Do you need to have a background in tech to breakthrough into the industry? What type of mindset must you have to be an innovator? X-Factor Capital is joined by Will Drewery, founder, investor, and former vice president of supply chain of Astra to discuss the inner workings of some of the biggest developments in technology.

About Will Drewery: 

Will is an early-stage venture founder, tech investor, supply chain enthusiast, and experienced board member. He has a track record of bringing technical products from idea stage to reality for iconic brands such as Tesla and Astra. A self-described “desert plant”, he knows how to thrive in harsh environments.

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

About Underestimated Podcast:

If you love startups, technology, venture capital and all things entrepreneurship, this this podcast is for you. Subscribe to our channel & leave us a review! 

https://xfactor.partners/

Would you be nervous to pitch your company in front of Serena Williams? How should entrepreneurs approach meetings with investors? X-Factor Capital is joined by Barbara Jones, Founder and CEO of Lillii RNB Inc, a leading IT consulting firm that helps Fortune 500 companies and government agencies with technology. In this episode, she details the importance of participating in seed rounds and shares how she is fulfilling her dreams.

Barbara Jones is the Founder/CEO Lillii RNB Inc. Her company has been a winner of the emerging tech firm of the year. She has also been a top 5 Rise of the Rest Finalist and selected for the Morgan Stanley 2021 Winter MCIL Cohort.

https://www.lilliirnb.com/about.html

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sr98bj/

About Underestimated Podcast:

If you love startups, technology, venture capital and all things entrepreneurship, this this podcast is for you. Subscribe to our channel & leave us a review! 

https://xfactor.partners/

Is angel investing a safer investment than the stock market? Previously, only the wealthy and well connected had access to institutionally backed high growth investments. Now, Black and Brown people are accessing opportunities to expand their portfolios. X-Factor Capital is joined by the founder of Urban Capital Network, Lenny Saizan. Learn about how UCN is creating access to opportunities across the investment ecosystem.

About Urban Capital Network:

We democratize the early-stage investment ecosystem by extending access to premium early-stage companies to a broader pool of investors.

https://urbancapitalnetwork.com/about/

Lenny Saizan:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennysaizan/

About Underestimated Podcast:

If you love startups, technology, venture capital and all things entrepreneurship, this this podcast is for you. Subscribe to our channel & leave us a review! 

https://xfactor.partners/

What does it take for an entrepreneur to make it on the show Shark Tank? What are the hurdles new business owners must leap in order to reach their full potential? X-Factor Capital is joined by Brandon Andrews, one of the casting directors for NBC’s Shark Tank. In this podcast, Brandon shares his insight into how entrepreneurs can scale their businesses and successfully pitch to investors.

Brandon is an entrepreneur, consultant, and a casting director for NBC’s Shark Tank. He is also the co-founder of Gauge, a cultural navigator and research platform connecting brands and organizations to diverse culture leaders.

https://gauge.ai/

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

About Underestimated Podcast:

If you love startups, technology, venture capital and all things entrepreneurship, this this podcast is for you. Subscribe to our channel & leave us a review! 

https://xfactor.partners/

Is entrepreneurship a method for generating social and economic equity?

Starting a business is hard. Growing one takes even more courage, expertise, and creativity. X-factor Capital is joined by the CEO of DivInc, an accelerator program solely focused on equity as the currency of exchange that creates opportunities for business owners in underserved communities. Learn about the importance of a startup ecosystem for underrepresented founders. 

About DivInc: 

DivInc bridges the gap between underrepresented entrepreneurs and the resources they need to build profitable, high-growth companies.

https://www.divinc.org/

Preston James II: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preston-l-james-ii-9438721b/

About Underestimated Podcast:

If you love startups, technology, venture capital and all things entrepreneurship, this this podcast is for you. Subscribe to our channel & leave us a review! 

https://xfactor.partners/

The Art of Data // A Data-Driven Approach to Workplace Inclusion 

Is leveraging intersectionality finally breaking discrimination barriers within the workplace, or are underrepresented communities fighting recurring battles of inequities year over year and being led to entrepreneurship to own the trajectory of their pathway to leadership?

X-factor Capital and our special guest, the CEO of The Mentor Method, explore how the art of data and intersectional strategies have an impact on discrimination issues in corporate America. Hear about effective ways to tackle workplace inequalities. For leaders of color, learn how you can position yourself to break through these discrimination barriers within the workplace or in the entrepreneurial space. 

