Black Tech Green Money

Will Lucas welcomes the SQUIRE Boys, Dave Salvant and Songe LaRon, to discuss their latest report on the state of the barbershop industry. With insights drawn from over 14 million appointments across 7,000 U.S. shops, the conversation dives deep into the challenges and opportunities barbershop owners face today. Follow Will Lucas on Instagram at  @willlucas Learn more at AfroTech.com https://...

Money follows value, and value runs through relationships. In this special compilation, five past guests break down relationship capital: the trust, rapport and reputation that open doors a check can’t. John Hope Bryant of Operation HOPE explains why money’s a coward and you’re the real asset. Imani Ellis shares how CultureCon grew from a Harlem living room. Omi Bell of Black Gir...

On this episode of Black Tech Green Money, we ask a simple question: who actually owns the audience? Coltrane Curtis (Team Epiphany) takes us back to building influencer marketing before Instagram existed. Isaac Hayes III (Fanbase) makes the case that creators deserve equity, not just exposure. Roland Martin (#RolandMartinUnfiltered, Black Star Network) explains why owning the platform means ownin...

John Imah is Co-Founder and CEO at SpreeAI, an AI-driven company transforming the future of fashion and e-commerce with our photorealistic try-on technology. Save 15% on AfroTech Conference 2026 Black Tech Green Money listeners get 15% off Premier tickets and higher for ATC '26. Use code BTGM152026 at checkout. The code is valid from September 15 through September 30, 2026. How to redeem: Go to AT...

Coltrane Curtis is the Founder and Managing Partner of Team Epiphany, the culture marketing agency he launched in 2004, which pioneered influencer marketing as a term before Twitter or Instagram even existed. Before that, he was an early employee at streetwear brand Ecko Unlimited, helped launch Complex as its first Editor-at-Large, and was a fashion VJ for MTV Style. Save 15% on AfroTech Conferen...

Tamar Huggins built Canada's first accelerator for Black and Brown founders, then built the pipeline it was missing by opening a tech school for kids. Now she's the founder of Spark Plug AI, a generative AI platform trained on Harlem Renaissance and Civil Rights era writers. She breaks down how she raised $1.4 million in a market where Black women average $30,000, why AI is a power structure and n...

Shawni Dowell is the Founder and CEO of Possip, an AI and tech-based, human-centered company in Nashville. Possip is an engagement platform that gives organizational and civic leaders quick, actionable insights from their large and diverse communities. Save 15% on AfroTech Conference 2026 Black Tech Green Money listeners get 15% off Premier tickets and higher for ATC '26. Use code BTGM152026 at ch...

On this episode of Black Tech Green Money , we hear from industry titans Courtney Adeleye (The Mane Choice) and Monique Rodriguez (Mielle Organics) on navigating the controversial waters of acquisition and what it really takes to transition from a community favorite to a global powerhouse. Meanwhile, a new guard of tech-founders— Candace Mitchell (Myavana) and Dr. Tiffany St. Bernard (HairDa...

Bryan Myers is President and CEO at [solidcore]. Will Lucas on Socials Instagram: @willlucas TikTok: @willlucasceo Facebook: /wlucasii Black Tech Green Money Instagram: @blacktechgreenmoney Facebook: /BlackTechGreenMoney Learn more at AfroTech.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lauren Underwood is the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 14th District and, when she won in 2018 at 32, became the youngest Black woman ever elected to Congress. The direct line between a community's health and its ability to build and keep wealth, from the woman who built the Momnibus on receipts, not feelings. Follow Will Lucas on Instagram:  @willlucas Follow Black Tech Green Money: @bla...

Stefanie Brown James is Co-Founder and Senior Advisor of The Collective, the largest network of organizations in the country dedicated to building Black political power. Through The Collective and its family of PACs and its education fund, she has helped raise more than $50 million from over 200,000 donors and helped 417 Black leaders win elected office. Follow Will Lucas on Instagram:  @will...

