1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: Afro Tech San Francisco, California. The Shana Mirror is the 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: founder and CEO at Maven, a distribution technology company focused 3 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: on the hair extension market, partnering with stylists who served 4 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 1: as the salesforce. He's on the main stage being interviewed 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: by Jeff Johnson discussing the wealth opportunity black puticians were 6 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: missing out on by not taking advantage of their supply chain. 7 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: But I saw specifically in the in the hair extension world, 8 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: and which came to me via family member who is 9 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: a hair stylist, asked me if I could get her 10 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: some hair extensions from China, and I did. Um, And 11 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: next thing, you know, just because I wanted to make 12 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: some money, I'm selling hair out the trunk of the 13 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 1: car to all these hair salons. Um. And what struck 14 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: me was that we're buying like nine billion dollars of 15 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: hair products, um, but we don't sell any of it 16 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: right literally. Uh. The customers that go across the street 17 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: to the Korean in beauty supply store by the products 18 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: and then come across the street bring it to the salon. 19 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 1: So you have all this throughput of all of this 20 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 1: you know, uh. Um, this commerce going through these salons 21 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: but not capturing any of that revenue UM. And that 22 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: is fundamentally what I wanted to change. I didn't know 23 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: anything about hair extensions before I got into this business. 24 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 1: To me, it was about the distribution of these products 25 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: and who is getting what proportion of the margin. And 26 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: let's talk about that a little bit, because because part 27 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: of your business model wasn't just about you making money, 28 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: you one had a value proposition for hairstyle is and 29 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: two had a model for creating wealth not just for you, 30 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: but for a nation of people who were being left 31 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: out of the equation. Why was that important for you? 32 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: And then what was the process of ensuring that? Not 33 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: on the business model was tight, but you literally were 34 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: ensuring a shift in wealth creation for people who performed 35 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: had no access. I mean fundamentally, what I saw and 36 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: what I see in hair stylus and I see in 37 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: hair salons UM is power and influence. I see power 38 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 1: and influence in hair stylus. They are UM. They're influencing 39 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: on a daily basis billions of dollars of purchasing decisions 40 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: for what people are gonna buy UM and and their 41 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: entrepreneurial I'm an entrepreneur um. I always want to support that, 42 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: and so you know, when I saw that I could 43 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: both create a business that both empowered other entrepreneurs in 44 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: my community and be a big gas business, that's what 45 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: drew me into it. I'm with Lucas Mrs Black Tech, 46 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: Green Money. I'm gonna introduce you to some of the 47 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,239 Speaker 1: biggest names, some of the brightest minds and brilliant ideas. 48 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: If you're black, in building or simply using tech to 49 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: secure your back, this podcast is for you. Charelle Dorsey 50 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: is the founder and CEO of The Plug and subscription 51 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: based digital news and insights platform covering the black innovation economy. 52 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: Prior to launching The Plug, she was a marketing manager 53 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: for companies like Uber and Google Fiber. I should read 54 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: about how to monetize content and starting your entrepreneurial journey 55 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: with a bit of tinkering and experimentation. A lot of 56 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: times we all have this really great idea for what 57 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: we know is going to be like a million to 58 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: billion dollar business, and I think as well, culture really 59 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: pushes you to say, go out in the world and 60 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: create something significant, raise a ton of money to do it, 61 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: and like that kind of seems you know, it's it's 62 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: a very romantic ideal. Um for me, I wanted to 63 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: be solid in what it was that I was creating 64 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: first and kind of working through you kind of mature 65 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: your idea as well as you as a as a 66 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: leader and as a practitioner. You're maturing as well and 67 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: kind of responding to the initial hypotheses that you have 68 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: about is are are people interested in this? And so 69 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 1: by kind of creating the plug under the guys of Hey, 70 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: you know, I've already kind of been freelancing and writing 71 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: and sharing about what's taking shape them what we call 72 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: the black tech ecosystem. Do people even want like a 73 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: daily edition of my findings and learnings and folks that 74 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: I'm speaking to as well as um sort of a 75 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: one stop shop for their day of figuring out among 76 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: all the other things that they're reading that are gonna 77 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: center white guys and hoodies, do they actually want to 78 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 1: see black and brown faces and voices as part of 79 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: this entire narrative? And it turned out that yeah, a 80 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: lot of people were really interested, and so so that 81 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: kind of like as you we talk a lot about aislestones, 82 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 1: particularly in tech or particularly in the space of building 83 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: a company. UM. But that kind of initial testing, you know, 84 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: phase is really what you're kind of prototyping. And Eric 85 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: Reece says this a lot around the kind of lean 86 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: startup methodology, like you're you're prototyping, you're testing. I think 87 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: also it's a psychological trick, so that if you fail 88 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: at it, you don't feel so correcting after her right now, 89 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: I was just playing anyway, you know, And so it 90 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: kind of it kind of deescalates some of the stress 91 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: of feeling like you have to succeed versus this is 92 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,840 Speaker 1: an experiment. If it works, great, If it doesn't, all 93 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 1: pivot and try something else. And so there's definitely been 94 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: several different pivots around the way that we've delivered content, 95 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: the way in which we've made assumptions about our audiences. 