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Anthony Gantt is Founder and CEO of atease, a company that qualifies and lists temporary lodging rental inventory which enables per diem government travelers to stay in accommodation types beyond hotels. Anthony grew up in Miami, in a large family with modest means. He had gifts for math, STEM, and athletics. When he got to Florida A&M University, he was quickly hit with the sticker shock of college expenses, even at public HBCU like A&M. Urgency for solutions led him to take up the suggestion of the military as a way to subsidize his college experience. What followed is a 22+ year distinguished career in the United States Marine Corp. Thank you so much for your service Anthony!   It was during his military tenure that he discovered that a number of the lodging options you and I now take for granted, weren’t allowed for those working in the various areas of the US government. As a father of six, he realized that small hotel rooms don’t meet the need when called to move across the country for a new assignment. And so, atease was born. Anthony has a great story. You’ll want to listen in. In this episode Anthony and Dan discussed: Growing up in Miami and attending an HBCU How he tried to enlist in two other branches before landing in the Marines Why he thinks it's hard for civilian companies to appreciate veterans' experience How his military experience and training prepared him for entrepreneurship What he has in common with Jeff Bezos OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE: Entrepreneur Struggle A compelling podcast with host Chris Colbert from DCP Entertainment. Listen anywhere you get podcasts or go to dcpofficial.com/entrepreneurstruggle MORE on ANTHONY and ATEASE Anthony: instagram.com/ganttjr.anthony linkedin.com/in/anthony-j-gantt-jr-maj-ret thetechtribune.com/anthony-gantt-of-at-ease/ atease: pcsatease.com linkedin.com/company/ateaserentals facebook.com/ATEASERentals twitter.com/At_Ease_Rentals instagram.com/at_ease_rentals Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent #travel #OTA #USmilitary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chantal Emmanuel is Co-Founder and CTO of LimeLoop, a company that is delivering a world without waste with their reusable smart packaging. Chantal grew up in Queens, in a neighborhood without many people of color, but with a strong sense of her Caribbean heritage, surrounded by a large extended family. She brought a calling to serve with her after college, leading to work in AmeriCorps, but it was her analytical and logic-driven intellect that soon brought her to data, and software.  With a pivot through coding bootcamp and relocation to the Bay Area, Chantall found herself working for Red Clay Design, a company developing software to bring together industrial designers and retail companies. It was at Red Clay that Chantal would come across both the core idea for Lime Loop, and her co-founder Ashley. This would lead to the start of her founder journey years later. Chantal has a great story. You’ll want to listen in. In this episode Chantal and Dan discussed: Growing up with a supportive, big family Going from AmeriCorps to software development How she joined the small club of black women who've raised $1M The inefficiencies and cautions of how we ship today What wakes her up at 2am OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE: Entrepreneur Struggle A compelling podcast with host Chris Colbert from DCP Entertainment. Listen anywhere you get podcasts or go to dcpofficial.com/entrepreneurstruggle MORE on CHANTAL and LIMELOOP Chantal: linkedin.com/in/chantalemmanuel twitter.com/ChantalEmmanuel instagram.com/cto_chantal LimeLoop: thelimeloop.com twitter.com/thelimeloop linkedin.com/company/limeloop instagram.com/thelimeloop Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent #commerce #3PL #shippinglogistics Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oluwasoga Oni is Co-Founder and CEO of MDaaS Global, a company that is building Africa's largest network of physical and virtual diagnostic and primary care facilities, ultimately to provide quality and affordable healthcare for the continent's next billion. Soga, as he’s known, grew up in a rural town in Nigeria, surrounded by a family of doctors and medical professionals. And while he didn’t have the calling himself, he saw firsthand the gaps and challenges faced by providers. His love of tinkering and problem solving led him to software development and work in the US. But it was his time at MIT where he was challenged by one of his professors: come up with a business that will impact a billion people. And so MDaaS was born.  