37.600 --> 0:40:39.680 at that time, like this guy's in the circle dance 0:40:39.719 --> 0:40:42.520 that through it all, kicking heads and all of that. 0:40:43.560 --> 0:40:45.920 And she's like, you're going to these other people's events 0:40:45.960 --> 0:40:48.280 and making a popping. The promoter's like, are you coming? 0:40:48.719 --> 0:40:50.160 You know what I'm saying, Making sure you're in the 0:40:50.160 --> 0:40:52.279 building because the parties on another level. When you're in 0:40:52.360 --> 0:40:56.120 the building, you need to create your own and so 0:40:56.280 --> 0:40:59.120 that blind spot and being able to listen to it, 0:40:59.239 --> 0:41:01.680 being able to have a part of that say, hey, 0:41:02.200 --> 0:41:03.920 we're willing to put up our money, you know what 0:41:03.960 --> 0:41:06.239 I mean. Like obviously the first time we did it, 0:41:06.560 --> 0:41:08.640 you know, we just got five dollars ahead. But when 0:41:08.640 --> 0:41:11.880 it came to touring, when it came to expansion, it 0:41:11.960 --> 0:41:14.840 was out of our personal savings account. We saving for 0:41:15.120 --> 0:41:19.239 we saving for homes where you know, having kids and 0:41:19.360 --> 0:41:22.359 having a partner that really truly believed in what it was. 0:41:22.320 --> 0:41:25.279 That she had built with me was key. 0:41:25.440 --> 0:41:27.840 And when we get to you know, the partnerships with 0:41:27.920 --> 0:41:30.120 our protech and things of that nature, it was like, hey, 0:41:30.160 --> 0:41:32.840 she put the battery in my back to be able 0:41:32.880 --> 0:41:35.200 to take risks and be comfortable with risks. 0:41:35.200 --> 0:41:38.720 She works every day. She's genuinely a queen. She's a boss. 0:41:39.040 --> 0:41:41.719 Even when I was let go on a random, you know, 0:41:42.120 --> 0:41:46.319 Wednesday in June, I didn't think about, thank God, about us, 0:41:46.560 --> 0:41:48.680 you know, losing our house or anything. This wanting to 0:41:48.680 --> 0:41:52.360 go to work every day, she getting paved. Let me 0:41:52.520 --> 0:41:54.680 just figure it out. I didn't have to worry, and 0:41:54.719 --> 0:41:58.400 so that's just truly, truly, truly a blessing. And without 0:41:58.440 --> 0:42:00.880 her none of this is possible. Well, I can't travel 0:42:00.920 --> 0:42:05.120 seventeen weekends twenty weekends out the year without someone taking 0:42:05.160 --> 0:42:08.120 care of managing our children and managing our household. And 0:42:08.200 --> 0:42:10.840 she does that on top of her job. So I 0:42:10.960 --> 0:42:13.880 spoil her as best I possibly can. She says, this 0:42:14.000 --> 0:42:14.520 money is. 0:42:14.480 --> 0:42:19.560 Part of this. I'm not going now far now, wal. 0:42:22.200 --> 0:42:28.319 But so I want to end this talking about where 0:42:28.480 --> 0:42:31.040 Blavity House Party is going. But I'm going to preface 0:42:31.080 --> 0:42:33.600 it with something you've said before, and I love it 0:42:33.800 --> 0:42:36.800 because our generation has not had its own time, Joiner, 0:42:37.440 --> 0:42:40.600 And I think that's a beautiful thing that you've had 0:42:40.640 --> 0:42:42.520 that vision for yourself. Like you know, I want to 0:42:42.560 --> 0:42:45.400 get bigger than just parties. I want to do cruises. 0:42:45.440 --> 0:42:48.160 I want to do concert series, all these things, and 0:42:48.200 --> 0:42:51.960 this provides that jet fuel. So where is Blavity House 0:42:52.000 --> 0:42:52.680 Party going? 0:42:53.760 --> 0:42:54.160 Yeah? 0:42:54.200 --> 0:42:56.560 And where's the community of Glavity going too? 0:42:56.920 --> 0:42:59.880 Absolutely, you know, the goals of blab the house party 0:43:00.080 --> 0:43:04.280 is to celebrate culture and connect communities. And that nission 0:43:04.320 --> 0:43:06.400 statement that has yet to roll out publicly, what you 0:43:06.440 --> 0:43:10.439 always see soon is because that is the ultimate goal. 0:43:10.520 --> 0:43:13.839 It's not about us, it's really about we. And there 0:43:13.840 --> 0:43:17.760 are you know a lot of festivals events on the market, 0:43:17.800 --> 0:43:18.840 and they're all phenomenal. 