96 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: And so for the most part, you know, going from 97 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: the daily newsletter from for my part, it was just 98 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 1: how do we stay consistent? Is there enough news and 99 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: conversation happening to even do something Monday through Friday? Um? 100 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: And that was kind of the first question, And the 101 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: second question was are people ready for rigorous, data driven 102 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 1: sort of journalism and news? Um? And I'll be honest, 103 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,039 Speaker 1: it's it's one of those spaces where you can kind 104 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: of have kind of more of just a very information 105 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: purposes sort of environment, which I think is very significant 106 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: to the ecosystem. I think that, um, a lot of 107 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,720 Speaker 1: folks do that well. Afrotech does that well. UM. And 108 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,279 Speaker 1: and then like, how do we differentiate ourselves as a 109 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: media publication? And so for me, it was really leaning 110 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: into the analytics of some of the reporting um, and 111 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: then also wanting to tell a story that really responds 112 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: to a question or a series of questions about what 113 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,039 Speaker 1: folks are building from a context of how does this, 114 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 1: how does this fit in scope not just this one 115 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: entrepreneur or this one opportunity to raise capital, but how 116 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: does this fit into the larger picture about what's going 117 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: on in the country, in the world in this particular frame. 118 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: Even when we got into the paid membership component again, 119 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,919 Speaker 1: another opportunity to test for those who've been rocking with 120 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: us for two three years, are they willing now to 121 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:09,279 Speaker 1: make an investment in having access to premium content? And 122 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: and kind of so listening those folks early on so 123 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: that when we were ready to launch, and even when 124 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: I say ready, ready, wasn't complete tied up with the bow. 125 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: It was like, you know, day one out the gate, 126 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: people's accounts like weren't registering. You know, you're kind of 127 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: just like all right, you know, but because they've been 128 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: following the work for so long, it was like a 129 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: quick nice email, hey chrel like something when all my 130 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: password you know, like you know, get to what you 131 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: can understand. There's a ton of grace there. And so 132 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: I think through that entire process, will I also try 133 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: to bring people along for the journey and the ride 134 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: and trying to describe and demonstrate like here's what I'm doing, 135 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: here's what's working, here's what's not really working, um, and 136 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: just try to give myself grace in the process because 137 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 1: it's just a process at the end of the day. Um. 138 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: And and so yeah, that's that's kind of how I've 139 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: thought about this the whole time. And that does not 140 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: remove any stress, because you still want to have this 141 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: tendency to want to deliver well and as best as possible. 142 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: And they're just some things that are gonna be out 143 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: of your control. There's some things you're just not going 144 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: to know. And when you're first building your business sometimes 145 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: it's just you and your WiFi, so you don't have 146 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: a team to help create additional checks and balances or 147 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: that you can lean on to do the work until 148 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: you start to build up you know, those particular you 149 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: know capacity opportunities. So you know, it's it's a journey. 150 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: It's a journey. One of the things we talk about 151 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: often is, and we mean black people, it's like we 152 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: don't pigeon ourselves into like the diversity conversation of the 153 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: minority types of conversations, and for instance, like at the conference, 154 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: you won't see like panels on diversity per se, but 155 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:57,559 Speaker 1: there is a meaningful activity from black people in business 156 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: at large and from startup creation, venture funding, innovation and 157 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: more so we're out here. Talk to me about your 158 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,719 Speaker 1: take on the need for a broader narrative other than 159 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: just you know, here's the diversity metrics, etcetera. You know, 160 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: I think it's I think it's great and very commendable 161 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: that that's not the focus, because I think everyone could 162 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: has to be exhausted with the diversity conversation. And that's 163 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: not to negate the work and the practitioners that are 164 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: in the space. It's very much needed. But I think 165 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: in terms of when we're getting together and we're talking 166 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: about next generation technology, next generation leadership, and we're talking 167 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: about the kinds of challenges that we have to solve, 168 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: particularly for our communities. We can't stay stuck on the 169 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:43,959 Speaker 1: trauma because it is traumatic. It's hard to keep telling 170 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 1: people I'm human and I exist, and I'm smart and 171 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: I have I come from a family that that has 172 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: love in it, or I come from you know, a 173 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: community that you know has invested everything they couldn't into 174 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:01,839 Speaker 1: getting me to this point, Like it's it's it's frustrating 175 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: to write, like it's really frustrating to continue to have 176 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,839 Speaker 1: to define your humanity for people who clearly if you 177 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,319 Speaker 1: don't get it by now in it's kind of like 178 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: you're not that interested. And we shouldn't have to continue 179 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: to do that emotional labor, especially not with each other. Right, 180 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: I think that there are definitely some critical conversations that 181 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: we need to have and not just like the value 182 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:26,199 Speaker 1: of diversity, but how from a tactical perspective we can 183 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 1: do better, Like, Hey, black men, if you see that 184 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: everyone on this tech panel is just black men, and 185 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: you haven't invited any women, or you haven't invited any 186 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: trans women into the conversation like, that's kind of a 187 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: check and balance you should probably think about. And I 188 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: think we don't need to have a whole host of 189 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: conversations about it. I think we need to be able 190 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: to say it, iterate and move on um and some 191 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: people need to process, and I think they're gonna be 192 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: spaces for that. But any time that we get together, 193 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: I feel like we should be thinking progressively. So alongside 194 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: these personality driven store retelling thing that obviously has its place. 195 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: Traditionally people will go to like the Census Bureau or 196 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: Nielsen defined data on like black consumer habits or population makeups. 