CD CULTURE DISRUPTOR
FELECIA HATCHER:
ISSUE 03
CHANGING THE PERCEPTION OF BLACK INNOVATION ONE CITY AT A TIME
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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HOW TO MAKE YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS STICK
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20 DIFFERENT MILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS IDEAS LAUNCH FOR CLOSE TO NOTHING
ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS THIS YEAR
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CONNECTED AND CONTENT
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FELECIA HATCHER
MANAGING HEALTHY TECHNOLOGY USE
CHANGING THE PERCEPTION OF BLACK INNOVATION ONE CITY AT A TIME
Letters to the Editor Mail@culturedisruptor.com Marketing Opportunities Marketing@culturedisruptor.com
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
When we kick off a new year, it’s easy to get excited about all the potential opportunities coming our way, the great ideas to be launched, and the success we hope to achieve. It’s also easy to lose all this excitement by Valentine’s Day. The inability to stick to resolutions has become so commonplace that it’s now even found its way into marketing copy by brands hoping to get your business before you quit. But, fear not, we’ve got you covered with tips on how to build and maintain your momentum. If you’re not quite sure what type of business to start, we’ve got you covered here as well, with 40 ideas to get those wheels turning. Also in this issue, we had the opportunity to speak with Felecia Hatcher, a White House-award winning entrepreneur who has made it her mission to foster innovation in the Black community. Her drive and success has inspired many and will continue to do so as she plans a countrywide tour to change the perception of Black innovation. Finally, as we work to build and grow our businesses, let’s remember to set boundaries with the use of technology tools. More important than our business’s health is our mental, and we must strive to strike a healthy balance. To Your Success, Kenna Craver Publisher + Editor
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How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick American Psychology Association
Lose weight? Check. Start exercising? Check. Stop smoking? Check. It can be daunting when your list of New Year’s Resolutions is as long as your holiday shopping list. In addition to the post-holiday slump, not being able to keep your resolutions by February, March or even late January may increase your anxiety. When your holiday decorations are packed up and stored away, the frustration of an unused gym membership or other reminders of failed resolutions can make the later winter months feel hopeless. However, it is important to remember that the New Year isn’t meant to serve as a catalyst for sweeping character changes. It is a time for people to reflect on their past year’s behavior and promise to make positive lifestyle changes. “Setting small, attainable goals throughout the year, instead of a singular, overwhelming goal on January 1 can help you reach whatever it is you strive for,” says psychologist Lynn Bufka, PhD. “Remember, it is not the extent of the change that matters, but rather the act of recognizing that lifestyle change is important and working toward it, one step at a time. By making your resolutions realistic, there is a greater chance that you will keep them throughout the year, incorporating healthy behavior into your everyday life. APA offers these tips when thinking about a News Year’s resolution:
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START SMALL
CHANGE ONE BEHAVIOR AT A TIME
Make resolutions that you think you can keep. If, for example, your aim is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week at the gym instead of seven. If you would like to eat healthier, try replacing dessert with something else you enjoy, like fruit or yogurt, instead of seeing your diet as a form of punishment.
Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Thus, replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one thing at a time.
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TALK ABOUT IT Share your experiences with family and friends. Consider joining a support group to reach your goals, such as a workout class at your gym or a group of coworkers quitting smoking. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating.
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DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP
ASK FOR SUPPORT Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen strengthens your resilience and ability to manage stress caused by your resolution. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking professional help. Psychologists are uniquely trained to understand the connection between the mind and body. They can offer strategies as to how to adjust your goals so that they are attainable, as well as help you change unhealthy behaviors and address emotional issues.
Perfection is unattainable. Remember that minor missteps when reaching your goals are completely normal and OK. Don’t give up completely because you ate a brownie and broke your diet, or skipped the gym for a week because you were busy. Everyone has ups and downs; resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track.