0:43:19.000 --> 0:43:19.919 I go to them. 0:43:20.120 --> 0:43:22.520 But we're excited to kind of step into that space 0:43:22.560 --> 0:43:26.839 as well and bring something new with the different value proposition, 0:43:27.000 --> 0:43:31.360 a unique market positioning to this space and this space 0:43:31.440 --> 0:43:34.279 for everybody. And so what we're trying to do is 0:43:34.320 --> 0:43:38.279 again that musical diversity that makes everybody feel inclusive, that 0:43:38.440 --> 0:43:43.040 celebrates all the different you know, makeups and backgrounds of 0:43:43.080 --> 0:43:46.640 a community. I've always from a recruitment perspective and that's 0:43:46.680 --> 0:43:47.240 like my subject. 0:43:47.280 --> 0:43:48.080 Out of expertise. 0:43:48.239 --> 0:43:50.840 They say, hey, it's diversity of ethnicity, but it's diversity 0:43:50.880 --> 0:43:51.280 of thought. 0:43:51.719 --> 0:43:54.440 I'm from the Shah, you're from toll House. Talk to me, 0:43:56.320 --> 0:43:56.520 you know what. 0:43:58.480 --> 0:44:02.680 And we have soul got different minds even under this 0:44:02.719 --> 0:44:05.120 ecosystem of having some familiarity. 0:44:05.840 --> 0:44:08.360 And so it's just excited to be able to build for. 0:44:08.760 --> 0:44:12.200 That and across these tent pole moments that we have 0:44:12.320 --> 0:44:15.839 grown to love and enjoy. NBA All Star Games, we're 0:44:15.840 --> 0:44:20.760 talking about sports, Grammys, We're talking about music potentially our boss, 0:44:20.760 --> 0:44:24.120 We're talking about art, and fashion. We're able to curate 0:44:24.280 --> 0:44:29.400 this experience that is about you, that is about inclusiveness 0:44:29.640 --> 0:44:32.560 and the ecosystem that's already created things that you know, 0:44:32.640 --> 0:44:36.759 this broad demographic is excited about. So we're excited to 0:44:36.880 --> 0:44:40.279 just keep it about the community, about the people, and 0:44:40.360 --> 0:44:43.080 create this music festival and then this road map of 0:44:43.160 --> 0:44:45.960 times that we can have touch points and just have 0:44:46.160 --> 0:44:48.719 self facilitated. 0:45:01.200 --> 0:45:03.760 Black Tech Green Money is a production to Blavity afro 0:45:03.880 --> 0:45:06.640 Tech on the Black Effect podcast network at Night Heart 0:45:06.719 --> 0:45:10.239 Medium and it's produced by Morgan Debonne and me Well Lucas, 0:45:10.560 --> 0:45:13.920 with additional production support by Sarah Ergin and Rose mc lucas. 0:45:15.200 --> 0:45:18.600 Special thank you to Michael Davis, Vanessa Suruno, and Maya Mouldrew. 0:45:19.120 --> 0:45:21.279 Learn more about my Guess and other tech distructors an 0:45:21.280 --> 0:45:25.080 innovators at afrotech dot com. Enjoying Black Tech Green Money. 0:45:25.920 --> 0:45:29.120 Share this with somebody, Go get your money. 0:45:30.160 --> 0:45:30.759 He's in love. 0:45:37.560 --> 0:45:40.400 Afro Tech is a global gathering where inclusive tech companies 0:45:40.440 --> 0:45:42.799 meet innovators. It's the only tech event you. 0:45:42.760 --> 0:45:43.399 Need all year. 0:45:43.560 --> 0:45:46.520 Get ready for afro Tech twenty twenty three in Austin, Texas. 0:45:46.680 --> 0:45:48.839 No ven refers through the fifth We built a whole 0:45:48.840 --> 0:45:50.640 temper you can use to help you get your employer 0:45:50.719 --> 0:45:53.600 to sponsor your trip and enjoy experiences built for every 0:45:53.600 --> 0:45:55.959 stage of your career. Whether you're a college student looking 0:45:55.960 --> 0:45:58.160 for your next internship, or if you work in avention 0:45:58.280 --> 0:46:00.719 capital looking for your next business to invest in, and 0:46:00.760 --> 0:46:02.520 if you're looking for a co founder of people that's 0:46:02.560 --> 0:46:04.799 join your team, there's no better place to be. The 0:46:04.880 --> 0:46:07.320 massive corporate layoffs of twenty twenty two and twenty twenty 0:46:07.320 --> 0:46:09.680 three have affected our community in a big way. An 0:46:09.680 --> 0:46:11.719 afrotech wants to help you get back on your feet 0:46:11.719 --> 0:46:14.560 with skill development, making it easier to switch industries if 0:46:14.560 --> 0:46:17.360 that's your route. In an afrotech, you'll make connections to 0:46:17.360 --> 0:46:20.319 help you get your next opportunity. Visit afrotech dot com 0:46:20.360 --> 0:46:21.759 slash conference to learn more.