ACT House

? Raise your glass to the past, present, and future at Twilight Toast: Legacy to Innovation ???? Join us for a rooftop soirée at the stunning Davenport Lofts as we celebrate 9 years of 36 Degrees North’s legacy and toast to the next chapter with Gradient. ?? What to expect: ?? Heartfelt toasts, a champagne fountain, and decadent bites ? Exclusive reveal of the exciting restaurant concept coming to Gradient in 2025 ?? Breathtaking panoramic views of our city ?? A night of elegance and reflection Let’s honor the memories, growth, and innovation that brought us here—and embrace the future with style. ?? Space is limited, so grab your ticket now and secure your place under the stars. Don’t miss this unforgettable evening! #TwilightToast #LegacyToInnovation #CelebrateGradient

??? It’s Global Entrepreneurship Week, and Gradient is leading the charge in Tulsa! Formerly known as 36 Degrees North, Gradient is proud to host an incredible lineup of events celebrating the innovators, dreamers, and builders who shape our world.?? From networking opportunities to hands-on workshops and inspiring talks, there’s something for every aspiring entrepreneur, seasoned founder, or community supporter. ???? ?? What’s Global Entrepreneurship Week all about? Global Entrepreneurship Week is a celebration of the changemakers who bring ideas to life, drive economic growth, and expand human potential. For one week each November, we come together to explore what’s possible and ignite new ideas that can transform our future. ??? Why You Should Join Gradient This Week: ?? Connect: Network with like-minded innovators and potential collaborators. ?? Learn: Attend workshops to sharpen your skills and elevate your entrepreneurial journey. ?? Be Inspired: Hear from local and national leaders who’ve been in the trenches and found success. ?? Make an Impact: Be part of a global movement that empowers self-starters and job creators everywhere. ??? Mark your calendars: Gradient has events planned out all week—don’t miss your chance to join the celebration, spark new ideas, and take your next step as an entrepreneur. Stay tuned for the full schedule and details! ?? Let’s build something amazing together. Jordan McNear Malachi Blankenship Dominick J. Ard'is, I Maria Kim Folasade Akande, M.S. Sam Carlton Jasmine Ahmed Llopis Taron Foxworth #GEW2024 #GlobalEntrepreneurshipWeek #TulsaEntrepreneurs #Innovation #Startups #GradientTulsa #36DegreesNorth #BuildYourFuture #CommunityOfCreators

Still so inspired from this incredible weekend! A huge thank you to ACT House for the opportunity to contribute, to the BEST event partners (TechTown Detroit, Venture 313, and Invest Detroit), and to every innovator who came out and made the day so special! ??

According to Crunchbase, 0.3% of U.S. venture capital was allocated to Black entrepreneurs in the first half of 2024. That's why I'm proud to have served as a judge for non-profit Black Ambition's HBCU Demo Day, powered by ACT House. Last Thursday, $300,000 was allocated to 10 innovative startups below?– and leader development + connections will follow. Since 2020, Black Ambition has allocated $10 million+ in capital to close the gap. Next month, $1 million will be awarded to a Black or Hispanic founder selected from over 2,000 entrepreneurs. https://lnkd.in/eYfVPt6Q Thanks Pharrell Williams, Felecia Hatcher, Dominick J. Ard'is, Amanda Abernathy, Maria Kim and fellow judges. You've all inspired me to be more ambitious,?and do more to address this access to capital crisis. #innovation #ambition #startups

Why are you still waiting to turn your big ideas into reality? Our 24-hour Innovation Bootcamp is happening next week—November 8th-9th, from 4 PM to 4 PM. ?? No excuses—it’s after work hours. ?? 24 hours to create, collaborate, and innovate. ?? Team up, build, pitch, and win in an immersive experience. This is your chance to make real progress in just one day. It’s easy, it’s fast-paced, and it’s exactly where you need to be. Register now and start making moves! ?? Register Here: https://lnkd.in/ghAgJWMC Build in Tulsa Techstars Accelerator #InnovationBootcamp #Entrepreneurship #StartupJourney #TechCommunity #BusinessGrowth #FutureFounders #InnovationHub #LinkedInCommunity