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20 Different Million Dollar Business Ideas You Can Launch for Close to Nothing Jeet Banerjee
Chances are, just about anyone you talk with will have an idea for a business that they think can make millions. Although business pitches may be easy to come by, turning those ideas into massive wins is a whole different ballgame. However, many entrepreneurs with simple ideas and humble beginnings have been able to effectively turn various ideas into winning businesses. Today, many people today are looking to leave the daily grind for something that feeds their passion. People do not want to retire at the age of 60 (or older) to look back on life and feel they have wasted it. Choosing the path of entrepreneurship and working on your side hustle business idea is without a doubt riskier than being content with holding a 9 to 5 job. It requires way more sacrifice. However, once you’re reaping the lifestyle benefits of being your own boss and hustling your way into making significantly more money than you ever could at your day job, the hard work will have all been worth it. Luckily, it is now increasingly easier to start a business from scratch without spending a fortune. Here are 40 different million-dollar business ideas you can launch for close to nothing: 1. Mobile App Developer Mobile applications are more popular than ever and people are willing to pay good money for ways to manage their lives from their smartphones. If you have a great idea and happen to know coding, you can run with it and create your app yourself. If you just have an idea, there are plenty of software developers looking to collaborate with people on app ideas as well. 2. Vlogging While many people are against the idea of blogging nowadays since it’s too saturated, video blogging still has tons of opportunities available. It doesn’t take a lot of money to start and you can focus on creating content that is high in quality and caters to your passions. If you can share knowledge and start a YouTube channel, you have the possibility to make six to seven figures a year with a solid Vlog. 3. Hostel Owner With services like Airbnb, everyone can turn their house, garage or just a single room into a unique accommodation for tourists and travelers from all around the world. The platform will take care of the initial exposure and will provide a way for owners and clients to conveniently communicate. If you happen to own a house in a very attractive destination, you can even expect to earn pretty good money. 4. Language Teacher For a long time, language teaching has been the go to way of making money on the side for students and even full-time high-school or university teachers. Now, with Skype and ubiquitous internet access, everyone can start teaching languages from the comfort of his or her home. You don’t even have to know any foreign language yourself – there are many advanced learners who are happy to just practice their conversation skills. 5. Consulting It doesn’t matter what you consult on as long as you are an expert and enjoy doing it. Consulting allows you to dictate your own working hours and your own prices. Find out what your value to the market is and start acquiring clients over time. Many self employed consults work alone, but rake in millions because of their expertise. people to help you along the way.
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6. VR Developer The virtual reality software market is expected to reach $24.5 billion dollars in revenue by 2020. A good chunk of that revenue could be in your pocket if you’re willing to learn about a new space. All you have to do is learn how to develop immersive VR and AR experiences. The internet is full of resources and communities of like-minded people to help you along the way.
14. Blogging Blogging is alive and well even today. It still doesn’t have to cost even a single dollar to get started, but it will probably take a while to get some exposure. These days, the competition is so fierce that getting on first pages of major search engines is no piece of cake. However, if you can master social media and build an au dience, you can still achieve massive success without the help of search engines. Think outside of the box for marketing and growing a blog.
7. Career Coaching The millennial generation faces a much tougher job market than any generation before. There’s no doubt that many people will feel 15. Affiliate Marketing clueless about which direction they should take to maximize their Affiliate marketers promote products of other people and earn chances of having a bright future ahead of them. A career coach commissions on their sales. Amazon is currently the most popular platform for affiliate marketing, but there are many alternacan do his or her work either from an office or via the internet. tives as well. Affiliate marketing is often combined with blogging to create a seamless mix of content and promotion. 8. Online Teaching The success of Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization created in 2006 by educator Salman “Sal” Khan, has proved the effectiveness of online teaching and paved the way for talented educators and their students. You can sell your expertise as video content on YouTube or create your own website and charge your students on an hourly basis for Skype lessons. There are numerous monetization options, but knowledge is always value to someone else. 9. Personal Shopper Shopping for groceries, clothes, or electronic goods can eat up a lot of time very quickly. A personal shopper can help busy people reclaim this time in exchange for a small fee. A personal shopper can be someone who goes to stores in person or it can be someone gives online recommendations about which product the client should buy. 10. Online Store Opening an online e-commerce store is just as viable option how to make a living as it was a decade ago. The completion is definitely tougher, but you have an access to a wide range of free tools that you can use to set everything up with very little effort. Not only that, but online stores have much less startup costs than actual retail stores.
