In this episode, Will Lucas discusses the importance of shifting from a service-oriented mindset to a platform-oriented approach in business. He emphasizes that building a platform allows for greater leverage, scalability, and the ability to create demand rather than just fulfilling it. Through personal anecdotes and examples, he illustrates how entrepreneurs can transform their businesses by thinking bigger and creating ecosystems that benefit not only themselves but also their communities. The conversation covers practical steps for building platforms, the rise of freelancers, and the types of platforms that can be developed to achieve success.

Takeaways

• If you are building a service, you're probably thinking too small.
• Service thinking is labor-centered; platform thinking is leverage-centered.
• Platform thinking separates your income from your hours.
• The power lies in controlling demand, not just talent.
• Building a container allows for multiple opportunities to flourish.
• Ecosystems compound and grow larger over time.
• Freelancers are on the rise, creating a need for platforms to organize them.
• You can build various types of platforms, including marketplaces and communities.
• Positioning is more important than having a large budget to start.
• Your small business doesn't have to stay small; it can evolve into a platform.

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Black Tech Green Money
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Omi Bell is CEO of Black Girl Ventures

Will Lucas on Socials
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Black Tech Green Money
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Morgan DeBaun is the Founder and CEO of Blavity and AfroTech. 

Introducing, HealthStack Conference. Uniting health systems, pharma, tech, and AI startups to showcase real-world tech.

Will Lucas on Socials
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Black Tech Green Money
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Bryan Myers is President and CEO at [solidcore].

Will Lucas on Socials
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Facebook: /wlucasii

Black Tech Green Money
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Dr. Jabaris Swain is Director-Innovation, MedTech at Johnson & Johnson, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Wharton MBA, and Harvard MPH.

Will Lucas on Socials
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Black Tech Green Money
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Will Lucas is the Brand Manager for AfroTech, and the Host and Producer for Black Tech Green Money podcast.

Will Lucas on Socials
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Facebook: /wlucasii

Black Tech Green Money
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Imani Ellis is the founder of CultureCon & The Creative Collective

Will Lucas on Socials
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Facebook: /wlucasii

Black Tech Green Money
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🎊 NEW YEARS REWIND // Jamé Jackson is a community manager at LinkedIn, helping thousands of professionals amplify their voices and build their personal brands. But that’s just her 9-to-5. As the founder of TheBlondeMisfit and Misfit Creative Media, she’s an award-winning journalist, actor, and content creator who’s turned her side hustle into a global brand.

On this episode, Jamé shares how Black representation in media is evolving, why creators need to protect their contributions, and how AI is shaping the future of storytelling.

Follow Will Lucas on Instagram: @willlucas

Follow Black Tech Green Money: @blacktechgreenmoney, @btgmpodcast

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🎄 HOLIDAY REWIND // Megan Holston-Alexander is a partner at Andreessen Horowitz where she leads the Cultural Leadership Fund (CLF), Silicon Valley’s first venture capital fund consisting exclusively of Black cultural leaders and organizations committed to Black wealth generation. Megan oversees CLF’s dual missions of connecting the world’s greatest cultural leaders including athletes, entertainers, musicians and C-level executives, to the best new technology companies and engaging and elevating African Americans in the technology industry.

Follow Will Lucas on Instagram: @willlucas

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On this episode of Black Tech Green Money, we strip away the packaging to reveal the hard science and high-stakes finance powering the Black hair revolution. The days of "kitchen chemists" are evolving into an era of AI-driven diagnostics and nine-figure exits. Will Lucas sits down with the architects of this shift to answer the trillion-dollar question: Can you scale a culturally rooted brand without losing its soul?

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 (HairDays)—explain how they are training algorithms to diagnose scalp health and personalize care. And, Ciara Imani May (Rebundle) breaks down the chemistry of comfort, revealing how banana fiber is disrupting the toxic synthetic hair market. This is the business of beauty, engineered.

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