JOIN THE
MECA
2 TECH
THE
KEYS
01
FEW START, LESS FINISH.
02
KNOW THE RULES.
03
WIN THE GAME!
Ohio's tech business incubators pride themselves on being inclusive. How is this measured? We've found that though black tech businesses exist, few know about accelerator programs and even less get to experience the development yielded by such programs.
How does a black tech company go from idea to seed money? There's a path to getting in the room on the road to becoming a venture backable company.
Few start, less finish. But what does finishing look like? Growth of the Black tech startup industry will unavoidably create some wins and some losses. We'll discuss what winning looks like from one of Cincy's own success stories.
Thursday, July 20, 2017 - 5:00pm - 8:00pm
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Underground Railroad Freedom Center
MEET
THE PANEL
Ricardo Grant
Rico Grant, CEO & Co founder of CrownMob a mobile
platform designed to connect consumers to creatives and product retailers in the Ethnic Hair Industry. CrownMob is set to launch on Aug 1st with intentions to service the ethic hair industry like never before with superior technology.
Favorite quote: "Good jobs are dream killers"
Instagram: @thecrownmob
Instagram: @rickbelafonte
Kelauni Cook
Currently building a social contacts app in Python and Django (personal project). Co-developing and instructing Pittsburgh's first high school coding bootcamp, "Academy Pittsburgh Beta Builders". Creator of "Beers && Debuggers" - a coding meet up for junior web developers in the Pittsburgh area. Host and creator of the first coding podcast in Pittsburgh (soon to be featured on iTunes). Member and volunteer of the Work Hard Pittsburgh Co-op for entrepreneurs and startups. Currently writing talks to prepare for opportunities to speak at various tech meet ups and conferences. Lover of live music and ultimate socialite on the weekends.
DJ HD
Rod is the founder and CEO of ConnXus, Inc. (www.connxus.com), a supplier management software platform that enables Global 2000 companies to discover new suppliers, manage supplier diversity tracking, compliance and mandated reporting requirements. ConnXus’ cloud-based platform provides powerful tools and analytics that enable large companies to validate, quantify and measure the diversity within their supply chains.
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Since starting the company in 2010, Rod has led the company through successfully raising $10 million in venture capital, 100% annual revenue growth, a database of 1.7 million diverse suppliers and a growing list of global customers including American Express, Facebook, Caesars Entertainment, Coca-Cola, Cummins, McDonald’s and Procter & Gamble.
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In March 2017, Ohio Governor John Kasich appointed Rod to Miami University’s board of trustees.
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Natasia is a Co-Founder and CEO at Wyzerr, a tech startup that builds artificial intelligence to turn feedback data into operational tasks for a business. Wyzerr was part of The Brandery accelerator’s 2015 class. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Ms. Malaihollo studied law, with a focus on Intellectual Property (IP). She worked for several years as a patent specialist and trademark agent, prosecuting applications for companies like IBM, Samsung, and Fujifilm. Ms. Malaihollo studied Computer Science and Legal Studies at UC Berkeley.
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Instagram: @LoveNatasia
Twitter: @LoveNatasia
Natasia Malaihollo
DJ HD is an award winning DJ and owner of Elite Events. He is known for his ability to actively engage crowds on the microphone and in person. DJ HD has been taking advantage of tech in the entertainment industry to further enhance the party going experience and really take it to the next level for patrons. HD began DJing college parties across Ohio campuses during his sophomore Year at the University of Cincinnati and quickly became the most prominent DJ on the Ohio College Scene. All while balancing his budding career, Elite Events, and his duties as a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, HD plans to release his highly anticipated app that integrates local night live with the community and providing access to the best events the city has to offer.
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Favorite catchphrase: "I BET YOU WONT TURN UP!"
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Instagram: @DJHDLikeTheTV
Twitter: @DJHDLikeTheTV
