Fearless Black Women Making Millions
This past week, I had the opportunity of lighting up Atlanta at not one but three conferences centered on community, mentorship, education and capital–four pillars that hold great significance in both my personal and professional journeys.? It was a magical week of fearless conversations, bold declarations, wealth building in abundance and gathering of some of the most brilliant retail, ecommerce, and business brains in the industry.??
Let’s start with Fearless Fund’s VC Summit held August 18 - 19 at the Woodruff Arts Center : What we know to be true is that our community is under attack. If you haven't heard about the lawsuit filed against the Fearless Fund Management Agency, Venture funds and Foundation, you can learn more here and here . Bottomline: the Fearless Fund organization is being sued by the organization that just won a Supreme Court case against affirmative action. Why? Fearless is being accused of racial discrimination for raising money specifically to invest in and advance Black women, the community that starts the most American businesses and raises the least amount of capital to start those businesses. Did You Know: In the first half of 2023, not only has funding to Black founders fallen below one percent – to 0.75%-- of all the VC funding deployed so far in 2023, but while venture funding to everyone has fallen 48% since 2022, funding to Black founders has fallen faster, harder, to 68.6%, and the very least amount of funding still goes to Black women. See TechCrunch .?
I was inspired to hear at the conference from founders Arian Simone and Ayana Parsons who, alongside Civil Rights lawyer Ben Crump, say they will fight this lawsuit.
Something to consider: If this lawsuit is won, it can jeopardize race and gender diversity and inclusivity practices in public and private business arenas thus setting us back for generations to come. After the deep discussions at our BrainTrust Founders Studio hosted Founders House on Martha’s Vineyard, attending the Black Women in Venture Capital summit and the last few days with the Fearless Fund team, close friends, founders, LPs, etc, I am even more committed to doubling down on our collective work and impact. We have to stand for something or what will the sacrifice have been worth!?
In alignment with this determination, my co-founder, CIO, and fellow General Partner, Lisa Stone and I have endorsed the open letter below and intend to join the fight by speaking out to champion Fearless Fund's mission of investing in a diverse array of?founders, with a specific focus to include opportunities for women of color.?
“I firmly believe that business ownership is the path to financial equality in this country. We have a long way to go to reduce the racial wealth gap that exists due to generations of oppression and exploitation of people of color, particularly Black and Latino communities. Data suggests that closing the racial wealth gap benefits ALL and can improve the overall economy by $8T through increases in GDP .” - Shila Nieves Burney, Founder and Managing Partner, Zane Venture Fund and Zane Access?
Below is an excerpt from the Open Letter organized by three women: Shila Nieves Burney ???? Zane Venture Fund , Kimberley Nixon Open Venture Capital and Tessa Flippin Capitalize VC , featured in Forbes :
“We urge all Black Women to remain vigilant and resilient, avoiding distractions that may divert them from their work. Let the wisdom of Maya Angelou and the exemplary dedication of Arian Simone, Ayana Parsons, and the Fearless Fund team serve as beacons in this regard.?
“We want to emphasize the opportunities that lie ahead. We, as Black women, are no strangers to adversity, systemic barriers, and attacks on our growth. This moment should serve as a reminder to stay innovative in our strategies, to fortify ourselves against similar assaults, and to expand our network of support, including legal counsel, limited partners, and allies. Silent support is insufficient; it is crucial that we all boldly stand against blatant attempts to stifle the voices and progress of Black Women.
“We will not be deterred from our work, and we will continue to find new pathways to economic freedom for women, women of color, and most notably for Black Women. We have work to do, lives to impact, funds to raise, and firms to build. We unequivocally support the Fearless Fund.
“We stand with our fellow fund managers in resistance and we intend to face this fight head on as we remain dedicated to our missions of furthering women, women of color and most importantly, Black Women in this country.
From there, I had the privilege of speaking at Black in eCom held at the Legacy Center on August 17 - 18 alongside some brilliant leaders in the space who are leading the charge to build businesses leveraging the power of eCommerce.?
The The eCom House Conference was created by Tiffany Johnson and Built For Launch, a non-governmental organization creating a leading ecosystem for underserved founders globally.??
