Founders Unfound

OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:

A brand new book by entrepreneur and investor Dave Parker.

This hot-off-the-presses publication is THE playbook for those at the earliest stages of the startup journey. Or even if you are just contemplating the jump to entrepreneurship. To get this great resource, go to dkparker.com or find anywhere you buy books.

In this episode Stephen and Dan discussed:

• growing up in an Oregon suburb
• how a chance elective sent his life on a new path
• working with his brother as co-founders
• why a developer's non-coding background matters

Stephen Ajayi is the Co-Founder and CEO of YearOne, a company that helps individuals coming out of code schools, land incredible jobs. But getting jobs for Bootcamp grads is not all they do. YearOne also supports new employees through their early careers within technology companies - setting them up for long-term success as well. 

Stephen knows the journey of the YearOne community, intimately. He moved away from a pre-med track in college to pursue programming, all from the chance selection of taking an elective course in computer science. He went on to dive headfirst in a coding school and ultimately emerged as a Sales VP for a Silicon Valley startup. So, he’s seen from both sides the challenges and friction in the hiring process. And YearOne is particularly focused on coders coming from less traditional backgrounds. And to him, those backgrounds are a major strength. YearOne has a great journey - through the Portland tech ecosystem, to Techstars, and now with backing from great investors like Zeal Capital Partners and Black Founders Matter.

Stephen and YearOne have a terrific story.

Make sure to listen in.

Stephen:

linkedin.com/in/stephenkajayi

twitter.com/stephenkajayi

YearOne:

joinyearone.io

linkedin.com/company/yearonecareers/about/

twitter.com/YearOnecareers

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PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

#blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #techplacement

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:

A brand new book by entrepreneur and investor Dave Parker.

This hot-off-the-presses publication is THE playbook for those at the earliest stages of the startup journey. Or even if you are just contemplating the jump to entrepreneurship. To get this great resource, go to dkparker.com or find anywhere you buy books.

In this episode Patrick and Dan discussed:

• growing up in a Haitian household with 6 older siblings
• serendipitous customer discovery in a coffee shop
• the dynamics of a diverse founding team
• the attraction of the Pittsburgh tech scene

Patrick Paul is the Co-Founder of Ikos, a start-up using data and information to allow property owners to execute and manage the vital, day-to-day tasks of investment property ownership. Patrick was raised with a strong Haitian heritage starting in New Jersey and ending up in Southwestern Florida. He grew up an athlete, ended up going to a military academy, then college, and into the world of finance and real estate. Now based in Pittsburgh, Patrick has helped to transform the modern rental experience with Ikos, along the way raising millions and weathering an industry hard hit by the economic crisis from COVID-19. 

Make sure to listen to his incredible story.

Patrick:

linkedin.com/in/patrick-paul-2524257a

Ikos:

ikos.rent

linkedin.com/company/ikos-holdings-inc

twitter.com/meetikos

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PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

#blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #renttech

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:

The global pan-African freelance marketplace and collaboration platform.

Tell them "Dan sent you" for 10% off your first order. More at afriblocks.com

Cascadia Cleantech Accelerator

powered by VertueLab and CleanTech Alliance

This 15-week program delivers mentorship, connections, funding opportunities, and more.

For early-stage cleantech startups looking to launch and scale their businesses. Checkout at cascadiacleantech.org

In this episode Ashlee and Dan discussed:

• Interning for LeBron James
• How an awkward networking event gave birth to Mixtroz
• Working alongside her mom as Co-Founder
• The journey from Cleveland to NY to Nashville to Birmingham
• Where to find the best rollercoasters in the world

Ashlee Ammons is the Co-Founder of Mixtroz, a company that creates serendipity at live and virtual events using real-time surveying along with their unique algorithm.  Ashlee has an amazing journey - from Ohio to New York, Tennessee, and eventually to Alabama. She’s gone from interning with Lebron James to becoming one of the first few African American Women to raise over $1M in venture funding. She's also been named as Entrepreneur Magazine's "100 Powerful Women" of 2019.

To top it all off, Ashlee has known her co-founder literally her whole life (spoiler alert, they're related!).

Make sure to listen to her incredible story.

Ashlee:

linkedin.com/in/ashleeanneammons

instagram.com/shemixalot87

Mixtroz:

mixtroz.com

twitter.com/Mixtroz

instagram.com/mixtroz

Follow Founders Unfound : Like and share - help us grow!

PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

#blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #eventtech

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:

powered by VertueLab and CleanTech Alliance

This 15-week program delivers mentorship, connections, funding opportunities, and more.

For early-stage cleantech startups looking to launch and scale their businesses.

Applications are open until April 16th. Don't miss out, apply today at cascadiacleantech.org

The global pan-African freelance marketplace and collaboration platform.