Since inception the company has pivoted from a medical equipment supplier to a full stack of diagnostic and testing centers, where MDaaS focuses on patient experience on site, and prevention and wellness when patients are at home and on the go. The company is backed by the likes of Techstars, Google for Startups, and the Jack Ma foundation. Soga has a great story. You will want to listen in. In this episode Soga and Dan discussed: Seeing medical care's challenges from his dad's doctor office Adjusting to life and college in the US from Nigeria Why African healthcare has nowhere to go but up Life as husband-wife co-founder team Reading signals - from investors and customers OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:The Plug Delivering clear analysis and powerful insights on what's shaping the Black innovation economy. Get your annual subscription to The Plug at tpinsights.com MORE on SOGA and MDAAS Soga: linkedin.com/in/oluwasoga twitter.com/sogatemi typeshare.co/ogasoga MDaaS: mdaas.io twitter.com/mdaasglobal linkedin.com/company/mdaas instagram.com/sentinelx.io Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent #healthtech #nigeriastartups Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rod Johson is Co-Founder of BLK & Bold, the preeminent black-owned coffee company in America. Black & Bold was founded with the desire to unite coffee and tea lovers worldwide through a common interest of investing in community. Rod grew up in the working-class city of Gary Indiana and eventually went on to Indiana University and a career in development and giving. But he soon developed a restlessness that only business ownership could fix. Along with lifelong friend Pernell, Rod set out to find their entrepreneurial calling, one that could match purpose with profit.  And so BLK & Bold was born in 2018. Since then, Rod and Pernell have grown BLK & Bold into a national brand carried by the likes of Target and Whole Foods. They have a rare licensing deal with the NBA and have been celebrated by Dwanye Wade on the Ellen show. All this, completely bootstrapped from their headquarters in Des Moines Iowa. Rod has a great story. You’ll want to listen in. In this episode Rod and Dan discussed: Growing up in Gary and the Midwest How a basketball hoop brought Rod and his Co-Founder together Why starting a business built on giving back is so important How the fire department was a part their early product development Tradeoffs when doing a start up with a 'day job' OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE: AfriBlocks The global pan-African freelance marketplace and collaboration platform. Tell them "Dan sent you" for 10% off your first order. More at afriblocks.com MORE on ROD and BLK & BOLD Rod: linkedin.com/in/johnsonrod2342/ BLK & Bold: blkandbold.com instagram.com/blkandbold linkedin.com/company/blkandbold twitter.com/BlkandBold Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent #blackowned #coffee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SPECIAL EPISODE! OUR 3RD ANNIVERSARY 🎉🎆 What an amazing three years! Since we started in 2019, we’ve had 50 episodes interviewing 50 founders from 48 companies. As of mid-2022, our guests employ close to 500, and have collectively raised over $213M in outside funding. Incredible when you think about the challenges in fundraising that have faced all entrepreneurs, especially founders of color. They would make a pretty great portfolio! To celebrate our anniversary, we decided to go back to the beginning, 2019, and catch up with the 5 founders we had on the show that first year: Stella Ashaolu of Wesolv, Kwame Boler of Neu (Spritz), Ikechi Nwabusi of TRiBL, Bara Cola of Carbice and Coack AK Ikwuakor from E-LETE Styles I wanted to find out what the world of 2022 looked like compared to 2019, from their eyes. Thanks to Stella, Kwame, Bara, Ikechi and Coach AK for catching us up and reflecting on their journeys. Make sure to listen in. In this episode: We review the last three year and where our past guests are collectively Updates from the 5 guest founders who first came on the show in 2019 Insights from our 2019 guests on being a black founder in 2022 vs 2019 EPISODE GUESTS Stella Ashaolu: linkedin.com/in/stellaashaolu twitter.com/StellaAshaolu wesolv.com/ Kwame Boler: linkedin.com/in/kwameboler twitter.com/useSpritz usespritz.com Bara Cola: linkedin.com/in/baratundecola/ twitter.com/baratundecola carbice.com AK Ikwuakor: linkedin.com/in/akikwuakor instagram.com/ak.ikwuakor sociatap.com/coachak Ikechi Nwabuisi: linkedin.com/in/ikechi-nwabuisi twitter.com/buisi_x jointribl.com Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francisco Baptista is Founder and CEO of TeamSportz, a company building an AI sports platform to help team athletes enhance their performance.  Francisco was born in Angola, growing during a period of civil war in that country. He used basketball as an escape from this harsh environment, first by watching his mother play, and then finding sanctuary on the courts himself. Francisco moved to Brazil for his teenage years, then to Portugal, and finally now in the UK. All the while pursuing his dual passions for hoops and software development. It’s the meeting of these two loves where TeamSportz, with a zed as they say, was born. The company now boasts notable investors including Mark Gainey, co-founder of Strava and Rand Fishkin of Moz fame. Francisco has a great story. You will want to listen in. In this episode Francisco and Dan discussed: growing up in war and in different countries how his upbringing matured him past his contemporaries while in school