Christian Menefee is the U.S. Representative for Texas's 18th District in Houston. He now sits on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Follow Will Lucas on Instagram:  @willlucas Follow Black Tech Green Money: @blacktechgreenmoney, @btgmpodcast Learn more at AfroTech.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Millions of books got scanned for AI training, then discarded. The real question isn't legal, it's civilizational. Will Lucas on the difference between information and history, why AI only knows what survived, and what we're letting disappear because we assumed somebody else would save it. He also has a new book out, Survive and Advance: Lessons on Living a Life Without Compromise , which is avail...

Derek Lewis is a strategic thought leader and transformational executive, and was the first-ever President of Multicultural Business and Equity Development at PepsiCo North America. He also has a new book out, Survive and Advance: Lessons on Living a Life Without Compromise , which is available now. Follow Will Lucas on Instagram: @willlucas Follow Black Tech Green Money: @blacktechgreenmoney, @bt...

Carter Cofield and George Acheampong are financial experts behind Melanin Money, dedicated to helping Black entrepreneurs and professionals build lasting wealth. Together, they're building the #1 Financial Education Community Designed to serve aspiring Melanin Millionaires. Follow Will Lucas on Instagram: @willlucas Follow Black Tech Green Money: @blacktechgreenmoney, @btgmpodcast Learn more at Af...

Justin J. Pearson is the Tennessee State Representative for District 86 in Memphis, and famously stopped a billion-dollar oil pipeline as an organizer, got expelled from the statehouse as one of the "Tennessee Three" and won his seat right back, and is now going head-to-head with Elon Musk's xAI over the pollution it's putting on Black Memphis. Follow Will Lucas on Instagram: @willlucas Follow Bla...

Anyone you admire in business could be on your Board of Advisors. On this episode, I'm going to teach you how to get them. Key Topics AI-powered mentorship and advisory boards Historical mental models and practices (Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale) Building a personal board with four key roles Using transcripts and source material to deepen AI advice Levels of AI board setup: quick project, detail...

Imani Ellis is the founder of CultureCon & The Creative Collective Will Lucas on Socials Instagram: @willlucas TikTok: @willlucasceo Facebook: /wlucasii Black Tech Green Money Instagram: @blacktechgreenmoney Facebook: /BlackTechGreenMoney Learn more at AfroTech.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most people think the hardest part of entrepreneurship is coming up with an idea. For a lot of founders today, that’s no longer the problem. The problem is deciding which ideas deserve your time. In this solo episode of Black Tech Green Money, Will Lucas explores what happens when every opportunity feels like it could be the next big thing. From software startups and media ventures...

Everyone is talking about how AI can help you build a company. Few people are talking about what happens after the AI starts writing the code. In this episode, Will Lucas takes you behind the scenes of building ICON, an on-demand photography marketplace, largely with the help of AI. From working in the wrong repository and rebuilding architecture, to broken app launches, failed notifications, cust...

Most aspiring entrepreneurs think their biggest challenge is finding the perfect startup idea. In this solo episode of Black Tech Green Money, Will Lucas argues that the real challenge isn’t generating ideas, it’s learning how to recognize problems worth solving. Drawing from his experiences building CommPartHS and ICON , Will explores how successful businesses often emerge from observ...

Omar Johnson is the marketing genius who helped turn Beats by Dre from a $20 million startup into a $1.1 billion global icon, ultimately leading to its $3 billion acquisition by Apple. As the former Chief Marketing Officer at Beats by Dre and VP of Marketing at Apple, Omar has crafted some of the most legendary marketing campaigns in sports and music culture, working with icons like LeBron James,...

Tade Oyerinde is Chancellor at Campus.edu. Campus is on a mission to maximize access to a world-class education. A new kind of college, Campus offers accredited, career-focused degree programs to kickstart your education. Follow Will Lucas on Instagram: @willlucas Follow Black Tech Green Money: @blacktechgreenmoney, @btgmpodcast Learn more at AfroTech.com Learn more about your ad-choices at h...

Vanessa is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the co-founder of Culina Health. Follow Will Lucas on Instagram: @willlucas Follow Black Tech Green Money: @blacktechgreenmoney, @btgmpodcast Learn more at AfroTech.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Hope Bryant is an entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist, best known for his work in economic empowerment and financial literacy. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing financial literacy and economic education to underserved communities. Bryant has been a vocal advocate for financial inclusion and has worked tirelessly to uplift com...