197 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: What is the unique value that information coming from us, 198 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: that that information comes from a source that is a 199 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 1: member of these communities. That is the deepest question. Will 200 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 1: um one that one that I'm sure has just a 201 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 1: ton of different kind of responses. I think Number one, 202 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 1: it speaks to the history of funding discrimination. Right. You 203 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 1: can't go to any institution and not find a black 204 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: PhD that has not tried to make the research and 205 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: discovery of what's happening in terms of black innovation a 206 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: core part of their research and their work. But they 207 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: did not get access to the funding that they needed 208 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:58,280 Speaker 1: because you have to prove to too many people that 209 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:00,120 Speaker 1: it matters, and a lot of people are like, oh, no, 210 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 1: you can get it, you know in the aggregate. You 211 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: don't need it on a granular level. And so there 212 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: are so many folks that I've had the privilege of 213 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: talking to who were all centered around this idea of 214 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: better and stronger data collection. And when it does come 215 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: from your community, it makes a core difference in the 216 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: way that you look at it, because numbers can just 217 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,439 Speaker 1: look like numbers to anyone, right, we we quote numbers 218 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: all the time. We don't really know how the methodology 219 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: was was extracted, you know. I think it's it's the 220 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,079 Speaker 1: challenge with the p p P program too. I'm sure 221 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 1: that on the onset it looked like, oh, we're gonna 222 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: save small businesses, but we didn't dive into well, which 223 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:39,319 Speaker 1: zip codes are we serving, you know, which particular communities 224 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 1: are in a rule, who actually listen those communities? And 225 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: so then you see that what ent of most p 226 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: p P lending went to majority white businesses or something 227 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:51,720 Speaker 1: like that, right, and a lot of those being affluent 228 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 1: businesses that were not small businesses. So when it comes 229 00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:00,200 Speaker 1: from us, UM, ideally right for for folks who who 230 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: have some kind of understanding of doing UM sociology rooted 231 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:06,960 Speaker 1: work around black communities. When it comes from us, we're 232 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 1: leading with that in mind, even in the way in 233 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: which we interview people, even in the way in which 234 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:17,680 Speaker 1: we build relationships with communities. UM. And so I I think, 235 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: of course that again that the response really warnants a 236 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: look at we traditionally haven't had the resources to do 237 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: our own research, and we traditionally haven't had the backing 238 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: of institutions that trust us to do our own research 239 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 1: in our own work. So yeah, I mean it's it's 240 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 1: it's a challenge, UM, when you are deep into the 241 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: numbers on a lot of these things. And I remember 242 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: UM hearing an interview I don't remember who gave the interview, 243 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:49,439 Speaker 1: but they asked a black woman who raised over a 244 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: million dollars, you know, you're one of the you know, 245 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: less than ten black women who have raised over my knowledge, 246 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: and she was like, no, there's dozens of black women 247 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 1: who have raised over a million hours. But one of 248 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: the issues with that is we don't always get that 249 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: kind of data in mainstream news. So talk to me 250 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 1: about what are like the trends that you see regards 251 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: to black people in their ability to be successful in technology. Yeah, 252 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: I think, Um, I think at the end of the day, 253 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: like there's a lot of quiet work. And I can 254 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 1: understand because to really be great at what you do 255 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: and to really be invested in what you do, you 256 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: aren't necessarily I mean, like all of the incredible technologies 257 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: that I know that are building really dope ship. Um. 258 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 1: I mean, they they don't have social media profiles, you know, 259 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: like they're not trying to get famous. They're too busy 260 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: being nerds, you know what I'm saying. Like they're like 261 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: building three D models on the weekends and like teaching 262 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: themselves machine learning and creating deep fakes just for fun. 263 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: Um and and you you'll see that lot with a 264 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: lot of computer scientists. Like they just don't have those profiles. 265 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: I mean, they may have what they need for work purposes, 266 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: but there's not a ton of investment in these things 267 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: because they're invested in the actual learning of the technology. 268 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: And even though we see less representation in comparison to 269 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: white populations, at the end of the day, like there 270 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: are people there that exist in these spaces that are 271 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 1: doing well, of course there has to be some infrastructure 272 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: changes around when do these folks get promoted? Right? You 273 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 1: have the CEO of of Zoos who just you know, 274 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: was kind of the face of this initiative around Amazon 275 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: purchasing the company for over one billion dollars, And like, 276 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: my question is, like, when's the next black woman of 277 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: a tech company who is going to be leading a 278 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 1: billion dollar sale? Right? I mean, we know Stacy Brown, 279 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: Philip hop from task Rabbit has recently stepped down after 280 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: selling the company to Ikea, And so like, are we 281 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 1: growing in that pipeline the next whomever? Right? Um? And 282 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 1: so I think I think when it comes to that 283 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: data conversation, because we traditionally haven't had the funding to 284 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: do the extraction of that information, or we haven't even 285 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: just in the newsroom, have put the resources forward to 286 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: make that happen, we're gonna get a lot of like 287 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 1: misused dirty data, you know, because if only we know 288 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: of twenty seven black women that raise over a million dollars, 289 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: that's all that we could count. But that doesn't that 290 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: doesn't look historically, you know, beyond you know, beyond even 291 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 1: just venture capital. Um, we're gonna get these faulty numbers 292 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: that we quote and then we turn into like policy. Now, 293 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 1: there's some great things that come out of it, right 294 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: as this rush to urgency of like, oh my gosh, 295 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: only tend black women have raised X y Z. Well, 296 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: let's put some more money so that we can get 297 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 1: more and like, okay, Like that's probably one of the 298 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 1: positive outcomes. But at the same time, I think the 299 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: greater question is how do we start to dock You meant, 300 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 1: these successes wildly, widely and frequently, how do we make 301 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: this a part of the work. And I mean that's 302 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: honestly what we do at the plug is like I'm 303 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:10,959 Speaker 1: trying to make this a part of our practice and 304 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:15,160 Speaker 1: our work in a substantive way. And this is also 305 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 1: it has to be the work in the in the 306 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 1: the mission as well. For all of these think tanks 307 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 1: and all of these like Institute for Black Research, what 308 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: have you, Like you have poverty institutes, which is interesting 309 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: to me, but like who has like progress? I mean, 310 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: obviously there's an Institute of Progressive Policy, but but like 311 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: when it comes to research on black and brown communities, 312 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: there aren't as many people represented. Um, I'm not sure 313 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: if you listen to the NPR episode with economist Lisa D. 314 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 1: Cook Like she's one of like I think less than 315 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 1: ten black economists pH ds that are at institution. Oh, 316 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: this has come out a couple of days ago. About 317 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,440 Speaker 1: the yes, I did see that. It was a couple 318 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:03,439 Speaker 1: of weeks ago. And it's just like, you know, I 319 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: follow a lot of Lisa's work, and it's like even 320 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,159 Speaker 1: before she could even complete what she was trying to accomplish, 321 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,439 Speaker 1: she had to kind of go back and redocument and 322 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: understand in terms of history why patents fell off and 323 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 1: sort of that kind of Jim Crow read all of 324 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,399 Speaker 1: these kind of narratives and historical domestic people didn't trust 325 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: the government to protect them, regardless of why. Absolutely, yeah, 326 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:34,680 Speaker 1: and so I think that, like, imagine, imagine if there 327 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:40,199 Speaker 1: are fifty times more you know, Lisa D. Cooks working 328 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,440 Speaker 1: in institutions and bringing this research forward. And one of 329 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 1: the most distinctive parts of that particular episode was Lisa's 330 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,880 Speaker 1: publishing of this particular research should have been completed within 331 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: about a year or two, and because of how systemic 332 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: racism works, literally it took her I think it's said 333 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 1: like five, six or seven years because she was dealing 334 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 1: with all the bus around, like folks didn't want to 335 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,679 Speaker 1: see this stuff come to light. So even just getting 336 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: basic research with the data, like sometimes the data it 337 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: doesn't even matter if you've collected it well or not. 338 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: The reality is like there's still are kind of these roadblocks, 339 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:22,159 Speaker 1: especially because and and why it's so significant is because 340 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: you know, once this stuff is published, it's transformative, right, 341 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:30,680 Speaker 1: and like then people have to really like pay attention. 342 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:32,919 Speaker 1: How how do we get almost anything done in the 343 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: last five years, particularly it pertains to black tech ecosystem 344 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: is because of having to publish research to prove to 345 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: the powers that be that we have been disenfranchised, we 346 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:47,479 Speaker 1: have been underfunded, we've been discriminated against. We constantly have 347 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: to prove our our humanity try but you know, but 348 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:55,639 Speaker 1: like but like that's the name of the game. And 349 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 1: it goes back to to Tony Morrison's whole thing on 350 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:03,640 Speaker 1: like the very nature of racism is distraction, Like it's 351 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: if it takes you seven years to get this work 352 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:09,160 Speaker 1: done to start changing patent policies for the us UM 353 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:12,399 Speaker 1: House of Business and Business and their last their last 354 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: hearing on why we need to collect data and provide 355 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 1: more resources to black owned businesses seven years. Imagine if two, 356 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,120 Speaker 1: if if five years ago that was done, we could 357 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: have been had this conversation, you know what I'm saying. 358 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:33,359 Speaker 1: So so I think about UM. Last year at the conference, 359 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 1: I talked to Charles Hudson, who was a venture capitalist. 360 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: I think you said, uh, precursors, And I asked Morgan 361 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 1: the same question you know about. It was about when 362 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 1: you're at the only one in the room. So when 363 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: you go through a conference that's not like afro tech, 364 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: but when you are a VC like in Charles's position, 365 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:52,199 Speaker 1: and you go to any other conference and you're like 366 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 1: the only black VC in the room, anybody who's black 367 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:58,719 Speaker 1: that's there wants to come see you because you're the 368 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: only one, and they like they're gonna get their plight right. 369 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:05,240 Speaker 1: And so I wonder, what did you see that's encouraging 370 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: about the numbers of black venture capitalists who have more 371 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: ability who are number one getting the jobs, but number 372 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 1: two have more ability to fund companies from communities that 373 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 1: look like ours. So what's encouraging about our trajectory? If 374 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 1: there's anything encouraging about it to you? Honestly, that's what 375 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 1: attracts me. To this space because it gives me hope. 376 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 1: You know, it's like an amid all the tragedy, and 377 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: you alluded to this earlier to Will, just like there's 378 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: so much happening, there's so much friction intention there's so 379 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: much tragedy and death, and you know, it's like you 380 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 1: grow up with the stories of my grandfather's from Birmingham, Alabama. 