16. Handmade Goods If you are a crafty person, you should take a look at Etsy, which is the largest online market for homemade and vintage goods. You will find an amazing mix of leather wallets, lamps made from river wood, unique hand-printed t-shirts, jewelry, organic soups and countless other things. Top sellers often expand beyond the platform, creating their own brands and opening stores across the country. 17. Data Analyst With the rise of Big Data, increasingly more companies need to make sense of heaps of information to adjust their overall business strategies. A data analyst is someone who has the technical expertise to accomplish this job, often having a background in economics, mathematics or finance. Data analytics who work for large, international corporations can earn more than enough money to support even more extravagant lifestyles.
18. Digital Marketing Campaign Manager Marketing has gone digital and it’s the job of digital marketing campaign managers to produce best results possible. You can start your career as a digital marketing campaign manager by studying freely available online resources and experimenting on your own. Once you know what you are doing, try generating leads and finding customers that are willing to hire you for your 11. Food Truck Do you like to cook and come up with creative food ideas? Then, services. opening a food truck might be just for you. Even if you can hardly 19. Online Bookkeeping make a cup of tea, you can still get in the business. Simply hire chefs and other experienced individuals to help you with your idea. Just like so many other professions, bookkeeping has gone If you’re low on capital, seek out investors and partners that are online. This is a great news for many bookkeepers and accountants who feel trapped in the office environment and long for willing to buy into your vision. more personal freedom and the ability to work during their own hours. You can find clients all over the world and take care of 12. Flipping Websites their bookkeeping from the comfort of your home now! Believe it or not, buying and selling websites can still make you
a ton of money today. This has been a popular career choice for many individuals since the early 2000’s. Using sites like Flippa will 20. Niche Website Owner allow you to find websites for cheap, build them up and sell them New trends start every day and some of them grow to be pop culture sensations. Your job as a niche website owner is to back in the market for a nice profit. capture the market before it gets too saturated. Creating a niche website (using WordPress) will allow you to secure your place 13. Podcasting on the very top of search engines, resulting in thousands of daily Podcasting is a fantastic way how to make a few bucks on the side for anyone who deals with interesting or niche topics that are visitors. Over time, you can either sell these websites or monesuitable for this type of format. Do you like video games or ethnic tize them yourself. music? There are definitely plenty people just like you who would look forward to hearing your show on their way to work or school.
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CONNECTED AND CONTENT R
O F T N A T R O P M SI I X O T E D L A T I G TAKING A DI MENTAL HEALTH.
Modern technology has put a world of information at our fingertips. While technology makes our lives easier in many ways, it has also created brand new kinds of stress for the 21st Century.
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American Psychology Association
According to this year’s results from the American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America™ survey, more than eight in 10 Americans are very attached to their gadgets (81 percent say they are constantly or often connected to at least one device). Eighteen percent of adults identify technology as a very or somewhat significant source of stress, and 20 percent of American adults say technology causes the most stress when it doesn’t work.
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But it’s clear that technology is also something we rely on. Indeed, a 2013 survey by the American Psychological Association’s Center for Organizational Excellence found that digital technology helps people to be more flexible and more productive, and makes it easier to get work done. The trick is to take active steps to manage your technology use so the cons don’t override the pros. When it comes to tech use, many of us are looking for a better balance. The Stress in America survey found 65 percent of Americans somewhat or strongly agree that periodically “unplugging” or taking a “digital detox” is important for mental health. Yet only 28 percent actually do so.
To help manage your own stress and improve focus, try to make some realistic decisions about what notifications you truly need. You might need to see each incoming email during the workday, but perhaps Facebook updates aren’t as important. 4. Manage expectations. If you don’t plan to check text messages during your workday, or won’t be checking email regularly on vacation, make sure you let other people know. Tell your mom you’ll reply to any messages in the evening. Make sure your boss is onboard before you disappear for the weekend. You won’t be able to enjoy the benefits of disconnecting if you’re dealing with frustrated family members and co-workers.
