Black Tech Green Money

Ep. 142 We’re taught to give things our best. But what if, with respect to business and ideas in the beginning, that’s the absolute worst thing you should do? My goal is that, by the end of this episode, not only are you convinced that you may not need to dive in with both feet, but also that you have an idea of what you should do next in exercise of validating your business ideas. This episode is...

We are living in the days where the people who beg for forgiveness vs. ask for permission are going to be in position to succeed. If you’re waiting for the perfect time to start your thing, you’ll be at a disadvantage. There's a lot going on in AI as of late. The stuff happening, both in the actual tech as well as in the ecoystem of AI, is at a fever pitch. Things that used to play out over months...

Ep. 140 It is not uncommon or irregular for someone stop me at some point during my day, at least once a week, with a request for advice on a business concept or even a business move. I’m ok with that. This episode isn’t about making your first million. This episode isn’t about how to scale and sell your thing to people all over the world. Neither is it about how to raise money. This episode is ab...

Rodney Williams is Co-Founder and President at Solo Funds, one of the leading financial technology companies for underserved communities. On this episode, Rodney speaks with AfroTech's Will Lucas about how to launch a fintech startup MVP with no venture capital, how challenging disruption can be in a highly regulated industry, and finding success when facing existential threats. Follow Will Lucas...

Ep. 138 We're at AfroTech Conference in Austin, TX this week, so I'm bringing you one of the most downloaded episodes of Black Tech Green Money. There are a lot of new subscribers here, so unless you went back deep into the archives, this gem is one you might have missed. I hope you gain a lot of insights and inspiration from it! Follow Will Lucas on Instagram at  @willlucas Learn more at AfroTech...

Ep. 137  I've listened to the comments from entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who've asked for advice on tech, apps, and systems to grow their businesses. Here's the best advice I can give you: to grow a business, you need to become the type of person who can! If you're looking for ways to become the kind of person who can start and grow an enterprise, this episode was made with you in mind. Tap in f...

Ep. 136: If you're a small business owner, often in the early days of your business you struggle to hire the best talent. With todays conversation, I want to help you rethink this challenge, and encourage you instead to develop your own talent. I share some of my experiences in getting solid at the skills I needed to hire for myself, what convinced me to start developing talent instead of falling...

Ollen Douglass is the Managing Partner of Motley Fool Ventures. The $250 million company is one of the largest Black-run venture capital firms in the world. Wemimo Abbey is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Esusu, the leading financial technology company helping individuals save money and build credit. This conversation presents a fireside chat from AfroTech Executive Brooklyn 2023. Follow Will Lucas on In...

Osinachi is a self-taught digital artist based in Lagos. The first crypto artist out of Africa, he makes artworks that mirror his personal experiences through a unique visual language that he has perfected for over 15 years.  In addition to numerous collaborations with big players in the art world, in 2021 Osinachi became the first African artist to auction five unique NFTs in Europe through Chris...

Charles ‘Beloved’ Kuykendoll is the founder at RNB House Party, a unique party experience where R&B and Gospel music are at the center, bringing the vibes, as well as the nostalgia. Just recently, RNB House Party was acquired by Blavity, Inc., which is also the parent company of AfroTech and its rebranded as Blavity House Party. Charles comes aboard as the General Manager of Community, charged...

Chaucer Barnes is Chief Marketing Officer of Translation + United Masters, the parent company of award-winning creative agency Translation, and artist services platform UnitedMasters. In creating a new normal for the way brands and creators alike mint and trade cultural capital, Chaucer applies tools and lessons from every chapter of his life – as a media planner, brand strategist, creative direct...

Mandy Bowman is founder and CEO of Official Black Wall Street (OBWS), a marketplace app that is the fastest growing platform for finding and supporting Black-owned businesses in the United States. Internal reports say her app has recirculated about $10 million in sales and business services back into Black-owned businesses. Now, she is focused on expanding her services to ten other countries inclu...

Angela Yee is a Radio Hall of Fame inductee and multi-business entrepreneur who runs companies in various industries. She recently started her solo radio show, Way Up with Angela Yee, after her long tenure at The Breakfast Club. In this episode, Angela Yee speaks with AfroTech's Will Lucas about her holdings, being a 'serial' entrepreneur, and how to decide what to focus on. Follow Will Lucas on I...

