Black Innovation Lab

We're building a thriving startup ecosystem in Memphis with Black Innovation Lab in two different ways! 🌟
1️⃣ Our Black Innovation Lab Accelerator provides crucial mentorship and seed investment to marginalized entrepreneurs in Memphis, addressing the significant need for support and resources. 🚀
2️⃣Our Impact App Challenge is deeply committed to cultivating the next generation of diverse entrepreneurial leaders. Our culturally relevant educational opportunities equip young people with essential skills and knowledge to thrive as future founders and innovators. 🌱

How can we better support Black and Brown entrepreneurs in Memphis and the US South? What challenges have you faced, and how can we help you overcome them? Share your thoughts below!

According to We Are Memphis, Memphis is a top city for women entrepreneurs, offering a vibrant ecosystem of support and opportunities. From access to funding to a strong network of mentors, the city provides a fertile ground for women-led businesses to flourish.

Memphis boasts a high concentration of Black-owned businesses and provides resources such as mentoring, workshops, and networking events to help women succeed.

Read more at https://wearememphis.com/hustle/business/memphis-female-entrepreneurs/ 💜

Creating pathways to generational wealth is at the heart of our mission. While talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not. Black Innovation Lab is dedicated to bridging the racial wealth gap by supporting SEDI founders in the U.S. South. Our goal is to promote financial stability through entrepreneurship and create opportunities for reinvestment in our communities.💜

Did you know 47.2 million Americans identify as Black, and over half reside in the U.S. South? Memphis is home to the highest concentration of Black Computer and Information talent (25%) among major metros. Together, we're bridging the racial wealth gap through entrepreneurial excellence and community growth. 🚀

Exciting news for Tennessee's tech scene! 🚀 The Spark Cleantech Accelerator has announced its 2024 cohort, showcasing a diverse group of founders tackling cleantech and climate-tech challenges with innovative solutions like aluminum and sodium batteries, solar energy, and wildfire prevention. 🌱🔋

We're excited to see such groundbreaking work happening in Tennessee, and aligning with our mission to foster innovation and support diverse founders. Congratulations to all the talented entrepreneurs in the new cohort! 🎉

Learn more about the entrepreneurs and Spark Cleantech through the link in our bio.

Mayor Paul Young has emphasized the importance of leveraging innovation and technology to drive Memphis's economic development and community prosperity. His commitment to building resilient, equitable communities aligns with the mission of Black Innovation Lab. With initiatives like Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities, Young aims to enhance sustainable and inclusive growth, creating opportunities for marginalized communities.

At Black Innovation Lab, we share this vision, focusing on fostering innovation and supporting diverse founders to build a brighter future for Memphis.

Let's flip the script and move the needle on venture capital! Despite a record $161 billion in venture capital invested in the U.S. in 2020, single-digit percentages went to Black, Latinx, or female entrepreneurs. Only 1% of Black female startups received funding, and just 2% of women-led startups were supported. At Black Innovation Lab, we're committed to changing this narrative by empowering diverse founders and fostering an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.

As a native Tennessean, my return home is not just a detour on my professional journey, it is both a homecoming and a calling. A chance to help ignite change and give back to the place that raised me and to the people who made me. It is here, at 492 Vance Avenue, that a profound connection between history, hope, and innovation emerged, carrying the weight of our ancestors' dreams and the promise of a brighter future. This location carries a powerful history—a history of Black wealth, progress, and resilience. It's a place where dreams were nurtured and barriers were broken down. By revitalizing this sacred space and bringing new hopes and dreams into these rooms, we aim to resurrect its spirit of innovation and empower the next generation of trailblazers.

That's why I'm returning to my roots, bringing together my expertise and passion, to help establish the Black Innovation Lab at the historic site of Griggs College on Vance Avenue. Through the creation of the Black Innovation Lab, we reclaim the revolutionary visions of our ancestors, reimagining a path to racial equity in our beloved city. www.blackinnovationlab.org

Last week, I was honored to speak at the Agape NOLA conference in New Orleans! 🎉 The theme, 'Building and Catalyzing for Impact,' brought together industry leaders and peers to tackle issues like the wealth gap and sustainability. 🌍💡
The Southern region of the US, with the highest concentration of single-race Black Americans, presents unique business and cultural opportunities. It's crucial for industries looking to grow to explore these opportunities.

At Black Innovation Lab, our mission is to create pathways for racial wealth equity in BIPOC communities through entrepreneurship. We aim to bridge the racial wealth gap, promote financial stability, and reinvest in our communities.
Thank you to Agape NOLA for having us and for hosting such an impactful event! Ready to apply these insights to our work at Black Innovation Lab. ✨