how Portuguese differs from Angola, to Brazil, to Portugal how asking for advice, led to an investor, and another, and another... playing university-level basketball as a teen, by "being Francisco Sr" OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:Founders Live the global venue for entrepreneurs to experience events, content, and community. Check out founderslive.com to join and to find a live event near you. MORE on FRANCISCO and TEAMSPORTZ Francisco: twitter.com/tomboa linkedin.com/in/baptistafrancisco TeamSportz: teamsportz.pro linkedin.com/company/teamsportz twitter.com/teamsportz_ instagram.com/teamsportz Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent #sportstech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keara Kindelynn is Founder and CEO of Foreverly, a company with a mission to make dealing with death--a little less stressful. Foreverly helps organizations support their employees who have experienced the death of a loved one.  Kera was born to a family with deep roots to her hometown of Brooklyn. She emerged from college and business school, climbing the corporate ladder. Leading all the way to Seattle and Microsoft. But it was her calling to volunteering and service that led her to the world of hospice, end of life, and the underserved season of bereavement. Kera saw that the death of a loved one is an unguided, stressful, and lonely experience - for those grieving and for those who want to support them. It’s from this transformative understanding that Foreverly was born. We spoke with Kera recently just after finishing the Techstars program. Keara has a great story. You’ll want to listen in. In this episode Keara and Dan discussed: growing up in Brooklyn parents who supported continuous curiosity being mind-blown by her first experience with affluent black America the "tragedies in 3's" that spurred on starting Foreverly pivoting from selling service to customers, to a benefit for companies OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:Trajectory: Startup - Ideation to Product/Market Fit A new book by entrepreneur and investor Dave Parker. This hot-off-the-presses publication is THE playbook for those at the earliest stages of the startup journey. Or even if you are just contemplating the jump to entrepreneurship. To get this great resource, go to dkparker.com or find anywhere you buy books. MORE on KEARA and FOREVERLY Keara: linkedin.com/in/kearakindelynn instagram.com/kearakindelynn Foreverly: foreverly.co linkedin.com/company/foreverlyco twitter.com/foreverlyco instagram.com/foreverlyco Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent #bereavement Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sabrina Williams is Founder and CEO of SEED, a company that helps consumers and underserved farmers grow smart and feed more by democratizing access to agriculture technology. Sabrina is a native Californian, born and raised in Compton. Her curiosity and passions led her to pursuits in architecture, law, and urban planning. Through her non-profit, she dedicated herself to social justice challenges in urban communities. It was in this arena that Sabrina discovered the core issue that would lead to SEED: food insecurity amongst the most vulnerable, lower income populations. Now her company is bringing together technology, climate policy, and food equity to create more and better access to growing. Sabrina has a great story. You’ll want to listen in. In this episode Sabrina and Dan discussed: the journey from architecture to law to urban planning how SEED started as a big idea and morphed into a huge one the link from food equity and social justice the connection between Elvis, Karl Marx, and the Blues balancing the startup life by playing in a ska band OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:The Plug Delivering clear analysis and powerful insights on what's shaping the Black innovation economy. Get your annual subscription to The Plug at tpinsights.com MORE on SABRINA and SEED Sabrina: linkedin.com/in/sabrina-l-williams twitter.com/SabWill instagram.com/sabwilll SEED: seedbox.systems linkedin.com/company/seed-sustainable-entrepreneurial-ecosystem-development twitter.com/seedboxsystems instagram.com/seedbox.systems Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent #agritech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sean Bovell is Founder and CEO of Invidica, a company building a marketplace platform that is transforming the reseller economy one product at a time.  