Are you looking to take control of your tech habits? Here 5. Use social media wisely. Many people have had the are seven strategies to help you use technology in healthy experience of feeling like their life is less glamorous or exways. citing than the lives their friends showcase on social media. In fact, some research has suggested a link between 1. Don’t use phones behind the wheel. Thousands social media and feelings of sadness or depression.4 But of Americans are killed each year by distracted driving. you can change your relationship with social media for When you’re in the car, turn off notifications and place the better. Research shows that when people use soyour phone out of reach. cial media passively (such as consuming information and scrolling through other people’s posts), they report low2. Defend your sleep. A variety of studies have shown er levels of well-being. However, social media use may that smartphone use at night can interfere with the qual- not negatively affect the well-being of people who use it ity of your sleep.1 Researchers believe that’s partly due more actively (such as by posting content, sharing ideas to the fact that phones and other tech devices emit “blue or commenting on other people’s conversations).5 To get light,” which affects the production of the sleep-related the most from your social networks, get engaged. (And hormone melatonin. But another problem is that the con- keep in mind that people’s lives are rarely as perfect as tent itself is often stimulating. A text or tweet at bedtime they make them seem on social media). can make your mind start spinning at a time it should be winding down. Try to avoid late-night use of mobile de- 6. Be present. Digital technology and social media vices. Also resist using your phone as an alarm clock — for make it easy to stay in touch, but they can distract you many people, it can be too tempting to have it on the from connecting with the people you’re with in real life. bedside table. And face-to-face interactions are important for emotional well-being. The Stress in America survey found 44 percent 3. Turn off notifications. Most of us have our phones of people who check email, texts and social media often set to beep or buzz whenever a new email, text or social or constantly report feeling disconnected from their fammedia notification comes in. The Stress in America survey ily, even when they’re together. When you’re with friends found that only 19 percent of Americans turn off notifica- and family, make an effort to unplug. To avoid temptation, tions for social media apps. Yet constant notifications can silence your phone and put it out of reach at dinnertime have a negative effect on well-being. In a recent study, or during family outings. psychologists at the University of British Columbia found that when smartphone users turned off smartphone no- 7. Take time to recharge. Quiet time to think is importifications, they reported lower levels of inattention and tant for relaxing, reflecting and even for boosting creativhyperactivity than they did during weeks when their noti- ity. If you’re grabbing your phone every time you have a fications were turned on.2 What’s more, frequent notifi- spare moment to fill, you’re missing out on those opporcations were also associated with lower levels of produc- tunities to recharge. Try to set aside some time each day tivity, social connectedness and psychological well-being. to disconnect. It might be difficult at first, but over time In a similar study, the same research team found that peo- you’ll probably reach for your phone less and less — and ple who checked email continuously reported more stress grow to value those moments of peace. than those who checked email only three times per day.3
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FELECIA HATCHER If you’re not investing in us now, you’re going to miss out.
Startup ecosystems across the nation and around the world are exploding. Research on the top startup ecosystems in the world place Silicon Valley, New York City, London, Beijing, and Boston in the top five, respectively, based on performance, funding, market reach, talent, and start up experience. Dynamic startup ecosystems breed new startups that create new jobs and attract talent and investments to the cities they are located in. Network connectivity within and between the ecosystems is the single most important contributor to growth. However, as it is across the board, diversity and inclusion are major issues in the creation and growth of these ecosystems. At the intersection of economic development and inclusive innovation sits Felecia Hatcher, co-founder of Code Fever and Black Tech Week, a minority-centric ecosystem building festival based in Miami. She serves as an advisor to startups and travels the world speaking to students and entrepreneurs about personal marketability, building a business with limited funding, ridding communities of innovation deserts, and overcoming failure. We spoke with Felecia as she geared up for the fifth Black Tech Week conference about the advancement of minority-owned businesses, the entrepreneurial mindset, and the efficacy of personal branding when building a business.
Culture Disruptor: How did Code Fever begin?