This event was shot live at Splunks Annual Conference.

About The Mentor Method: 

The Mentor Method is an easy-to-use mentoring software platform that helps companies build inclusive, cross-functional mentorship programs at scale. We help HR and DEI leaders retain, engage, and develop underrepresented talent.

https://www.thementormethod.com/

Janice Omadeke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceomadeke/

About Underestimated Podcast:

If you love startups, technology, venture capital and all things entrepreneurship, this this podcast is for you. Subscribe to our channel & leave us a review! 

https://xfactor.partners/

Episode nine with Karen Cahn of IFundWomen! Karen’s community supports over 130,000 women entrepreneurs who have raised collectively over $100M and created over 30,000 jobs. This episode we dive into the specifics of how crowdfunding works and why Karen's platform is so successful at helping founders raise money to build their businesses.

Crowdfunding is a great resource especially for founders who don’t have a network a friends and family that can contribute to their startup or small business upfront cost. 

They have a system that is proven to work and we talk about some of Karen's favorite stories in her five years running IFundWomen and building this community. 

About IFundWomen:

IFundWomen is the go-to funding marketplace for women-owned businesses and the people who want to support them with access to capital, coaching, and connections.

https://ifundwomen.com

About Underestimated Podcast:

If you love startups, technology, venture capital and all things entrepreneurship, this this podcast is for you. Subscribe to our channel & leave us a review! 

https://xfactor.capital

How does a kid from small town Louisiana become a startup founder and featured in Forbes and in Times Square NYC? 

Dennis Cail, CEO & Founder of Zirtue, the peer lending app, shares his story from a small town, to the US Navy, to banking and then to launching the world first peer to peer lending platform that can automate the public backing process to the lender. 

Dennis has become a friend of the X-Factor team and shares some of his tips around running a startup. He also shares very specific details on what he looks for in an investor, and tells founders what they can look for during the fundraising process. 

This episode is one you want to share with your startup friends because Dennis is one of the few Black, and veteran founded Fintech startups to raise venture capital. 

About Zirtue:

Zirtue was created with the goal to revolutionize the way we lend; making it more simple, secure, and fair. Today, Zirtue has helped thousands of people lend and borrow with those they trust by giving them more control over their money and an easy way to do it. Zirtue is the world’s first relationship-based lending app with a mission to drive financial inclusion, one relationship at a time.

https://www.zirtue.com

About Underestimated Podcast:

If you love startups, technology, venture capital and all things entrepreneurship, this this podcast is for you. Subscribe to our channel & leave us a review! 

https://xfactor.capital

In this episode, we speak with the co-founder of TXV Partners Marcus Stroud. Marcus shares his background as an athlete and how that helps him in the competitive world of venture capital. The stories he shares from his Princeton days to those of being the son of an NFL football player are inspiring!

Marcus says “adversity is an advantage” and that you have to look deeper to see how the challenges you’ve been through have prepared you for the journey ahead. 

Marcus also builds his business with his best friend so there’s a lot of great nuggets on relationships and trust. 

About TXV Partners:

We are an early-
stage venture capital fund focused on software & human performance. The health & performance of people will be shaped by systemic, holistic approaches to everyday physical & mental wellness.

https://txv.partners

About Underestimated Podcast:

If you love startups, technology, venture capital and all things entrepreneurship, this this podcast is for you. Subscribe to our channel & leave us a review! 

https://xfactor.capital

Episode 6 is a special one! We have both founders of X-Factor Capital, Rodell Razor & Jeremiah Captain. 

We discuss how & why we started X-Factor Capital. We talk about how activism inspired organized action with real solutions. We also dive into the critical characteristics of a great founder/entrepreneur.

As former athletes we even weigh in on the controversial topic of amateur athletes being paid for their Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL). 

This episode you get a chance to see the heart behind the mission and get to tune into a fireside chat style convo with two great friends & business partners.

About X-Factor Capital:

Our mission is to create concrete demonstrable change in the wealth gap for the Black community in America by investing in capable entrepreneurial operators with great ideas.

X-Factor Capital invests in early stage, post revenue, Black-owned businesses. We partner with top investors and executives to work alongside our portfolio companies. The founders in our portfolio have financing that is creative and allows them to keep control of their business. We provide advice, as well as connections to support the growth of our companies.

https://xfactor.capital

About Underestimated Podcast:

If you love startups, technology, venture capital and all things entrepreneurship, this this podcast is for you. Subscribe to our channel & leave us a review!