These 26 Black Female Entrepreneurs Are Changing The Game
Launching a successful tech startup requires dedication, drive and copious amounts of funding. Black women have proven to be the unicorns of Silicon Valley in recent years, and in 2017, 26 of them broke through the glass ceilings previously constructed by their white and Asian male counterparts and raised $1 million or more for their budding businesses.
Dana Sanchez previously reported that failed, white male-founded companies raked in around an average of $1.3 million in funding, while those newly-founded by Black women brought in a devastating $36,000. The latter figure seems almost incomprehensible, seeing that women of color have been dominating the entrepreneurship lane—in the last 20 years, Black women have dominated over 60% of all Black businesses in the United States, and have become the fastest-growing group to ever do so. An astounding number, especially seeing that they only make up 4% of the estimated 2,200 tech startups founded by all women.Vanity Fair recently created a spread in their magazine to celebrate the women who were able to bring in $1 million or more to their startups before Nov. 15, 2017, according to DigitalUnidivided. Ladies such as Morgan DeBaun, founder, and CEO of Blavity, and Jessica O. Matthews of Uncharted Power have taken their platforms to new heights with the help of outside capital, and in a field where sexism seems to play a big role, they have proven just how much representation matters.Matthews believes Black women should “envision herself being the person creating the product or service that is in the world” in their white and Asian-dominated industry. Now thanks to VF, we know the names behind some of the biggest up-and-coming tech brands, and can finally see their faces. These hidden figures are hidden no longer.Salute to these women, and may you all continue to break barriers for others!