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Felecia Hatcher: My husband and I, Derek, started Code Fever almost four years ago to address a few needs. We were still running our gourmet popsicle manufacturing company at the time, Feverish Pops, and most of our employees were young black kids. We wanted to train them with some of the most marketable skills to ensure their success here in South Florida. At the same time we were working with this organization in Atlanta that played a role in Black Girls Code expanding from San Francisco to Atlanta. We sponsored girls from our program to attend BGC and it was phenomenal. When we came back to Florida, no one knew what we were talking about or why it was important. One of our founding sponsors set out on a mission to help spur Miami’s startup ecosystem and it was not inclusive of the Black community at all. The combination of all these things led us to start Code Fever. It was originally supposed to be a one-day event for our employees and their friends, about 20 people, and we had almost 80 people show up. The next week we were bombarded by parents asking when was the next session. Our intention was to support an organization that was doing that kind of work, we weren’t planning to start a non-profit as we didn’t have the capacity at the time. But, the need was so great. Furthermore, our community just didn’t fully understand what they were missing out on. That was the big push. Our mission is more clear now than it was four years ago, to rid Black communities of innovation deserts.
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To do that, we have to work to increase the way that the Black community is valued within the innovation economy, and then equip our communities with, not just the training, mentorship, and support, but the spaces, the policy to ensure that they can also add more value into the innovation economy when they’re equipped with the right resource magnetism and the right kind of deal flow. It’s a mighty mission, but we’ve been able to see the impact along the way. We’ve been seeing some headway in getting others to see where our community is and the role that tech innovation will play in decreasing the wealth gap. CD: As a key player in the advancement of minority-led businesses, what issues are the most common amongst entrepreneurs of color? FH: There’s quite a few. One of the biggest is still around confidence and mindset. It’s hard because society beats us down so much and then asks us why we complain or why we’re not able to understand the context of certain things when everything around you has always told you that you shouldn’t do this or that. That seeps into our psyche, whether we listen to it or not, it’s there. So, we spend a lot of time with entrepreneurs just getting through that. We spend about a week of our bootcamps just going over mindset. With our young people, we use the example of Instagram selling for a billion dollars to Facebook with four employees, zero dollars in revenue, and 27 million users, and they were Black and Brown kids. But, when was the last time you saw Instagram or Facebook build a playground or do or sponsor anything in your neighborhood? If you understand the power that you hold as a consumer of their product in order for them to accomplish these things and knowing that they’re not reinvesting anything back into your neighborhoods… it’s important to understand the dynamics of that. With adults we discuss crowdfunding, we crowdfund every Sunday in Black churches, so that type of platform is not new to us. From a generational standpoint, we’ve always done that. So, why don’t we see more Black entrepreneurs starting a Kickstarter or Indiegogo? Those are the conversations that we have before we actually get into the weeds of running a business or the technical side of what is needed to bring these platforms to life.
CD: Most of the work in entrepreneurship is mindset. You have to talk yourself into doing this thing every single day. FH: Everyday! And fear doesn’t go away, you just get better at realizing what’s creeping up so that you stop it. Or, you don’t let it stop you. So, people shouldn’t say that they don’t have any fear, because no one is void of it. And, people who aren’t where you are will be constantly searching for the end of this thing and it’s a destination that keeps moving. CD: A primary goal of Code Fever is to increase deal flow by getting Black startup founders access to venture capital. Have you seen progress in this space and/or do you see a shift occurring in the future? FH: Yes to both. A big part of Black Tech Week is just that. We’ve had some really cool connections that have been made and startup founders that were able to raise funding from venture capitalists that they’ve met at Black Tech Week. What we did this year is actually pull certain components out of the conference, which is a week long, and turn those into longer programs. That’s where Black Teck Weekend comes from, we’re doing a 10-city tour next year going into some markets that have the same challenges that Miami had four years ago. We’ll be working on ecosystem building in the Black community. We also launched our Venture Capitalist in Residence program earlier this year. Marlon Nichols, from Cross Culture Ventures, was our Venture Capitalist in Residence. The question we always ask is, what if your family and friends can only give you a round of applause? What if the city can’t give you the infrastructure to support you and attract the venture capitalists that will actually give Black entrepreneurs the time of day? Before you even get to the funding issue, which is major, there’s the access issue. Traditionally, our networks are much smaller than some of our counterparts, and that’s why we see this gap in funding. It’s not for a lack of ideas, it is for a lack of deal flow. We started VC in Residence looking at the Entrepreneur in Residence model and thinking, how can this be more beneficial to the Black community? Housing a VC from Silicon Valley in Miami for one month, and then giving 25 Black entrepreneurs unprecedented access to a venture capitalist. The next step is getting these entrepreneurs funding through that program. Some great success stories have happened from that. Some of the entrepreneurs have gotten accepted into accelerators, and another has hired a top engineer from Facebook. We’re also seeing these founders be able to get more meetings because of the introductions and now knowing how to ask for those warm introductions that they weren’t able to make.