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Alongside Danyel Surrency Jones : Keynote Presentation/Powered by 亚马逊 Black Business Accelerator, Tisha Thompson : From Concept to Creation: A Roadmap for Successfully Bringing Your Product Idea to the Market, Felecia Hatcher : The Power of Collaboration: Fostering Partnerships and Networks to Accelerate Growth, Rayyan Umrani, MSc. : The Power of PR, Influencer Marketing, and Brand Awareness, Charese Woods: Elevating the Black Economy with Empower Global, Ensa H and David Pulliam : Unveiling the Secrets of VC Funding: Insights from Successful Founders and Venture Capitalists, Alexandra Mitchelson moderator of: The Revolutionary Influence of Web3 on the future of eCommerce, Anjara (Washington) Hamilton and Sharee Davis Foster : Breaking into Independent Retail: Maximizing Your Reach with Faire. I led a dynamic fireside conversation: How BrainTrust is Helping Founders Start, Grow and Accelerate Sustainable Brands of the Future. The conference itself provided a backdrop to learn, network and generate leads.?
“Black in eCom is the first e-commerce conference dedicated specifically to building Black-owned businesses and features the most diverse lineup of panelists she's seen throughout her career.” - Tiffany?
The next day, I made my way to Black Women Making Millions Academy Conference: Real World. Real Women. Real WEALTH! founded by Mahisha Dellinger , Founder of Curls, was held August 19th at The Gathering Spot . Talk about a room of Black Female Millionaires… It was a beautiful thing. I had the opportunity to join fellow Black female founders onstage:?
This conference provided access to tangible tools aimed at empowering Black Women in entrepreneurship to effectively develop, build, and scale their businesses. Sponsored by 摩根大通 attendees joined intensive workshops, panel discussions, a pitch competition, a mixer, and tools—both intellectual and practical— to get your business to the next level!
Arlan, Tera, and I had the honor of uplifting and supporting fellow Black founders as judges for the pitch competition!?
Congratulations to pitch competition winners: Q. Nicole Vanderhorst , Founder & CEO of WH Farms, a North Carolina?Hemp Farm+CBD Cultivation Operation dedicated to assisting fellow entrepreneurs launch their CBD Brand & build wealth and MaKayla Parks founder of Smak’d, a black female-owned rolling paper company that launched on August 12th and currently offers two types of rolling papers; 100% organic wood pulp papers and our 100% pure hemp rolling papers.?
During our fireside discussion, Arlan and I delved deep into the theme of resilience from “NOs”, persistent pursuit of our dreams and asking ourselves daily: If we look back five years from now, will we be happy or disappointed in the impact we made on the world and specifically for others?? Arlan, with her remarkable portfolio of over 200 investments, stands as an exemplar of leadership amid adversity. If you haven’t read her book - It’s About Damn Time -? named one of the best books of the year by Fortune Magazine, get it now.? And make sure to pre-order her next book Your First Million: Why You Don’t Have to Be Born into a Legacy of Wealth to Leave One Behind.?
“Money is power, she says, because it provides us with options: to pursue our passions, take risks, and change our situation in life.” - Arlan Hamilton
I encourage you to support Fearless Fund by signing this petition , sign up to attend the Black in eCom 2024 conference and uplift Tiffany as she continues to build this incredible platform and join Black Women Making Millions Academy to continue to grow and build your own wealth plan.?
Save the Date for BrainTrust Founders Studio Founders House during New York Fashion Week, September 8th! For more information or to become a sponsor, email [email protected] .?
Continuous Improvement Specialist
11 个月https://gofund.me/202f0905 I know this is a long shot, but I'm desperate to help my daughter...if you can share or donate to help her I would appreciate it so much!!
Executive Coach for Driven Executives, Emerging Leaders, and Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs looking for purpose, accountability, and professional development.
1 年It is important that black businesses get the support they need to grow. It starts with business owners working with mentors, coaches, and consultants to help ensure they have strong strategies and are taking the steps necessary to grow.
I am so glad that I met you in Florida during The Entreprenista event and can now be inspired by all that you do.
Beauty Director
1 年This is fantastic!
Helping exceptional Georgia State University students and community navigate the educational landscape to develop and scale their business ideas.
1 年Meeting you was such as honor last Saturday at the Women Making Millions Conference. I attended with an open mind and left with so many nuggets to build upon. I look forward to following up with you as we discussed (femtech / menopausal health).