How It All Started
Black & Brown Founders was created by our Founder and Board Chair, Aniyia Williams, during her entrepreneurship residency with Code2040 in 2017. Inspired by conversations with Deldelp Medina and the experiences fundraising for her tech company, Aniyia discovered the many gaps of venture funding and disparities in supporting people of color.
Less than 2% of venture capital goes to Black and Latinx entrepreneurs, yet they are the driving force behind business creation in the United States.
Aniyia wanted to provide solutions for founders of color who have limited resources and may never see a dollar of outside investment.
She started Black & Brown Founders to address it.
Our organization has organized several national events, offers a virtual training program, and a virtual conference to help Black and Latinx entrepreneurs at the earliest stage of their journey cross the chasm from idea to revenue.
Why This Matters
We're on a mission to close the vast and growing wealth gap between Black and Latinx households and their counterparts in the United States.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median net worth for Black and Latinx households is $9,211 and $12,460 respectively, compared to $132,483 for a White household.
Tech entrepreneurship is providing accelerated pathways to financial security, and we believe that equitable participation in the innovation economy is a moral and economic imperative that can change the outlook for marginalized groups.
In our communities, access to money is a major challenge, let alone access to capital. Further, many Black and Latinx entrepreneurs are not only trying to support themselves and perhaps a spouse and child(ren), but also their parents, siblings, and so on. When coupled with unfair hiring practices and being underpaid working for others, it becomes clear why we are likely to become entrepreneurs by necessity.
Despite the challenges, the things that make us entrepreneurs “different” are also assets when it comes to solving problems. If we start building tech from truly diverse perspectives, then the world can develop the best solutions for the communities that need them most.
Who We Are & What We Do
Black & Brown Founders gives entrepreneurs knowledge, tools and cutting-edge tactics to launch startups without relying on venture capital.
Our Method
We believe that anyone with a great solution to an important problem and the determination to bring to it to life should have the opportunity to build it.
Black & Brown Founders has produced seven events in four cities which provided actionable information about building tech companies, gathered interdisciplinary stakeholders to ideate on ecosystem solutions, and refined effective ways to create connection among siloed tech founders of color.
We’ve learned that bootstrapping with limited resources is most effective when a venture is built from the founder's unique knowledge and talents. We've developed a process to help founders assess those talents and put them to work solving problems for their communities.
The Team
DELDELP MEDINA
Executive Director
FRANCESCA ESCOTO
Director of Education
SYREETA MARTIN
Director of Marketing
ANIYIA L. WILLIAMS
Chair, Board of Directors
