GEWKC conversation: Black women are building tech — but are we building them?
November 16, 2020 | Startland News Staff
A coalition of organizations working to connect early-stage founders to critical resources — with an emphasis on equitable access — is shining the spotlight on Black women in tech during this week’s premier entrepreneurship event series, Global Entrepreneurship Week Kansas City.
“Black women are launching businesses at the fastest clip of any racial group. Despite this, Black women founders continue to be the least funded and often face significant barriers when building tech companies,” event organizers said. “What role does our ecosystem play in supporting Black women in tech? What’s working — and what isn’t?”
Set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, the community conversation is expected to draw inspiration from specific Black women and their experiences navigating the local and national tech startup ecosystems, said Dan Smith, co-founder of The Porter House KC.
Panelists for the conversation include Shelley Cooper, co-founder of SureShow; Carlanda McKinney, founder of Bodify; Jannae Gammage, CEO of The Market Base; and Tammy Buckner, founder of Techquity Digital.
Click here to register for the Black Women in Tech event.
“We have four powerful Black women who are tech builders locally, and a national powerful Black woman representing the national tech landscape in Felecia Hatcher [co-founder of the Center for Black Innovation],” Smith detailed.
The Porter House KC, Digital Sandbox KC and Square One Business Services at Mid-Continent Public Library organized the event.
The GEWKC conversation — broadcasting live Wednesday from the Medallion Theater at Plexpod Westport Commons — is set to stream on The Porter House KC’s Facebook and YouTube pages, with a Zoom link available for those not on the social media platforms, Smith said.
Click here to explore additional Global Entrepreneurship Week Kansas City events, running Monday through Friday, primarily on virtual platforms.
“For this year, we asked entrepreneurs what they needed most to start, recover and make their businesses more resilient for the future, and the entrepreneur community submitted events that fit those key areas of assistance,” said David Cawthon, communications coordinator for KCSourceLink, which powers the week-long event series.
Click here to learn more about the vision for GEWKC 2020.
Among this week’s most popular GEWKC events by pre-registration, according to KCSourceLink:
Tuesday
- 8 a.m. — Do Not Hire Your First Sales Person Until You Attend This Event
- 11 a.m. — Designing Impact for Social Acceleration
Wednesday
- 10 a.m. — Financial Literacy
- 10 a.m. — How to Access Alternative Financing
- 11:30 a.m. — The Care and Feeding of the Small Business Owner
- 12 p.m. — Using Social Capital to Maximize Business Outputs and Outcomes
- 12 p.m. — Grow Your Mutually Supportive Ecosystem to Grow Your Business
Thursday
- 10 a.m. — Problem Solving and Idea Mastermind
- 12 p.m. — Keynote: No More Excuses. Own Your Results! with Marquita Miller
Friday
- 3:30 p.m. — The Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile (EMP)
Not sure how to attend? Click here to learn more about the free GEWKC entrepreneurship celebration.
Featured Business
2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Nickel & Dime supplement club relocates to KC, aims to disprove industry stereotypes
Startup nutrients like location, atmosphere and opportunity have proven the right dosage to lure another young company to Kansas City, said Ben Harris. “[Our move] allows us to ship two days domestically anywhere in the United States,” the co-founder of Nickel & Dime supplement club said. Launched by Harris and co-founder, Michael Giangregorio earlier this…
LaunchKC lands keynote speaker from NASA; Techweek queries two Google developer advocates
Pitch Day for LaunchKC is expected to lift off next month with an opening keynote address from NASA executive Kira Blackwell. Remarks are expected to delve into NASA iTech, a year-long effort to find innovative ideas that address challenges and fill gaps in five critical areas identified by the space agency as having a potential impact…
CBD startup: Young father sees Native Hemp Co. as the launch of a health revolution
At 21 years old, Rich Dunfield IV felt like an absentee father, he said. Struck in his prime with painful ailments after a tick bite — nerve and belly problems, anxiety and depression — he was home but not present. “My entire life was rooted in fatherhood. I started young, but I embraced it. Lyme…
New Lawrence Blade & Timber just the edge of Swell Spark’s ongoing brand evolution
A newly opened Lawrence Blade & Timber — well-positioned on the college town’s popular Massachusetts Street — features the axe-throwing brand’s first “retailtainment” concept. It’s a reflection of parent company Swell Spark’s ongoing push to keep Blade & Timber (as well as the Choir Bar and Breakout businesses) fresh amid an increasingly crowded experience-based entertainment…