Tell them "Dan sent you" for 10% off your first order. More at afriblocks.com

Special Guest Co-Host:

Veronica Parks from Maveron (@VPinVC)

In this episode Evan, Veronica, and Dan discussed:

• Growth from having side hustles as a kid
• Why it took years to start Kiddie Kredit
• Evan's three filters to vet investors
• How credit score has such influence but is so misunderstood
• Whether Miami really is the next tech hub

Evan Leaphart is the Founder and CEO of Kiddie Kredit, a mobile chore tracking app that teaches kids about credit. The company is out to demystify credit scores with fun, but analogous habits and rewards. They currently focus on young children but their goal ultimately is to serve anyone new to credit.

Evan grew up in the Baltimore area and is one of those founders seemingly born to be just that, a founder. His mom was a flight attendant and he was an only child. So Evan learned at a young age how to be self-sufficient and confident. From lemonade stands and snow removal to cleaning services and auto transport. Evan has been fearlessly taking on venture after venture. 

He has called Miami home for over 15 years, so he's definitely an OG in the newly blossoming Miami tech scene. In addition to Kiddie Kredit, Evan is a Co-founder of the Miami-based Black Men Talk Tech Conference.

Make sure to listen to his compelling story.

Evan:

linkedin.com/in/evanleaphart/

twitter.com/evanleaphart

instagram.com/evanleaphart/

blackmentalktech.com

Kiddie Kredit:

kiddiekredit.com

twitter.com/kiddiekredit

instagram.com/KiddieKredit/

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PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

#blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #finhtech

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:

Delivering clear analysis and powerful insights on what's shaping the Black innovation economy.

Get your annual subscription to The Plug at tpinsights.com

In this episode Ashlee and Dan discussed:

• Growing up in the Bronx - and still living there!
• Her personal experiences with healthcare inequity
• How her view working 'inside' healthcare moved her to launch her startup
• The legacy of courageous and inspirational women in her family
• How even Serena Williams was not immune to inequity in care

Episode Shout Outs:

Eddwina Bright (Co-founder)

Females Founders Alliance

Vital Voices

Dr. Ivor Horn

Ashlee Wisdom is the Founder and CEO of Health in Her HUE,  a digital platform connecting black women to culturally competent healthcare providers, health content and community. Ashlee has Jamaican and Bahamian roots, but grew up in New York where she diehard represents her home burrow - the Bronx. Her career AND startup reflect a deep passion and dedication to tackling healthcare inequity. It's immediately evident in her voice, her writing, and all of her efforts. Ashlee's work has been recognized by Female Founder Alliance, Vital Voices, and the one-and-only Serena Williams. A true founder to watch!

Make sure to listen to her compelling story.

Ashlee:

linkedin.com/in/ashlee-wisdom-mph-7114a040/

twitter.com/AshleeWisdom

instagram.com/ashleejwisdom/

Health in Her HUE:

healthinherhue.com

twitter.com/HealthInHerHUE

instagram.com/healthinherhue/

Follow Founders Unfound : Like and share - help us grow!

PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

#blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #healthtech

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:

A virtual venture conference hosted by the Columbia Venture Community

Access great content and breakouts with venture capitalists. March 5-6th 2021

Check out bit.ly/CVCMM for tickets. Don't miss out!

In this episode Genevieve and Dan discussed:

• Starting life in Haiti
• How she's combined science and finance into a career
• The lessons of "timing" from 2000 and 2008
• How distributed blockchain can INCREASE trust
• What happens to mangoes shipped to the US

Genevieve Leveille is the Founder and CEO of AgriLedger, a company that is revolutionizing the agriculture value chain using distributed ledger and blockchain technology.

Born in Haiti, Genevieve came to the US and New York for high school. She was a science major and researcher, and eventually found her way into banking and over to the UK. Genevieve burst onto the blockchain world with force a few years ago. And it all started with a crypto hackathon. She’s been nominated by the Financial Times to the top 100 BAME in UK technology, and was a winner of the ComputerWeekly 2020 Women in Software. She is also currently the Vice-chairman of TechUK’s Distributed Ledger Technologies Working Group.

Genevieve is now building a company that is using distributed ledger to RE-distribute value and reallocate margin and wealth across our food supply chain. All with the source -- the farmer -- at the core.

Make sure to listen to her compelling story.

Genevieve:

linkedin.com/in/genevieveleveille/

twitter.com/GinouInLondon

AgriLedger:

agriledger.io

linkedin.com/company/agriledger/

twitter.com/Agriledger

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PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

#blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #underestimated #founderAfricandescent #blockchain #agritech

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WE ARE BACK!

WELCOME TO OUR NEW SERIES FOR 2021

OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:

A virtual venture conference hosted by the Columbia Venture Community

Access great content and breakouts with venture capitalists. March 5-6th 2021

Check out bit.ly/CVCMM for early-bird tickets. Don't miss out!

In this episode Ayinde and Dan discussed:

• Growing up in DC
• How his name is as much an 'American' name as anyone else's
• That radio mimic mom's voice in the womb (what!?)
• nēdl as his THIRD startup in mobile radio
• Crashing a private party for a shot at pitching a prospect CEO
• His perspective on the latest Clubhouse hype

Episode Shout Outs:

WOTP

Backstage Capital

Sweet Capital

Ayinde Alakoye is the Founder and CEO of nēdl (as in 'the haystack'), a company that lets anyone create their own live call-in talk radio station in seconds and make money while they broadcast. nēdl gives everyone a chance to grab the mic, and be live to the world in moments.

