Online Event

How Startup Organizations can Help Black American Entrepreneurs: An Open Discussion

Date

Aug 18, 2020

Time

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Address

Online Event

Timezone

With systemic racism at the forefront of the American consciousness, many corporations have pledged their support for Black Americans. But how can these organizations, and specifically those that help entrepreneurs, make real internal changes that actually lead to meaningful long term results? What are the specific challenges that Black American entrepreneurs face along every step of their startup journey, and what measures can accelerators, investors, and other organizations put in place to help? Join us for an open and honest discussion on the unique challenges facing black founders in the U.S. today and a brainstorm on possible solutions.

About the Speakers

Mariah Lichtenstern: Aspen Tech Policy Fellow at The Aspen Institute, Founding Partner at DiverseCity Ventures

At the intersection of technology, entertainment, and venture capital, Mariah Lichtenstern accelerates social, economic, and environmental impact through entrepreneurship. Mariah is the Founding Partner of DiverseCity Ventures and Managing Director of the Founder Institute, Sacramento Chapter. She is a member of UCLA Ventures, and serves as an advisor for CalSEED CleanTech Fund, Berkeley SkyDeck, and Village Capital Finance Forward US 2019. An alumna of UC Berkeley, USC, and UCLA, she is passionate about solving the wealth, wage, and funding gaps by building equitable bridges between those with privilege and those with valuable, but underutilized perspectives.

Harold Hughes: Founder & CEO of BANDWAGON, Venture Partner at Republic
Harold Hughes is the founder & CEO of Bandwagon – an analytics and identity management company that uses Blockchain technology to help teams & entertainers create more personalized fan experiences while eliminating ticket fraud. A rising star in sports tech, Harold has had his ideas validated as a graduate (and now mentor) of the Founder Institute Greenville chapter; graduate of Capital Factory – Austin, one of the inaugural companies in Google for Startups Black Founders Exchange Program, and most recently the IBM Blockchain Accelerator. Harold also serves as a Venture Partner at Republic, a member of the Dean's Senior Advisory Board at Clemson University and University of South Carolina Upstate, a Fellow with the Notley Fellowship, and more.

Platinum Partners

Local Partners

Register to get a copy of the event video:

or Register with

Already Have an Account? Sign In

Applications are now open

Build your startup with AI agents doing the work

Join the FI Agentic Program: an AI-powered curriculum, world-class mentors, and free AI agents to turn your idea into a fundable company.

9,000+ companies launched since 2009

Turn your idea into the next unicorn

Our programs helped launch Udemy, Esusu, and thousands more, with a portfolio worth an estimated $20B. Yours could be next.

200+ cities and 95 countries

Join the world's largest agentic company builder

A global network of founders, mentors, and investors building enduring companies, with free AI agents to help you do the work.

Apply Now

The Founder Institute is the world’s largest agentic company builder, turning ideas into fundable startups, and startups into unicorns. Since 2009, the Founder Institute program has helped over 9,000 entrepreneurs build 9,000+ companies, including unicorns like Udemy and Esusu, raise over 2BN in funding, and grow a portfolio worth an estimated $20BN. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200+ cities and 95 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide. Learn more about the Founder Institute.