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CD: What advice would you give to other successful entrepreneurs who are interested in paying it forward and helping to continue to expand diversity and inclusion in the startup ecosystem? FH: Become storytellers. That’s extremely important. I don’t think we have enough people sharing the story of what it’s really like. Not just the good stuff. People need to hear that while they’re still in the thick of things. Another part is asset mapping. How you’ve been able to navigate your startup from whatever city that you’re in once you’ve achieved a certain level of success. Sharing with people who the players are, what boards to join, how to get in the rooms…people like to hoard this stuff. We don’t have enough of those conversations.
Not everyone in our community is destitute. The people that are absolutely need the help, but I also need you to look at our community, not just at its challenges, but also for our contributions that we’ve always added to this space. If you are not investing now, you’re going to miss out. Which is the epitome of Silicon Valley. If you look at our community for everything that is valued: disruptors, rule breakers, a history of innovation - you’re describing the Black community. Don’t pity us. Either invest in us and we’ll grow together or move out of the way. That’s not always an easy conversation to have on the non-profit funding side. CD: What do you enjoy most about what you do?
FH: I get the honor to work with some of the most brilliant minds that are going to astonish the world. CD: What do you hope to accomplish with Code Fever That is a privilege that I’ve been fortunate enough to within the next 5 years? build something that allows me to do that. Having the freedom to create at any moments notice is something FH: A lot! We’ve been working on expanding Black that I love. Also, it’s an honor to be in this position and Tech Weekend into other cities. Miami is the most be trusted by our funders. To be given the runway to robust startup ecosystem in the state of Florida. There experiment and figure things out and see what works. are things happening here, but it’s rarely ever menWhich is very rare when we talk about innovation, tioned in the discussions about startup activity. Recreativity, and entrepreneurship serving the Black comsources are attracted to cities that people feel have the munity. Having the runway to say, we’re going to try most potential and have the easiest way to connect this, and if it doesn’t work, we’re going to try something the dots for people to be successful. Being able to else. You don’t always see that. If our community is expand our space, Tribe Coworking and Urban Innova- given opportunities, the measurements by which those tion Lab, which is the only coworking space that exists opportunities happen again are just so great. And in a Black neighborhood in the entire state of Florida, often times, it leaves very little room for being able to across the nation and across the globe is really impor- build, measure, and learn in that process. tant for me. Also, growing the impact of what we’re doing with Black Tech Week and Code Fever. Increasing the number of startups founded by people of color and the number of students that pursue entrepreneurship are always high goals for us. CD: What do you find most challenging about what you do? FH: I’m a mom to a four year old and I travel a lot for work. So, on a personal side, that’s challenging. I don’t believe in work life balance. I think you’ll die a slow death trying to achieve that. For the most part, we’ve been able to create a lifestyle that works for my husband, daughter, and me but it’s still challenging. Another challenge is fundraising. Being Black and being in White spaces and asking for money is not easy. I have mentors and people in my network that are comfortable with that, at least outwardly. Being comfortable enough to focus on what the opportunity is and what these sponsors and funders will miss out on. We want to invest in opportunity and we want people to invest in opportunity. We want people to value our community and the work that we do enough to say “I want to be apart of creating more of that.”
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culturedisruptor.com
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