Sean has an amazing background. Born in the UK, raised in predominantly white communities in Utah and Idaho, before landing in Oakland for his formative year. A natural at math and STEM, Sean has been drawn to tech from an early age. He built his first ecommerce company from the ground up, alternately celebrating and struggling with the highs and lows of rules and technology that seem to change constantly. But it was through this bootcamp of sorts that Sean zeroed in on the key insights that would lead to the creation of Invidica. With funding from 500 Startups, and comparisons to the likes of Aliba and eBay, it’s no wonder he has many investors filling up his inbox these days. Sean has a great story. You’ll want to listen in. In this episode Sean and Dan discussed: realities of being one of the few black kids in a white school the spark of his entrepreneur ambition in college starting his first ecommerce company from his bedroom a lucky encounter with a mentor from 500 startups how ecommerce today is broken, and why he wants to fix it OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE: AfriBlocks The global pan-African freelance marketplace and collaboration platform. Tell them "Dan sent you" for 10% off your first order. More at afriblocks.com MORE on SEAN and INVIDICA Sean: linkedin.com/in/sean-bovell-22094880 twitter.com/collatzconject Invidica: invidica.com linkedin.com/company/invidica twitter.com/invidica_ Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent #ecommerce Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Chapman is Founder and CEO of Plain Sight, a company that helps you make the right connections at events and workspaces, or connect online from anywhere. James started as an aspiring NBA player from Chattanooga Tennessee. He made it to the NBA’s D-league, but that's where that dream ended, and the next season began. Basketball’s loss was entrepreneurship’s gain. James started loading boxes for FedEx. His hustle led him to new opportunities, and eventually starting two different businesses. All along the way sharing his amazing hustle inspiration on Twitter, later turning the collection into a book, aptly named #TheHustle. But it was a chance to work with legendary Detroit businessman Dan Gilbert that led to his 3rd startup journey, Plain Sight. James has a great story. You’ll want to listen in. In this episode James and Dan discussed: growing up a passionate athlete going from the basketball court to the warehouse hard lessons from his first startup insights from running a coworking space his connection to Dan Gilbert why Plain Sight has no profile pictures OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:Founders Live the global venue for entrepreneurs to experience events, content, and community. To get Founders LiveFest 2021 tickets Check out founderslive.com to join and to find a live event streaming from your city. MORE on JAMES and PLAIN SIGHT James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/plainsightceo/ https://twitter.com/iwrotethehustle https://www.instagram.com/iwrotethehustle/ IWrotetheHustle (on Amazon) Plain Sight: https://www.plainsight.app/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/plain-sight-app/ https://twitter.com/plainsightapp https://www.instagram.com/plainsightapp/ Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #networking #futureofwork #eventtech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Serge Amouzou is Founder and CEO of Finmod, a startup that helps companies forecast financials 10X faster. Finmod’s predictive-financial projection technology uses company data sources to give decision-ready data and actionable next steps for growth.  Serge was born and raised in Togo. He came to the US at age 12, determined and curious. He set out to master English and assimilate. He thought he would be a neurosurgeon, but a pursuit of coding and tech led him to a career of being a repeat tech founder, starting his first company while still in High School. It was a pain point he personally experienced at one of his past startups that sparked the idea that would become Finmod. Serge has a great story. You’ll want to listen in. In this episode Serge and Dan discussed: moving from Togo to the US at 12 mastering English as a 3rd language building his first coding company in high school how the dream of being a doctor was overtaken by his startup chase whether you should wear your ambition out loud OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE: AfriBlocks The global pan-African freelance marketplace and collaboration platform. Tell them "Dan sent you" for 10% off your first order. More at afriblocks.com MORE on SERGE and FINMOD Serge: linkedin.com/in/serge-amouzou-65b76841 twitter.com/sergeamouzou instagram.com/amouzou.serge Finmod: finmod.io linkedin.com/company/finmodhq twitter.com/finmodhq Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #founderstories #foundersafricandescent #fintech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Navalayo Osembo is Co-Founder and CEO of Enda, a company that is building on Kenya’s reputation as the global leader in distance running. With “Run Kenyan” as its motto, Enda makes running shoes in Kenya, for runners around the world.  