Alphonzo "Phonz" Terrell is founder and CEO at Spill, and Kenya Parham is Global VP, Community & Partnerships at the culture-first social media app. At launch, Spill jumped to the top of the app store and still maintains a formidable position. On this episode, Phonz and Kenya speak with AfroTech's Will Lucas about how Spill makes a lasting impression in the social media landscape, why we neede...

Marlon Nichols is the founding managing partner at MaC Venture Capital, a seed-stage venture capital firm that invests in visionary founders building the future that the world wants to see. Prior to MaC Venture Capital, Marlon was founder of Cross Culture Ventures and served as Investment Director at Intel Capital. Some of his current and previous portfolio companies include Blavity, Gimlet Media,...

Ruben Harris is the co-founder and CEO at Career Karma, which bills itself as the easiest way to find a job training program online. Rachelle Olden is Lead at Google’s Tech Equity Collective, which creates energizing paths into tech for Black people.  Together, they’re launching the Black Genius Academy — a software initiative to demystify fast-growing tech career fields and support Black talent i...

Derrick 'Moe' Moore, Clint Gray, and Emmanuel ‘EJ’ Reed are the founders of Slim & Huskey's Pizza Beeria, a fast-casual artisan pizza shop with a love for Hip Hop and R&B culture. The Nashville Based company now boasts restaurants in Antioch, Chattanooga, Memphis, Murfreesboro, TN as well as Atlanta, GA and Sacramento. CA. On this episode, Clint and Moe talk with AfroTech's Will Lucas abou...

Marcus Collins is Head of Strategy at Wieden+Kennedy and is a Clinical Marketing Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. He previously led iTunes + Nike sport music initiatives at Apple (iTunes Partner Marketing) before running digital strategy for Beyoncé. On this episode, Marcus speaks with AfroTech's Will Lucas about the power behind what we buy, do, and who we want to...

Hailed “The New Einstein” by her fans and named the “Modern Day Hidden Figure” by People Magazine and Newsweek, Olympia LePoint is an award-winning rocket scientist and author. On this episode, Olympia talks with AfroTech's Will Lucas about the myths of becoming a rocket scientist, why the US is near the bottom of math performance, and the value of a college degree. Follow Black Tech Green Money:...

Morgan DeBaun is a serial entrepreneur, executive, and corporate advisor. She’s founder & CEO of Blavity Inc., the leading digital media company for Black culture and millennials. On this episode, Morgan chats with AfroTech's Will Lucas about the entrance of Threads into the social networking conversation, how generative AI like ChatGPT changes the game for tech-enabled workers, and AfroTech 2...

Dr. Tiffany St. Bernard is the CEO and Founder of HairDays, a one-of-a-kind hair intelligence platform providing personalized hair, scalp, and holistic wellness insights. On this episode, Dr. St. Bernard talks with AfroTech's Will Lucas about how AI has enhanced our ability to maintain healthy hair and scalp wellness, how important timing is when building a startup, and the classic inventors mista...

Derrick 'Moe' Moore, Clint Gray, and Emmanuel ‘EJ’ Reed are the founders of Slim & Huskey's Pizza Beeria, a fast-casual artisan pizza shop with a love for Hip Hop and R&B culture. The Nashville Based company now boasts restaurants in Antioch, Chattanooga, Memphis, Murfreesboro, TN as well as Atlanta, GA and Sacramento. CA. On this episode, Clint and Moe talk with AfroTech's Will Lucas abou...

Blakk Tatted is founder and CEO at Blakk Smoke, the world's #1 leader in no nicotine, no tobacco hookah products. On this episode, Blakk talks with AfroTech's Will Lucas about million dollar sales days, how he formulated no nicotine hookah pens, and the difference between having followers vs. having influence. Follow Black Tech Green Money: @blacktechgreenmoney , @btgmpodcast Follow Will Lucas on...

Ryan Leslie is a Grammy nominated musician and producer, and founder at SuperPhone which helps creatives and businesses increase engagement, drive revenue, and build better relationships with SMS / MMS marketing. On this episode, Ryan talks with AfroTech's Will Lucas about the economics of the music industry, why artists are selling their catalogs, and how creatives get wealthy. Follow Will Lucas...

Dr. Lisa Williams, founder of World of EPI and The Fresh Dolls, helps children embrace their beauty, uniqueness and positive play through doll representation. On this episode, Dr. Williams talks with AfroTech's Will Lucas about her journey from education to toy-making, how children shape perceptions of themselves and representation in toys, and why we need more Black toymakers. Follow Will Lucas o...