381 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 1: He left when he was thirteen. He didn't go back 382 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 1: to visit until maybe his eighties, and that was at 383 00:21:56,359 --> 00:22:01,639 Speaker 1: the behest of like my dying um great aunt. And 384 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,959 Speaker 1: he doesn't talk about it. He doesn't talk about what 385 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,239 Speaker 1: it was like to grow up in an environment that 386 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: was violent and that you know, bombed a church be 387 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 1: four little black girls. You know what I'm saying, Like, 388 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 1: like when you grow up with that kind of tragedy 389 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,719 Speaker 1: and those kind of stories and in the struggle and 390 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 1: the books and the Baldwins and the Angelus, you know 391 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 1: on your bookshelf, you you know what kind of a 392 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: resilient space and and um foundation you have, but you're 393 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: always hyper aware that struggle is imminent right especially in 394 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:42,760 Speaker 1: this country. And so for me, I mean, like I 395 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:45,439 Speaker 1: learned coding and things like that in high school in 396 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:49,360 Speaker 1: Seattle from black women engineers and my cousins who went 397 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,919 Speaker 1: to more House and and Clark and Spellman and you know, 398 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:55,120 Speaker 1: will come home and you know, they bought their first 399 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: properties at nineteen and we're talking about wealth building and 400 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 1: and they were black as hell, you know, and they 401 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:03,400 Speaker 1: were fly and you know. And I'd go to Microsoft 402 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 1: during the summers and work in high school as an intern. 403 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:08,719 Speaker 1: And it was just like I wanted to be in 404 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 1: those environments, but I also wanted to fully be myself 405 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: like I saw my cousins being. And so when I 406 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:18,399 Speaker 1: when I see the progression of even if you're the 407 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: only person in the room like that, visibility matters, and 408 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 1: you still have to keep opening more doors and training 409 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,919 Speaker 1: up folks as well to exist in those rooms. So 410 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 1: it gives me a sense of hope, honestly, Um, every 411 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: little inch that we move forward and gives me a 412 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 1: greater sense of hope. And I'll tell you what matters 413 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 1: more to me, Will, is that we are starting our 414 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: own things and that we are not necessarily asking for 415 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 1: permission in the ways that we used to. Um. I know, 416 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 1: there's a lot of fodder around Black Wall Street and 417 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,919 Speaker 1: all these kinds of things, and I think it's great. 418 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,959 Speaker 1: I think that the vast majority of us will have 419 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: to work for some of these companies that traditionally have 420 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: not been kind to to group underrepresented group. That's just 421 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 1: the reality that everyone's gonna be a full time entrepreneur 422 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:07,119 Speaker 1: building a multimillion dollar company. But if we can also 423 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: build strong CEOs and practitioners that can build multimillion dollar companies, 424 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,119 Speaker 1: then I don't have to tell my little cousin to 425 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,439 Speaker 1: go once he finishes his education, that you have to 426 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: go to one of these tech companies, and here's all 427 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: the ways you can finesse getting a job there. I 428 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,960 Speaker 1: can say, you know what, there's this venture firm that 429 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,399 Speaker 1: was started by a black or brown person, you know, 430 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: Or here was this company that was started by a 431 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,719 Speaker 1: black or brown person, and you can go work for 432 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 1: them and you don't have to go through all the 433 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:39,719 Speaker 1: hoops in order to get that dollar. Right Like, at 434 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:41,440 Speaker 1: the end of the day, I'm not asking for y'all 435 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:56,560 Speaker 1: to save me, right like I'm gonna save myself. Your 436 00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:58,320 Speaker 1: brother's proof. You don't have to wait till you get 437 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:01,240 Speaker 1: a million daily page views, have a hundred thousand, nine 438 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 1: g followers or celebrity endorsement before you can start charging 439 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: for the value you provide. The plug is premium content 440 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 1: behind the paywall, data insights and studies on the black 441 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: innovation economy that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else. 442 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:19,200 Speaker 1: A lot of companies you might admire make no real money. 443 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,959 Speaker 1: It doesn't have to be this way. Real Doors speaks 444 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: on it. Number one, I think folks are on information overload. 445 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:30,120 Speaker 1: Um I felt like we even went from daily to weekly, 446 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,680 Speaker 1: you know, and just doing a deeper dive on a Monday, Like, 447 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,159 Speaker 1: here's how you can be smart for the week about 448 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 1: what's going on. But I don't want to keep flooding 449 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 1: your inbox and you're paying attention to the metrics to 450 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: you're looking at your open open rates decline, You're looking 451 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,480 Speaker 1: at like, okay, every single day, do I want to 452 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:48,719 Speaker 1: read this? Like maybe I have acts, I can have 453 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: access maybe through social media, to see what's taking place. 454 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: But you know, going deeper and less frequent allows you 455 00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: to build somewhat of an intimate relate relationship with your audience. 456 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: At least that's the way that I I kind of 457 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 1: think about that. I think about what slow journalism looks 458 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 1: like I look about I look at what does long 459 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:13,439 Speaker 1: form journalism, you know, and sort of what I subscribe to. 460 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:15,920 Speaker 1: I definitely have my dailies and just my quick rundown 461 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 1: because you know, when you're when you're looking at it, 462 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: you're just looking at the headlines, right, But if you're 463 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,679 Speaker 1: trying to have an intimate relationship, and why these newsletters 464 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:26,639 Speaker 1: are kicking off on things like sub stack, you're getting 465 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,239 Speaker 1: to know the person behind it, You're getting to know 466 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: the work, You get to be deeply invested in the topic. 467 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 1: You get to slow your brain down a bit and contemplate. 468 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: You see these folks who are building communities off of 469 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 1: like big ideas and tactical advice around like how do 470 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:46,920 Speaker 1: you essentially develop yourself better be it like better productivity tools, 471 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,880 Speaker 1: to how to run a team, to you know, how 472 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:53,399 Speaker 1: to manage your money better admit a pandemic um. And 473 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: so when I kind of I started to see that, 474 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 1: and then secondarily I wanted to put the value add 475 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:03,159 Speaker 1: back into what it means to be a journalist, particularly 476 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: a black journalist trying to cover black community. And for me, 477 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 1: while I believe that journalism in and of itself is 478 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:14,920 Speaker 1: a public service. I'm not here to entertain people. I'm 479 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 1: here to educate. I'm here to inform. I'm also here 480 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:21,719 Speaker 1: to uplift. I'm also here to be critical of some 481 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 1: of the work because just because it's black and it happened, 482 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 1: it doesn't mean that it's great. And we have to 483 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: have these nuanced conversations and so you know, being part 484 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,879 Speaker 1: of that philosophy also of watching the venture capital industry 485 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,359 Speaker 1: not necessarily fund media companies, watching a lot of the 486 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: way traditional business model for journalism has taken place. It 487 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:43,399 Speaker 1: also seems like, hey, like there has to be a 488 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 1: new method because advertising is all being eaten up by 489 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 1: Facebook and Google and you know, all of all of 490 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 1: all of the folks who are getting all the ad dollars. 