I don’t understand what it means for a black person to grow up in America, to raise a family, to build a business, to get pulled over for a traffic violation. But I do understand that my experience, as a middle class white woman was/is very different through no special effort of my own (i.e. I am privileged). And I understand why Black Lives Matter needs to be shouted. I want to better understand the experience of people of color and examine and modify my own behavior and bias, conscious or unconscious, to be more accepting and supportive. I’m taking a step, albeit just a small one, this morning by tuning in at 10 am to Uptown Studios Live where Kiara Reed and Tina Reynolds will host a discussion around supporting the black community and the role of small business to that end. Here’s where to participate.
Last August, during Black Business Month, StartupSac curated and published a list of Black Startups and Entrepreneurs in the Sacramento Region. With your help, we hope to expand the list and help shine a spotlight on this subset of our entrepreneurial ecosystem. You can view last year’s list here. If you know of someone we should add, email the info to jeff@startupsac.org.
Many of you may not know that Jeff is a regular contributor to the blog, Ecosystem Builder Hub. Last week, he posted Free Resources to Better Understand Racial Equity in Ecosystem Building. It includes videos of talks from thought leaders in equity, inclusion and diversity in the ecosystem building space. I recommend you take a look.
In August of 2017, StartupSac invited a group of black entrepreneurs to come together to discuss the issue of diversity and to spark a dialogue in our community to address the issues, gain insight, and explore ideas about how we can become a more inclusive community. This podcast bears a new listen through the eyes of how far we have not come (this took place a year before Stephon Clark was shot and killed by Sacramento police). We plan to gather this group again and this time, do more to incite change afterward. It’s not enough to focus on diversity, we need to push for inclusion and equality and most improtantly, justice and freedom for people of color. You can view the video or listen to the podcast here.
On to the usual business of my Monday Morning article,. FourthWave, an accelerator program for women-led tech startups, is now accepting applications (deadline 6/30). If you’re interested in learning more, Cheryl Beninga with FourthWave will be sharing information about the program at StartupSac Happy Hour on June 16. If you can’t wait until June 16 to learn more, hop onto the FourthWave website here.
Featured Events
1 Million Cups Sacramento with Simple Dev and Green Gifts, Wed, Jun 10 at 8:45 AM
1MC is a weekly, coffee-fueled event where founders present their startups to their peers for advice and feedback. Presenters: Simple Dev is a website designed to teach coding through short, easy-to-read written lessons. Green Gifts’ zero-waste delivery service brings quality, natural household and personal products right to your door.
Revenue, Costs, Key Metrics, and Financial Projections – Entrepreneurship Toolkit Series, Wed, Jun 10 at 6 PM
The Carlsen Center’s toolkit Series guides you through hands-on activities to build an understanding of startup tools and apply them to their own businesses. This week, review how you capture revenue, and what your cost drivers are; determine your key metrics and prove that your offering solves problems or fills needs.
Plan Ahead
StartupSac & Carlsen Center Happy Hour with FourthWave & Janine Yancey Emtrain CEO, Tue, Jun 16, 4:30 PM
StartupSac Happy Hour will feature FourthWave, a female-led tech company accelerator, and Janine Yancey, Founder of Emtrain, who just raised $10 Million.
Selecting, Clearing, and Protecting Your IP — a Top Priority for Startups, Thu, Jun 18 at 11 AM
Get expert advice on selecting, clearing, and protecting your Intellectual Property and why this should be a top priority for Startups.
Missing in person startup events? Join the StartupSac Community Facebook Group. It’s where startup founders and those who support the growth of our startup ecosystem can connect and exchange ideas.
In spite of a lack of in-person opportunities to meet, there is a lot more great stuff going on virtually in the startup community–check out the details in this week’s Startup Digest. If you’d like to receive the digest in your inbox every Monday morning, sign up for free here. Submit an event for consideration with this link. And for even more startup information, happenings and resources, browse the StartupSac Website.
