Issues

Recent research by the Joint Center for Political and Economic studies shows that when communities of color leverage technology in their business strategy, their businesses grow.  Whether you are a Jessica Matthews, building kinetic energy through soccer balls; or an Ana Bermudez making it easy for consumers to shop for the clothes and accessories their favorite celebrities are wearing while they are watching television; or a brick and mortar business owner like Cacique or Gotta Go Now using mapping and data analytics to expand your customer base and improve the efficiency of your operations — technology makes a difference.

Too often, the story of entrepreneurs and technology is a story that begins and ends with diversity numbers in Silicon Valley. We are committed to promoting a tech workforce that reflects the diversity of our nation, but the truth is that there is more to this story. Visionaries of all backgrounds are bringing their creativity and technology together to create businesses that epitomize the best in diverse-owned business: they meet market needs, they employ people of color, they build wealth in communities that are too-often economically disadvantaged.

• Chrissa McFarlane, Founder of Patientory, which met its funding goal of more than $7M in just three days to meet a market need for blockchain-powered security in medical records

• Angel Rich, Creator of Credit Stacker, a massively popular mobile app that uses accessible game mechanics to help users learn about financial literacy and planning

• Dallas Goldtooth, comedian and founder of the 1491’s, a comedy collective that builds a new narrative around the American Indian experience reaching nearly half a million subscribers

• Cristina Jímenez Moreta, founder of United We Dream and 2017 Macarthur Genius Fellow, whose advocacy vision has enabled America’s most vulnerable to connect, organize, and tell a far-reaching story about the pivotal role of DREAMers in communities across the country

We are committed to telling the whole story of tech entrepreneurship to center these leaders so that their products and their counsel, ensure the best results for our communities, our nation, and our world. WE WORK TO:

• Advance policies that increase access to funding and market access to grow small and diverse businesses

• Preserve an open internet and the systems which lower barriers to entry and allow all entrepreneurs to identify and sell to the marketplace

• Ensure that business owners and entrepreneurs have access to the digital skills and tools they need to grow their businesses

• Guarantee that people of color enjoy full participation in every sector of the tech economy: finance, deals, workforce, c-suites, boards, innovation adoption and contracting