491 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 1: So I can't come out of the gate trying to 492 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:59,479 Speaker 1: compete with those mofos with just lilo me right, So 493 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to figure out a way to immediately 494 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 1: ask people to make the investment, you know, And it's 495 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:08,439 Speaker 1: like the plug is a hundred dollars a year or 496 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 1: you know, thirty dollars a quarter. Of course, I still 497 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:15,399 Speaker 1: have advertising and sponsorships, you know, of course, like we 498 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: leverage grants where it makes most sense, um, But it 499 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,399 Speaker 1: really is about playing a different kind of game because 500 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 1: obviously the nature of the business has changed drastically. And 501 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 1: you know, of course not everybody is gonna say like 502 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:32,159 Speaker 1: I can't either afford it or I actually wanted, But 503 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: you quickly start to find your tribe, and you quickly 504 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 1: start to find what people value. Um. And at the 505 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 1: end of the day, if you're producing a great and 506 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 1: a formidable product, people want to be a part of that. Yeah, 507 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:47,719 Speaker 1: let's talk about that. Because what is sales like in 508 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 1: this sense, because it's one thing to have a product, 509 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: and it's another to communicate the value of that product 510 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: to a potential customer, right and or or do you 511 00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 1: think of it more as you're not trying to convince 512 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 1: a new subscribe, but perhaps you're looking for the people 513 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 1: who are already convinced but may not know that, they 514 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,239 Speaker 1: may not be aware of your offering. So what does 515 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 1: sales look like in the respect of what you're doing? Absolutely, 516 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: I think, um, you know, in the beginning, and going 517 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: back to that kind of experimental phase, of course, you 518 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 1: think everyone are subscriber list is like, yeah, of course 519 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 1: they read my stuff already. Again, you know, you start 520 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 1: to segment out, you know, who's who finds the information 521 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 1: you know valuable to their work UM, And so you 522 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 1: start to kind of see, okay, well, these are the 523 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:34,200 Speaker 1: kind of folks who are starting to subscribe. UM, these 524 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 1: are the kind of folks who are using and leveraging 525 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: these tools within their their company or within their business. 526 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 1: And so I find that just more business people that 527 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 1: are making investment decisions, that are making policy decisions, that 528 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: are even making reporting decisions, they're the ones who are like, 529 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 1: I don't have to convince them to subscribe as soon 530 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: as they learn about us, especially over the last couple 531 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:57,320 Speaker 1: of weeks, where I'm sure like we've all seen an 532 00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 1: uptick in traffic as soon as they learn about us, 533 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 1: Like they're clicking that button, they're putting their credit card 534 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:07,680 Speaker 1: in and they're like, yep, you know. And I think too, 535 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:10,719 Speaker 1: you know, in terms of UM, in terms of that 536 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 1: sales process, I think I've had to get as clear 537 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 1: as possible on the value, right I've I've had too. Again, 538 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 1: that's also talking about the work. It's demonstrating the work. 539 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 1: It's this kind of idea or philosophy around doing your 540 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 1: work in public. And so you know, demonstrating like, hey, 541 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 1: like my team and I are researching X, Y and Z, 542 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:33,600 Speaker 1: or hey like we're you know, we're looking to do 543 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 1: an interview series on X, Y and Z, you know, 544 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: and and not being afraid of like, look, if there 545 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 1: are folks that want to try to replicate what we've done, 546 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:43,640 Speaker 1: like by all means, go with God, Like, I know 547 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:45,880 Speaker 1: who I am, I know what my background is, I 548 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 1: know I know how I've built this. And like the 549 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 1: folks that like like, like you can't, you can't do 550 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 1: a story like me, You're just not going to because 551 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:57,720 Speaker 1: I'm too good at this and I have I have 552 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: a clear angle in editorial judgment on how on how 553 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: I do the work. Not everything is going to hit 554 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: with everyone, but you're gonna walk away with the story 555 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: under the story, right Like you're gonna we're gonna ask 556 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: the questions that no one else has asked. We're gonna 557 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:16,320 Speaker 1: do the extra layer because we don't necessarily have to 558 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:20,560 Speaker 1: compete for just driving page views and things like that, 559 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:24,400 Speaker 1: like that's not our metric. And so once you kind 560 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 1: of get clear on that, your sales process looks vastly different. Right, 561 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:32,760 Speaker 1: you have universities that want students to get access. So 562 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:37,040 Speaker 1: you know, again like I'm not for everybody, and that's okay, 563 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: And I think niche is so significant and I'm sure 564 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:41,640 Speaker 1: you know, these are the kind of the conversations that 565 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 1: you may be having to well around um you know, 566 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:51,239 Speaker 1: having these discussions with folks who felt like initially like 567 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: is black news, black tech news and black businesses is 568 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: not actually a business? You know, Like how many times 569 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 1: have I you know, been in environments or space is 570 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:04,120 Speaker 1: where folks have been like that's great, but like, oh 571 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 1: you know that's like not a big thing. And but 572 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 1: they said that to us about our hair care. You know, 573 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 1: they said that to us about our sunscreen. Now you've 574 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: got black Girl sunscreen like killing it right now. Um 575 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:21,840 Speaker 1: So again like being underestimated, you know, as Arlen Hamilton says, 576 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:25,160 Speaker 1: like it's such a great opportunity to be like, all right, 577 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 1: I know my audience, and I know that for every 578 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 1: person that's like me that has a very similar life 579 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: experience or comes from a very similar experience, like I 580 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: know that they're out there, right, but I also know 581 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:39,680 