Navalayo is the first guest we’ve had on from the place of my ancestral heritage - Kenya. She grew up with a military father and a teacher mother, which meant strong themes of discipline and excellence. Combined with her gifts of curiosity, intelligence, and grit, she set out to master accounting, law, and global development. But it was her return to Kenya from the US and UK, that helped her find the calling where she could make her impact. “Run Kenyan.” And so Enda was born. Navalayo has a great story, you’ll want to listen in. In this episode Navalayo and Dan discussed: growing up in Kenya convincing her dad to start farming fish here experience working with the UN How the Williams sisters inspired her to start a Kenya tennis academy the power of "Run Kenyan" OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE: Aperture Venture Capital VC for the Multicultural Mainstream Aperture is the new $75M fund that wants to amplify the voices of diverse founders Share your story at aperturevc.com/founders MORE on NAVALAYO and ENDA Navalayo: navalayoosembo.com linkedin.com/in/navalayoosembo twitter.com/NavalayoOsembo instagram.com/navalayoosembo Enda: endasportswear.com linkedin.com/company/enda twitter.com/endasportswear instagram.com/endasportswear Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounder #founderstories #founderofafricandescent #kenyafounder #consumerfitness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jarrett Wright is Founder and CEO of Higher Rewards, a company that offers nonprofits and faith-based organizations the ability to provide their members a self-branded credit card where a percentage of every purchase goes back to the organization. Jarrett is from several generations deep in the San Francisco Bay Area. Jarrett showed drive and ability from an early age. Reading by 2 years old. Doing the family’s grocery shopping at 6. But the pace and structure of school frustrated him. So instead of putting his intellectual horsepower to work in college right away, he started a property development company at 19. And within a few years, he was nationally recognized and bringing in millions in revenue. And that’s just the start of his story. The rest is amazing. you’ll want to listen in. In this episode Jarrett and Dan discussed: growing up in Richmond California the powerful influence of his family and his heritage rapidly building a business that was decidedly not recession-proof going to college with folks 10+ years your junior the 'aha' moment for Higher Rewards during a conversation with a financial exec the advantages within the UC Berkeley startup ecosystem OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:Trajectory: Startup - Ideation to Product/Market Fit A brand new book by entrepreneur and investor Dave Parker. This hot-off-the-presses publication is THE playbook for those at the earliest stages of the startup journey. Or even if you are just contemplating the jump to entrepreneurship. To get this great resource, go to dkparker.com or find anywhere you buy books. MORE on JARRETT and HIGHER REWARDS Jarrett: linkedin.com/in/jarrett-wright instagram.com/wrightjarrett Higher Rewards: higherrewards.com linkedin.com/company/higher-rewards instagram.com/higherrewards twitter.com/higherrewards facebook.com/higherrewards Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #fintech #UCBerkeley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Isaac Lymon is Co-Founder and CEO of Raxplay, a company that enables music artists to perform live real/time concerts via virtual reality. Raxplay puts fans in the front row, VIP, and backstage - all in the comfort of their homes. Isaac was born and raised in Detroit. At an early stage, he felt called to music. But after a taste of the grind artists endure, Isaac gravitated to what made music happen behind the scenes. It was then that he really came to appreciate the power that technology could have on the industry. And like many famous tech entrepreneurs before him, he made the tough call to pursue his startup dream instead of focusing on college. A hustled-for internship, a hack-a-thon, and a call from Google Startups followed, changing everything. And so Raxplay was off and running. Isaac has a great story, you’ll want to listen in. In this episode Isaac and Dan discussed: growing up in a Detroit suburb how he relentlessly pursued an internship in music perspectives on raising money in the LA ecosystem his thoughts on the future of VR OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE: Aperture Venture Capital VC for the Multicultural Mainstream Aperture is the new $75M fund that wants to amplify the voices of diverse founders Share your story at aperturevc.com/founders MORE on ISAAC and RAXPLAY Isaac: linkedin.com/in/isaac-lymon-24ab9515a/ twitter.com/Isaaclymon instagram.com/isaaccorey___/ Raxplay: raxplay.com linkedin.com/company/raxplay twitter.com/raxplayxr instagram.com/raxplayxr Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Khalid David is Founder and CEO of TracFlo, a company with a predictive financial management platform that is empowering America’s contractors. Originally from the Bronx, Khalid was born into a family of tradesmen with a deep connection to his Afro-Caribbean roots. So it’s no surprise that, even with education from Morehouse, Columbia, and MIT, Khalid ended up in the construction industry. And it was those experiences that opened his eyes to the opportunity to better track the dynamic cost changes happening on today’s construction sites. And so TracFlo was born. Khalid is a passionate speaker and advocate, and has won competitions at MIT, Harvard, and Stanford business schools. Khalid has a great story, you’ll want to