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Financial literacy is the new civil rights movement according to John Hope Bryant. Bryant, a passionate advocate for economic empowerment, urges the Black community to adopt a laser-focused mindset on f inancial literacy. Since 1992, he has served as Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc., dedicating himself to empowering underserved communities. According to its LinkedIn profile, the organization has impacted over 2.8 million people and has facilitated the direction of $2.4 billion in private capital. The Oprah Rule Bryant appeared on the “Black Tech Green Money” (BTGM) podcast, emphasizing the importance of understanding relationship capital, forming strategic partnerships, adopting a broader vision of wealth-building, and the day he learned the “Oprah rule.” He had been investigated before receiving the Use Your Life Award from Oprah Winfrey, an honor given to individuals improving others’ lives through charity. “When her investigators came around after she said she wanted to...
Aaron Samuels has revealed his roadmap into the venture capital space. Samuels, co-founder and former chief operating officer (COO) of Blavity — w ho now leads a venture capital firm Collide Capital — has worn various hats in a career that spans more than a decade. He was a performance poet who spent nearly 10 years traveling and went on to secure roles as a director of operations (Dialogue Arts Project); senior associate consultant (Bain & Co.); and product manager (TeleSign) between 2011 and 2016, his LinkedIn mentions. For the next seven years, Samuels helped co-found Blavity Inc., a platform catering to Black Millennials and Gen Z amplifying areas of entertainment, politics, technology, and culture. It was created alongside Morgan DeBaun (CEO), Jeff Nelson (now COO), and Jonathan Jackson. Serving as the COO laid the footprint for Samuels’ foray as founder and managing partner of Collide Capital, which was founded in 2022 alongside Brian Hollins to provide resources, operational...
If it’s one thing that Black founders know how to do, it’s make something out of nothing. During this week’s episode of Black Tech Green Money, viewers get a blast from the past from AfroTech World 2020 with Motley Fool Ventures Managing Partner Ollen Douglass. He gives insight on the keys to fundraising, trends in venture capital (VC) that founders who look like us need to tap into, and more. At Motley Fool, the underlying goal is to help people learn how to invest in the stock market to create generational wealth. “It’s really interesting in the sense that when you think about all the opportunities to create wealth, the stock market, I believe is probably the most democratized access by far,” he explained. “Ameritrade does not care what you look like and they don’t ask. Schwab doesn’t care. There are none of the barriers that you have when [you’re] just like [engaged in] real estate investing and someone has to sell you. I don’t have to call up Tim Cook to buy Apple.”
Working in corporate America is one thing, but serving as a board member across several corporations is another. Ursula Burns went from CEO of Xerox to sitting on various boards for companies including Boston Scientific, the University of Rochester, the MIT Corporation, American Express, Exxon Mobil, Uber, Waystar, and more. During her tenure at Xerox, Burns was the first Black woman to serve as a CEO of a Fortune 500 Company. For this week’s Black Tech Green Money episode, Burns sits down with Heather Hiles, the Managing Partner at Black Ops Ventures and the founder of Pathbrite, during AfroTech Executive Brooklyn. The two discuss the new era of Women In The Boardroom and how to navigate your way into those rooms and claim a seat a the table.
It’s one thing to launch a business, but a whole other thing when that business is in an industry that is highly competitive and hard for startups to scale. During this week’s episode of AfroTech’s Black Tech Green Money podcast, host Will Lucas walks us through navigating spaces in the beauty, barber, and wellness industries. Lucas speaks with both Courtney Adeleye, Founder and CEO of The Mane Choice, as well as Squire co-founders Songe LaRon and Dave Salvant about some of the things they’ve witnessed firsthand as leaders in their respective industries.
As the worldwide web continues to evolve, so must the people using it! In the land of influencers and marketers, the resources to increase those coins are more available than ever thanks to the Internet. However, oftentimes creators aren’t privy to all of the benefits that this space has to offer. That’s why AfroTech’s Black Tech Green Money podcast host Will Lucas caught up with Calaxy Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder Solo Ceesay during AfroTech Executive Miami. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AfroTech (@afro.tech) The two break down how Ceesay is using his platform to change the game for influencers and marketers with the help of the ever-evolving metaverse during the latest episode where he talks determining your value in Web 3.0. Check it out.
Years ago, when the question, “What’s in your wallet?” was posed, who would have thought the response might be “crypto.” On the latest episode of AfroTech’s Black Tech Green Money (BTGM) podcast, host Will Lucas continues his path to uncovering all things cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). However, this time the main focus is figuring out the differences in certain cryptocurrency wallets and which one can give you more bang for your buck in regard to one’s preference of keeping things as easy as possible or ensuring that your information is secure.
Our experiences can make or break us. Janeen Uzzell is an American global technology executive who knows a thing or two about how those same experiences can help to define your career. Personally, she believes having that global perspective and the opportunity to travel abroad can change the entire narrative when it comes to what success looks like for Black engineers. “It is a game-changer and I want to put it at the forefront of the way Black techies and Black engineers prioritize their decision-making,” Uzzell shared during the latest episode of AfroTech’s Black Tech Green Money podcast with host Will Lucas. “My father, who is deceased, a guy from the south came up to New Jersey as a part of the Great Migration and hustled his way to raise a family. He was like, ‘I cannot afford to give you this world, but I’m going to give everything I have to educate you and you get yourself there.’” For her, those experiences really kicked off during her tenure at General Electric where she...