Speaker 1: too that there are crops of individuals who are trying 582 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 1: to get it and the way that they speak the 583 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:45,040 Speaker 1: way that they talk, the kind of schools they come from, 584 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: the kind of communities they come from. There's a certain 585 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 1: language in which they identify with UM as they read 586 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:56,280 Speaker 1: and digest information, and like, if you can develop your 587 00:32:56,360 --> 00:33:00,120 Speaker 1: content in a way that is that has journalistic integrity 588 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 1: but also meets the needs of today's business mind, You're like, 589 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 1: you can't, you can't really lose UM. So you know again, 590 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: I think at the end of the day, like all 591 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,280 Speaker 1: of that said, and all the great words said, it's 592 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 1: all an experiment. I mean, you know, we're either between 593 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:21,640 Speaker 1: being wildly successful or completely failing. Like, I don't know, 594 00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 1: I just keep going. But talk to me about the 595 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:29,240 Speaker 1: early on. You know, how you build that credibility to 596 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:32,840 Speaker 1: monetize early or where people don't question or at least 597 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:35,239 Speaker 1: are more receptive to paying for your work. Like, how 598 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: do you build that credibility? You know, I think there's 599 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:42,160 Speaker 1: a variety of ways. UM. I think number one, UM, 600 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:45,120 Speaker 1: and I'll and I don't know if if these are 601 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:47,680 Speaker 1: conversations you've had yet with other folks on this podcast, 602 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 1: But you know, as a black woman, my credibility has 603 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:54,320 Speaker 1: been doubted in every room that I've been in. Oh, yeah, 604 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: we talked about that, Yes, yeah, until it's not right, 605 00:33:57,480 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 1: Like I've been talked over. I've had, you know, my 606 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 1: can't pains where I have completely won and um still 607 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 1: my male counterparts, you know, are either a trying to 608 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:10,239 Speaker 1: take crowded or they did something mildly okay and they 609 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: were praised. And so for me, I didn't go into 610 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:21,720 Speaker 1: building this out um with without knowing that it's gonna 611 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 1: take me a little while to be recognized because we 612 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 1: don't call black women geniuses, not outside of our own communities. 613 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,000 Speaker 1: We don't. We don't we talk about being the next whatever. 614 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 1: We talk about Mark Zuckerberg, and we talk about Elon Musk, 615 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:37,560 Speaker 1: and we talk about Bill Gates. Right, we don't talk 616 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:40,239 Speaker 1: about the next Jewel Burks. We don't talk about the 617 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 1: next Utra Wilson. Like, don't tell me you know you 618 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 1: want to be the next Zuckerberg? Like why Like there's 619 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:51,040 Speaker 1: so many other individuals that like I want my nieces 620 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:55,200 Speaker 1: to look up to, right, And so for me knowing 621 00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:58,920 Speaker 1: that and being hyper aware and hyper clear, um, for me, 622 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 1: it was like, I like, you're not going to outwork 623 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,439 Speaker 1: my work and the quality of my work, because it's 624 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 1: always going to get better. And so for me, it 625 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 1: was as long as I put the work in, it's 626 00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:13,600 Speaker 1: going to come together. Right for me, it wasn't about 627 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:19,239 Speaker 1: the hyper visibility or the accolades or the attention even 628 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: on social media, but it was leveraging the tools and 629 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:24,839 Speaker 1: resources that I had access to. Because I didn't have 630 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:30,440 Speaker 1: the dollars right, so I couldn't invest in a pr person. 631 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:34,319 Speaker 1: I couldn't invest in like crazy ads or what have you. 632 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:36,799 Speaker 1: My work in and of itself had to stand on 633 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:41,840 Speaker 1: its own, and then being strategic about my network and 634 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:45,600 Speaker 1: sharing and constantly talking about my work and saying like hey, 635 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:47,680 Speaker 1: you know, actually you know I run X, Y and Z. 636 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:50,080 Speaker 1: This is the work that we're doing making it useful 637 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: for people UM. And as it kind of crept along, 638 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:56,440 Speaker 1: you know it, it was helpful. I mean, obviously the 639 00:35:56,640 --> 00:36:00,400 Speaker 1: biggest boon for us was, you know, our text statements 640 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,080 Speaker 1: database that we put together UM a few days after 641 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:05,440 Speaker 1: George Floyd was killed and we started to see all 642 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:08,480 Speaker 1: these text ceo s start to speak out about UM 643 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 1: racism in police brutality, and and as I started to 644 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:15,440 Speaker 1: track and again, like I started this project with with 645 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:18,400 Speaker 1: the idea of I want to create a story and 646 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:22,040 Speaker 1: craft a story of of of you know, who these 647 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 1: companies are, who these leaders are, and what their actual 648 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 1: like racial representation looks like at their companies. Because they're 649 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:32,319 Speaker 1: talking a good game, does that actually mean that they're 650 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 1: practicing what they preach? And again that whole philosophy, I'm 651 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:39,440 Speaker 1: doing your work in public. Once I got to like 652 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:42,960 Speaker 1: companies and I started working with one of our data 653 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 1: fellows to like complete some of the the different attributes 654 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:50,200 Speaker 1: and tables and columns, it was like, okay, like let's 655 00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:52,239 Speaker 1: kind of push us out and kind of see if 656 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:54,759 Speaker 1: other people have things to add to it. And it 657 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 1: went viral, you know, and it's like, this is not 658 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:00,319 Speaker 1: the first you know, sheet or database that like we've 659 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:02,640 Speaker 1: we've allowed to kind of go into the wild. It's 660 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:05,880 Speaker 1: not the first time we've created an infographic to explain 661 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 1: what this actually looks like. It's just the first one 662 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:12,640 Speaker 1: to go viral. UM and so that again added another layer, 663 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 1: you know. I went to Columbia Journalism School and I 664 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:18,399 Speaker 1: did a data concentration. It was very strategic and going 665 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:21,120 Speaker 1: to this specific program was the only one that I 666 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:23,960 Speaker 1: I applied to. UM. Part of it was definitely for 667 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:27,680 Speaker 1: clout because the name Columbia carries weight, especially within media 668 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:31,840 Speaker 1: where majority of folks did go to the j School UM. Secondarily, 669 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,319 Speaker 1: they were the only ones that had a ten month 670 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:38,160 Speaker 1: masters program with the data concentration. And I was like, look, 671 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,000 Speaker 1: I love being a journalist, I love being a storyteller, 672 00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:43,480 Speaker 1: but I don't want to spend six figures on just 673 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:45,520 Speaker 1: getting a degree to learn how to write. I know 674 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:47,920 Speaker 1: how to write. Um, I want to go with this 675 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:51,239 Speaker 1: computational side because that's the space that I come from. 676 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:54,320 Speaker 1: You know. I had helped to run marketing for Uber 677 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:56,719 Speaker 1: in Charlotte, so it was like analytics was at the 678 00:37:56,760 --> 00:37:58,960 Speaker 1: top of the chain of everything that we did. And 679 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,520 Speaker 1: so I was like, how do I create this hybrid opportunity? 