The Plug Says Farewell After A 7-Year Run — 'We're Closing Our Doors, But Never Abandoning Our Convictions'

Launched in 2016, the journalism and insights company’s mission was for its research initiatives to not only inform but support Black founders and beyond in advancing Black innovation. What’s more, The Plug described itself as “the first daily tech newsletter covering Black startups and ecosystems.”

“I set out to build a smart and data-driven publication that would set the course for deep investigation and analysis of the Black tech ecosystem. I am proud of the work and impact my team and I had throughout our journey,” Dorsey shared in a statement to AfroTech. “It’s now time for the next level, and though we will all greatly miss The Plug, there’s still important work to be done to document Black innovation’s immense contribution and growth to the futures we are building as a society.”

According to Dorsey, The Plug team’s data helped founders “raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, accelerators launch in new markets, and bring visibility to ecosystem leaders who largely remain overlooked.”

Its reporting and research was also picked up by top news outlets, such as The Washington Post, LA Times, ADWeek, The Information, Bloomberg, and others.

The Plug found support through a strong roster of clients as well, including MasterCard, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Ford Foundation, Omidyar Network, Blacks in Technology, Comcast NBCUniversal, New Profit, Knight Foundation, and Knight-Lenfest.

Although The Plug has unplugged, Dorsey ensures that its websites will remain online for people to still access the reporting and research that she and her team have conducted over the years.

“We’re closing our doors, but never abandoning our convictions,” Dorsey shared in her farewell newsletter.

As Dorsey embarks on a new journey, she shared that along with delivering her first TEDx Talk at Binghamton University in New York in March 2023, she is currently consulting with several companies on projects and hosting the TED Tech podcast. 

“I remain open to new opportunities to help planet-forward companies build the necessary technologies to change our relationship with the resources we have on earth, while also creating onramps via skills training for underserved communities to onboard into the future of work,” Dorsey also said in the newsletter.