Real talk, raw moments, real connections. ??? Made possible by amazing partners like Venture 313, TechTown Detroit and Invest Detroit ???????? This isn’t just a bootcamp—it’s a launchpad. When you step into our 24hr Innovation Bootcamp, you’re stepping into a vibe, a movement, and a family of creators who all want the same thing: to shake things up. ???? From late-night breakthroughs to sunrise pitch sessions, this crew made it unforgettable. ?? No filters, just founders sharing their stories, taking their ideas further than they thought possible. Wanna feel the energy? Join us next time and see what can happen in just 24 hours. ???? #NotYourAverageBootcamp #InnovationUnleashed #BuildYourFuture #DetroitDreams #ACTHouse Dominick J. Ard'is, I Malachi Blankenship Maria Kim Jordan McNear Sam Carlton Crystal Cruz Jada Wilson Belvin Liles III Caleb Conley Devankar Mukhi

?? 9-YEAR-OLD CEO ALERT ?? Jeff absolutely took over our 24hr Innovation Bootcamp in Detroit and showed everyone how it’s done! ???? ??????At just 9 years old, he built Project Car from scratch, coding the game himself and leading his team like a true boss. ???? When passion and talent meet, age is just a number. ?? Huge props to all the partners involved ACT House, Invest Detroit, TechTown Detroit and Venture 313 for making this epic moment possible! #YoungMogul #ProjectCar #InnovationInMotion #DetroitHustle #NextGenLeaders #ACTHouse #FutureCEO #investdetroit #techtowndetroit #venture313

Black Ambition Prize 2021: Denied ? Black Ambition Prize 2022: Denied ? So Ambitious Pre-Accelerator '23: Accepted but didn't win ?? Black Ambition Prize '23: Semi-finalists but didn't win ?? Black Ambition Prize '24: Denied ? So Ambitious Pre-Accelerator '24: Grand prize winner of $50k ???? -- Still in complete shock after this win last week ?? a true testament of never giving up?on your vision & never letting the denials define you. I’d be a liar to say these “losses” or denials don’t get discouraging at times (these aren’t even the half ??)… but I always took them as an opportunity to continue to get in the lab & keep improving. ???? & we'll do the same thing even with this win ???????? Thank you to the teams at ACT House (Dominick J. Ard'is, I & Maria Kim) & Black Ambition, and the judges Fatimah Bello, Jonté Harrell, Nate Thompson, and Miles Tucker for believing in us! ???? Looking forward to sharing what’s next for Forefront ATL, Inc. after this win!????? #blackambition #soambitious #startups #creatoreconomy #influencermarketing

We came out as top 10. ?? With over 8 weeks (+ Demo Day) at Black Ambition's So Ambitious HBCU Pre-Accelerator Program, my startup company Beebz was named top 10 startups from over 100 companies owned by black founders in the cohort. It was an engaging, inspiring and taskful one during those hours my co-founder, Habeeb, and I were on these. Shout to the team at Black Ambition and So Ambitious. They made our stay worth it as we learnt new concepts in the startup world, and we are able to see our startup on much better lens and got backing. We navigated through: How to develop MVP, Market Fit, Business Model, Branding, Venture Investments, and more influential topics. Read our first selection announcement here: https://lnkd.in/d487Zu3Z See announcement about Demo Day here: https://lnkd.in/d6HmJmQB Join us today and see the amazing travel innovations we are building with Beebz. Move there better. beebzride.com

??? Comment the city you want us to come to next! ???? We’re taking the hustle nationwide! ???? ?? Detroit showed up and showed out at our 24-Hour Innovation Bootcamp! ?? With partners like?TechTown Detroit,?Venture 313?and?Invest Detroit, we saw 8-10 teams bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from a skills trade/bartering platform to Project Car, a live Mario Kart experience built by young innovator Jeff! ????? The energy and hustle of?#DetroitVsEverybody?was in full force. We can’t wait to expand our work here and keep building with the Motor City’s best! ?? Detroit is a hub of creativity and determination. ?? In just 24 hours, teams transformed their ideas into real solutions, from tech that bridges communities to immersive gaming experiences. The innovation here is unstoppable, and we’re excited to keep building with Detroit’s best. ????#DetroitInnovation?#MotorCityMagic?#StartUpStrong?#BuildingTheFuture ?? Huge congratulations to our winners! ?? 1st Place: TRAID SKILLS ?? 2nd Place: READi ?? 3rd Place: No Food Left Behind ?? Audience Choice Award: Project Car Each of these teams has shown that Detroit’s innovative spirit is unmatched, and we can’t wait to see how these projects grow from here! ???#InnovationBootcamp?#DetroitTech?#StartupLife?#ACTHouse #WinnersCircle?#InnovateDetroit?#HustleHard?#DetroitTech Caleb Conley Belvin Liles III Dominick J. Ard'is, I Maria Kim Malachi Blankenship Crystal Cruz Jordan McNear Jada Wilson Sam Carlton