Ayinde proudly wears his name, which means “we gave praise and he came." He grew up in DC in a single-parent household, after losing his father at an early age. From a young age, Ayinde has had a lifelong appreciation for the escape and 'theater of the mind' provided by radio. And his entrepreneurial spirit has been evident throughout his journey - from excellence in sales, to television, speech-writing for Obama, and a career spanning 20+ years in the radio media world.

All preparing him for the epiphany that would become nēdl. 

The company's app lets users set up their own radio stations - complete with instant share links, audience call-in support, and a clever feature that allows listens to tip. Ned'l is Ayinde's THIRD startup focused on mobile radio. He's been ahead of the curve with each endeavor. And given the amazing growth of experiences like Clubhouse and Instagram Live, his timing for this latest effort seems right on the mark.

Ayinde has raised over $1.6 Million in funding from investors including Backstage Capital and Sweet Capital.

Make sure to listen to his compelling story.

Ayinde:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nedlceo/

nēdl:

nedl.com/about

linkedin.com/company/nedlapp/

twitter.com/nedlapp

Follow Founders Unfound : Like and share - help us grow!

PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

#blackfounders #blackentrepreneurs #founderstory #underrepresented #founderAfricandescent

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:

the global venue for entrepreneurs to experience events, content, and community.

Check out founderslive.com to join and to find a live event streaming from your city.

In this episode:

• We review 2020 and where our past guests came from
• The effects of George Floyd on these founders, their companies and communities
• To be a black founder in 2020 is to be...
• Founders speak with optimism about plans for 2021

For our last episode of the year, we've brought together a handful of founders from our first 20 plus episodes. In this two-parter, we cover everything from fundraising, and running a business, to motivating employees, to finding time for self care and mental health. All against the backdrop of Coronavirus, George Floyd, and a climate of political tension.

Thanks to Kala, Marcus, Kwame Claudius, Bara, Kameale and Wole for catching us up and reflecting on this historic year that is 2020.

Make sure to listen in.

Bara:

https://twitter.com/baratundecola

carbice.com

Ways you can help: stay tuned for 2021

Kala:

https://twitter.com/thekalafleming

diasporaai.com

Ways you can help: refer clients who need help managing

water infrastructure not connected to the grid

Kameale:

https://twitter.com/kamealeC

chargerhelp.com

Ways you can help: looking for investors

to close out their seed round

Kwame & Claudius:

https://twitter.com/mbembaships

useneu.com

Ways you can help: referrals to rental hosts

in Phoenix, Scottsdale, or Seattle

Marcus:

twitter.com/_marcus_bullock

flikshop.com

Ways you can help: become a Flikshop Angel

flikshopangels.com

Wole:

twitter.com/AyowoleOA

fliqpay.com/

Ways you can help: refer clients who do

cross-border financial transaction settlements

Follow Founders Unfound : Like and share - help us grow!

PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OUR SPONSORS FOR THIS EPISODE:

the global venue for entrepreneurs to experience events, content, and community.

Check out founderslive.com to join and to find a live event streaming from your city.

In this episode:

• We review 2020 and where our past guests are collectively
• Updates from 7 previous guest founders
• Insights on COVID-19's impact for: business, employees, fundraising

For our last episode of the year, we've brought together a handful of founders from our first 20 plus episodes. In this two-parter, we cover everything from fundraising, and running a business, to motivating employees, to finding time for self care and mental health. All against the backdrop of Coronavirus, George Floyd, and a climate of political tension.

Thanks to Kala, Marcus, Kwame Claudius, Bara, Kameale and Wole for catching us up and reflecting on this historic year that is 2020.

Make sure to listen in.

Bara:

https://twitter.com/baratundecola

carbice.com

Ways you can help: stay tuned for 2021

Kala:

https://twitter.com/thekalafleming

diasporaai.com

Ways you can help: refer clients who need help managing

water infrastructure not connected to the grid

Kameale:

https://twitter.com/kamealeC

chargerhelp.com

Ways you can help: looking for investors

to close out their seed round

Kwame & Claudius:

https://twitter.com/mbembaships

useneu.com

Ways you can help: referrals to rental hosts

in Phoenix, Scottsdale, or Seattle

Marcus:

twitter.com/_marcus_bullock

flikshop.com

Ways you can help: become a Flikshop Angel

flikshopangels.com

Wole:

twitter.com/AyowoleOA

fliqpay.com/

Ways you can help: refer clients who do

cross-border financial transaction settlements

Follow Founders Unfound : Like and share - help us grow!

PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Follow Founders Unfound : Like and share - help us grow!

A preview of our Updates episode. We caught up with former guests to see where they are today and where they are headed for 2021. And we reflected on what will certainly be considered an historic year, 2020.

Be sure to listen in.

EPISODE drops December 18th!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.