listen in. In this episode Khalid and Dan discussed: representing the Bronx His Saint Kitts and Nevis heritage Emerging from college during the Great Recession Building software inside a traditional construction firm How TracFlo replaces the pad and pencil in the field Wearing the mantle of pioneering black entrepreneur OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE: AfriBlocks The global pan-African freelance marketplace and collaboration platform. Tell them "Dan sent you" for 10% off your first order. More at afriblocks.com MORE on KHALID and TRACFLO Khalid: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khalid-david-34a55824/ https://www.twitter.com/kdpegasus https://www.instagram.com/kdpegasus TracFlo: https://tracfloapp.com https://republic.co/tracflo https://www.linkedin.com/company/tracflo https://www.instagram.com/tracfloapp Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrice Darby Neely, Founder and CEO of GoLogic, a data aggregation and economic development platform helping small businesses accelerate growth and reduce failure, while increasing the capacity and capabilities of the organizations that support them.  Patrice spent many years in childcare before starting her first startup, GoNanny, to address the fragmentation of care occurring with the busy schedules of families on the go. Timing wasn’t on her side, unfortunately, as her company fell victim to the whipsaw of the US economy that came with COVID-19. With GoNanny, Patrice had a front-row seat during the height of the pandemic and she saw how vulnerable small businesses are and how inefficient the ecosystem can be in connecting them with timely and impactful resources. And so GoLogic was born. Patrice is an alum of 1871 in Chicago, TechStars, and has been funded by the likes of Pipeline Angels and Google for Startups Black Founder Fund. She has a great story, you’ll want to listen in. In this episode Patrice and Dan discussed: growing up with two parent entrepreneurs what drew her originally into the childcare industry the devastating impact of COVID on her first company how GoLogic rose from the ashes of 2020 the beauty and power of data, even for the small business OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:The Plug Delivering clear analysis and powerful insights on what's shaping the Black innovation economy. Get your annual subscription to The Plug at tpinsights.com MORE on PATRICE and GOLOGIC Patrice: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrice-darby-neely https://www.gologicsolutions.com/our-founder https://www.gologicsolutions.com/pitch2win GoLogic Solutions: https://www.gologicsolutions.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/gologicsolutions https://twitter.com/gologic_solves https://www.facebook.com/gologicsolutions Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #futureofwork Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roger Roman, Co-Founder of AfriBlocks, the global Pan-African freelance marketplace and collaboration platform. They are building THE resource for devs, designers, and virtual assistants.  Roger hails from Chicago, and in his home neighborhood there the Roman name is well known. He was pre-ordained to be a lawyer, but Roger took a different path: business. He leveraged his degree from Howard University to immerse in industries as varied as construction, video game development, and eventually marketing. Roger has been spotlighted in The New York Times, Black Enterprise, and VentureBeat. But it was when co-founder Tongai Choto came calling that Roger saw a chance to take on a massive opportunity: the emergence of Africa in the global tech marketplace. The continent has over 450M Gen Z and young millennials, all eager, ambitious, and tech-enabled. Fertile ground for a startup like AfriBlocks. Roger has a great story, you’ll want to listen in. In this episode Roger and Dan discussed: growing up in Chicago how a chance encounter at graduation led to his first job the opportunity for law school - avoided repeatedly how one mentor changed his career why Africa should be on everyone's mind OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:Founders Live the global venue for entrepreneurs to experience events, content, and community. Check out founderslive.com to join and to find a live event streaming from your city. MORE on ROGER and AFRIBLOCKS Roger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerroman/ https://twitter.com/RogerLRomanII AfriBlocks: https://www.afriblocks.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/afriblocks/ https://twitter.com/afriblocks https://www.instagram.com/afriblocks/ Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #futureofwork Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Jones, Co-Founder and CEO of Ownors, an AI-driven Fintech platform that helps artists retrieve payouts from streaming services.  