680 00:38:01,880 --> 00:38:04,000 Speaker 1: And then honestly like it was like a follow spells. 681 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:07,479 Speaker 1: I got a master degree, you know, a ten month 682 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:11,200 Speaker 1: program that almost died died to get and I can 683 00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:14,680 Speaker 1: go teach you know in some some regards. So so 684 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:18,399 Speaker 1: for me, that layer was yes, now when I walk 685 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 1: into the room, I have additional access to networks that 686 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:25,359 Speaker 1: can help to elevate my publication and at least make 687 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 1: those different UM connection points for me. It's interesting you 688 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,719 Speaker 1: talked about we don't call enough of us geniuses, right. 689 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:36,319 Speaker 1: I had this conversation with Alex Wolfe Um in New 690 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:39,480 Speaker 1: York and who I believe is a genius like Alex Um. 691 00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:44,719 Speaker 1: She she had this philosophy that in her mind, the 692 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:47,880 Speaker 1: women who were on the corners in New York selling fruit, 693 00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:51,680 Speaker 1: we're more entrepreneurial than a lot of the mainstream CEOs 694 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 1: and tech founders that we hail as entrepreneurial. Maven's right, essentially, 695 00:38:56,000 --> 00:39:00,319 Speaker 1: because those women created real value and it's in just 696 00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:04,000 Speaker 1: about likes and swipes. Um and I wonder your thoughts 697 00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:09,360 Speaker 1: on how we as black creatives, technologists, innovators, and founders 698 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:13,520 Speaker 1: can better tap into a market opportunity and rethink our 699 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 1: business models. I think it's so important that we read everything, 700 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:21,120 Speaker 1: you know. I think that like, there's so much great 701 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:24,560 Speaker 1: information out there. I think there's so many great things 702 00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:29,760 Speaker 1: from business books to UM two blogs to obviously the podcasts, 703 00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:34,400 Speaker 1: because it helps to enlargen our world in perspective beyond 704 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,040 Speaker 1: just what we can see. I'm concerned that we have, 705 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:43,799 Speaker 1: like in entrepreneurship, just to being cute online, and like 706 00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:46,080 Speaker 1: I said before, I think it's a distraction away from 707 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:48,319 Speaker 1: some of the very real challenges we're up against as 708 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:52,120 Speaker 1: a community. And I think that even as we see 709 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,400 Speaker 1: kind of celeb and influence, our cultures start to battle 710 00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:58,439 Speaker 1: it out right now, and in this pandemic, there's such 711 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:02,560 Speaker 1: a great opportunity to be real problem solvers, and not 712 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:05,480 Speaker 1: everyone is deeply connected to what those problems look like. 713 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:07,160 Speaker 1: That's why I say, like reading is going to be 714 00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:11,640 Speaker 1: so critical to like the ideation process of what is 715 00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:13,719 Speaker 1: the value that the world is looking for? And now 716 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:15,879 Speaker 1: how do I get in it? I think of the 717 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:20,520 Speaker 1: safety uh Fabodes, whose name I'm probably butchering, but over 718 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:25,680 Speaker 1: a Aruna Technologies, who's building water sensors for municipalities like 719 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:29,600 Speaker 1: our infrastructure. Our water infrastructure in the US is over 720 00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:32,799 Speaker 1: half a century old. And so when we look at 721 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:36,680 Speaker 1: the flints of the world and what happened there, like 722 00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:40,240 Speaker 1: he directly is like, I don't want another flint to happen, 723 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 1: So how do I create a tool that these water 724 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:48,880 Speaker 1: engineers can use to detect early potential contamination of water? 725 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:53,719 Speaker 1: That's a billion dollar business right off right after that? 726 00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:56,759 Speaker 1: And guess what, like I mean, he's raising money, He 727 00:40:56,840 --> 00:41:00,480 Speaker 1: and his his partner are raising money. But he's already 728 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:03,680 Speaker 1: got government contracts in play, right, so the right the 729 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:06,799 Speaker 1: money is for working capital, but you've got you've got 730 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:10,960 Speaker 1: contracts with government that last eight years, so your money 731 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:13,920 Speaker 1: is good. Um. But you have to like really be 732 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:16,839 Speaker 1: in tune and diversify what you're reading and what you're 733 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:20,160 Speaker 1: watching so that you can start to get those ideas 734 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:25,240 Speaker 1: perculating around the problems that you can actually solve. Finding 735 00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:28,440 Speaker 1: ideas and letting an idea mature is part of the game. 736 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:31,319 Speaker 1: You try certain things and if it works, it's great. 737 00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:33,799 Speaker 1: If it doesn't, you've learned something and you find out 738 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 1: you do your post mortem and you realize, like, maybe 739 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:40,439 Speaker 1: that didn't really work. Um. So anyway, I think, I think, um, 740 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:42,480 Speaker 1: I think in terms of adding value, you've got to 741 00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:45,279 Speaker 1: know what value looks like. You know, you've got to 742 00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:47,839 Speaker 1: know what the problems are and the pain points really are. 743 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:50,080 Speaker 1: And I you know, I really becove folks to just 744 00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:53,960 Speaker 1: think about, like what are the deepest challenges based on 745 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:56,720 Speaker 1: the data that I'm reading, based on the journals Google 746 00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:00,200 Speaker 1: scholar like you can look up every you know, every thing. 747 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:02,239 Speaker 1: I think all the books that have come out from 748 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:05,600 Speaker 1: black and brown folks who have been writing about systemic 749 00:42:05,680 --> 00:42:09,320 Speaker 1: racism or what have you. Like, that's a great material 750 00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:12,760 Speaker 1: to start with. You know about what the actual value 751 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:15,279 Speaker 1: add could potentially be, but you have to kind of 752 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:18,480 Speaker 1: make sure your content stack is is matching up to 753 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:36,359 Speaker 1: help you get those ideas. Fling Black Tech Green Money 754 00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:38,759 Speaker 1: is a production of Black of the afro Tech was 755 00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:43,080 Speaker 1: produced by Morgan Davon and me Will Lucas. Additional production 756 00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:48,160 Speaker 1: support by Love Beach, Stephanie bog Ravener Ball Special thank 757 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:50,840 Speaker 1: you to Michael Davis. Some cars of van Yan you 758 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:53,239 Speaker 1: know like the wine and yes that's his real name 759 00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:57,680 Speaker 1: and Dominique Right. Learn more about Charelle Dorsey and other 760 00:42:57,719 --> 00:43:01,640 Speaker 1: tech disruptors and innovators at afro Tech. Can't You Get 761 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:03,640 Speaker 1: Your Money? Pece of Love