One of the biggest ways to contribute to the success of Black startups in America is to level the playing field. Jewel Burks Solomon and Joey Womack are on a mission to do just that as they work to elevate Black startup founders and eliminate the relationship gap hindering the success of those without direct access to coastal financial centers. While it’s no easy feat, Solomon says that the war wounds and bruises along the way have inspired her to keep going. “The bruises were motivation, I didn’t want other people to have the same knocks that I had in my journey. So, it was pretty clear to me what I needed to do next,” she shared with Black Tech Green Money’s Will Lucas. “I saw that there were big problems, problems that I experienced when I was growing and building my own company that I needed to go and solve. Being the entrepreneur that I am, I needed to go and attack those problems. I saw taking on the role as head of Google for Startups as a great platform and a great way to...
To round out season 1 of AfroTech’s Black Tech Green Money podcast, host Will Lucas sits down with Tristan Walker, founder & CEO of Walker & Company Brands (Bevel, Form). Along with Walker & Co, Tristan Walker is also a member of the Board of Directors of Foot Locker, Inc. and Shake Shack . Walker starts the interview by discussing his decision to plant his roots in Atlanta, the mecca of Black entertainment and rising Black entrepreneurship. @tristanwalker Instagram He says confidently, “Before Walker and Company, I am a Black man. I am a Black father and I am a Black husband. So, every decision I make is in line with my personal values, which happen to match my company’s.” It goes without saying that Black culture drives the needle of what’s considered popular or successful. However, for many years, white corporations had a monopoly on products made for people of color. Walker took a moment to speak to the importance of developing products for African Americans by African...
On episode 7 of AfroTech’s Black Tech Green Money podcast, host Will Lucas sits down with data journalist, social entrepreneur, and speaker, Sherrell Dorsey, to discuss The Plug — a daily news and insights newsletter created to cover Black innovators in tech, venture capital, future of work policy, and more. Sherrell Dorsey “Are people interested in this?” That’s what Dorsey asked herself when she launched The Plug in 2016. She created the platform during a time when many tech and business news outlets failed to report insights from businesses and technologists hailing from communities of color. “I wanted to be solid in what I was creating, first,” Dorsey explains while discussing the early process of creating The Plug and the significance of early testing and adapting. “You kind of mature the idea and you, as a leader, as a practitioner, you’re maturing as well.” @sherrell_dorsey Instagram The Seattle native also discusses the importance of Black people being able to collect and...
The “Lifestyle Specialist” Kenny Burns, kicked it with host Will Lucas on this week’s episode of Black Tech Green Money to give us the game on how to really identify with what it is that makes you feel whole and excited and how to double down on it while remaining true to yourself. Kenny Burns is not only a true pioneer in the hip-hop community, but he has effectively contributed to the culture for nearly 28 years. He’s hosted some of the most iconic parties that the industry has ever seen, led RyanKenny, the 2 nd Black American apparel line retailed in Saks Fifth Avenue, and has worked as a top influencer in music and entertainment with brands like Grey Goose Vodka, CIROC, and now Uncle Nearest. @kennyburns Instagram As someone who’s had the ability to influence people far before the term influencer was considered a title, Burns says he’s “always supported or used any brand” that he’s been part of and speaks to the importance of work ethic. “If you want something bad enough, you’re...
This week’s episode of the Black Tech Green Money podcast is bound to inspire you to do work that leaves a mark on others. Host Will Lucas is joined by the master of content curation, Tuma Basa , to discuss his current role as Director of Urban Music at YouTube, how to build credibility and leverage in the music industry, and what it means to really create work that leaves an imprint on the culture. Photo via Johnny Nunez | @tumabasa Instagram Tuma Basa has a long history of creating content for hip hop culture. After working at BET and spending nearly 10 years at MTV, he joined Diddy’s REVOLT TV as VP of Music Programming. He then joined Spotify as the company’s Global Programming Head of Hip-Hop, becoming the mastermind behind the streaming service’s Rap Caviar playlist as well as several playlists focusing on Black and African music. After 5 years at Spotify, Tuma has now landed at YouTube. Tuma’s passion can be heard throughout the podcast as he stresses the importance of...
On this week’s episode of Black Tech Green Money , host Will Lucas speaks to Sevetri Wilson to explore the ins and outs of how nonprofits are created and maintained, as well as share actionable advice on how to scale your nonprofit to the next level. Wilson is the founder and CEO of Resilia, the New Orleans based tech startup established in 2015 to revolutionize and accelerate the formation process of new nonprofits, help existing organizations execute their mission, and work with enterprises to deploy billions in annual funding to support organizations in driving results. @sevetriwilson Instagram As the first Black woman in New Orleans to raise over $1M in venture capital , and the only Black founder that leads a venture-backed tech startup in the state of Louisiana, Sevetri Wilson is what most would consider peak Black Girl Magic . “When I think about influence, I think about things that can drive elections, people that can drive people to the polls and help influence someone...
On episode 3 of the Black Tech Green Money podcast, host Will Lucas sits down with media maven Karen Civil to discuss the Black opportunity in technology and how our people should not only be the influencers within the field, but also the masterminds behind the way we continue to use technology to connect the masses. Karen Civil first gained attention in 2010 after helping create and manage weezythanxyou.com, a website that allowed rapper Lil Wayne to connect with his fans through a series of published letters while he was incarcerated at Rikers Island. Since then, she’s turned her passion and knowledge of marketing and branding into her dream job and uses her platform to help others live life “the Civil way.” @karencivil | Instagram Her love for the Internet and hip-hop has allowed her to serve as the link between music and tech through her work with artists such as Nipsey Hussle, Nicki Minaj, Russ, Quavo, and many more. “They’re all Picassos, I’m just helping them paint the...