Ownors isn’t James’ first startup. Inspired by his upbringing, James became an attorney. But he saw the gaps in the system. The fundamental way that legal services are sold and distributed is a straight-up disconnect with the vast majority of people who need it. So he and his wife formed Court Buddy, where he became Black Enterprise Entrepreneur of the Year. After successfully fundraising and scaling that business, James was eager to scratch the startup itch again. Leveraging his legal experience and personal passion for music, he set out to solve a different inefficiency he saw: creators being paid equitably and timely for their music. And so, Ownors and its flagship brand Bump was born. James has a great story, you’ll want to listen in. In this episode James and Dan discussed: growing up with a brilliant father learning about justice by visiting courtrooms as a seven-year-old turning an IT job in college into an entrepreneurial venture his first startup and what's different with his latest journey how his clients as an attorney opened him to the inefficiencies for creators OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:BLCK VC A focused community built for and by black investors. If you ever thought about getting into Venture, you definitely want to connect up at blackvc.com or follow @BLCKVC for more about their exceptional programs and events. MORE on JAMES and OWNORS James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-jones-jr-esq/ https://twitter.com/jjoneslaw Ownors: https://www.usebump.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/ownors https://www.twitter.com/ownors https://www.instagram.com/ownorsinc Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #entertainmenttech #hbcualum Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melanie Akwule is Founder and CEO of MINWO, a DE&I tech company that connects companies with organizations that have a specific mission to support Black-owned businesses on their path to scaling.  Originally from Virginia, Melanie was an NCAA track athlete who did her undergrad at Georgia Tech.She worked and excelled in the corporate world with GE. But it was at the Haas School, Cal Berkeley where she built her startup muscle. She used her time in school to conceptualize and develop MINWOA. Melanie is off to a great start in 2021 completing the Techstars program and gearing up for the launch of MINWO's flagship product Rialto.  Melanie has a great story, you’ll want to listen in. In this episode Melanie and Dan discussed: life as an NCAA student-athlete competing in the Olympic trials developing a passion for using tech to help businesses succeed how one rejection led to her pursuit of an MBA the highs and lows of early stage entrepreneurship the serendipity of the stumble OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:Trajectory: Startup - Ideation to Product/Market Fit A brand new book by entrepreneur and investor Dave Parker. This hot-off-the-presses publication is THE playbook for those at the earliest stages of the startup journey. Or even if you are just contemplating the jump to entrepreneurship. To get this great resource, go to dkparker.com or find anywhere you buy books. MORE on MELANIE and MINWO Melanie: linkedin.com/in/melakwule twitter.com/mel_anuchi instagram.com/mel_anuchi MINWO: minwo.co linkedin.com/company/minwo twitter.com/minwo_co instagram.com/minwo.co Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #dei #haasberkeley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daricus Releford is Founder and CEO of StoreCash, a company that provides mobile banking for teens, as well as for unbanked and underbanked adults. Daricus is the twin son of a mom in the military. And as you just heard, he came home one day as a kid to find that his dad had taken everything from the house. Since that fateful event, Daricus has been on an entrepreneurial journey, that's gone from cutting lawns to building a FinTech startup in Silicon Valley. Along the way, he's had to persevere through college, hustle his first company into getting promotion by Steve Harvey, to landing roles with Google, Facebook, and Apple. Daricus has a great story, you’ll want to listen in. In this episode Daricus and Dan discussed: driving hours with his mom to buy a hotdog stand getting through Penn State, initially without a dorm room or place to sleep finding a crafty way to get his products on the Steve Harvey show working for THREE or the big five tech giants how a chance request from his nephew led to his current startup OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:Trajectory: Startup - Ideation to Product/Market Fit A brand new book by entrepreneur and investor Dave Parker. This hot-off-the-presses publication is THE playbook for those at the earliest stages of the startup journey. Or even if you are just contemplating the jump to entrepreneurship. To get this great resource, go to dkparker.com or find anywhere you buy books. MORE on DARICUS and STORECASH Daricus: daricusreleford.com linkedin.com/in/daricusreleford twitter.com/daricusreleford StoreCash: storecashapp.com linkedin.com/company/storecash twitter.com/storecashapp instagram.com/storecash_banking Follow Founders Unfound: Like and share - help us grow! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT #blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #fintech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.