Katherine Olives
In late November, the American Association for the Advancement of Science presented the Forum on Inclusive STEM Entrepreneurship. The event was organized by key figures in the space including our own Kesia Hudson and Lindsay Siegel, and CCNYs Dean of Engineering, Gilda Barabino. It brought together a diverse set of leaders in STEM and entrepreneurship to share best practices, network, and plan for more a more inclusive tech and startup space.
One of the main goals of the Zahn Center is to cultivate more women entrepreneurs, and create a pipeline to the C Suite. In the same sense, we recognize that some of the challenges that women face also apply to people of color. Kesia Hudson, Director of the Standard Chartered Womens Technology Incubator at the Zahn Center, can speak to these challenges first hand.
As a grad student, Kesia remembers her experience pitching a custom clothing concept that incorporated 3D modeling to an all-male panel of judges not understanding the expanding fashion market. And throughout her life, she recalls quizzical or even incredulous looks that often greeted her when she put her coding skills to use in various corporate intrapreneurial jobs. That she was an African American woman didnt help. In the following blog, Kesia discusses her takeaways from the Forum on Inclusive STEM Entrepreneurship, and helps us identify ways to build a brighter future.
Meritocracy doesnt exist – so how do you prove yourself?
As Arlan Hamilton, Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, puts it, not everyone has the luxury of dropping out of school, donning a hoodie, and going into the garage to start a company. Minority entrepreneurs have to prove, prove, prove, and prove some more. At the event, entrepreneurs spoke about how hard it was for them to get funding, when male counterparts seemed to have it so easy. Its almost as if merit doesnt always matter. This is a hard pill to swallow, especially for hard-working, young entrepreneurs. And unfortunately, theres no answer but to keep on working, and to find that one person who will believe in you from the beginning.
Build your own innovation table.
Another panelist suggested building your own network, or creating an innovation table. In the next five years, as entrepreneurship collides with minority buying power, who are you surrounding yourself with? How will you make sure others like you get a seat at the table?
Rakia Finleys (Co-Founder of FIN Digital) best advice: if youre invited, extend it to your network. We need to get past the point where were getting these invitations that are non-transferrable. Bring a plus one, or a plus two, and soon, well see each other across the table. If youre a man–especially if youre not underrepresented–decline the invitation to speak at the panel of all other men who look like you. Instead, suggest a female colleague with similar expertise.
Tell your own story.
One of the best pieces of advice I took away from the event was the power of storytelling. If youre not being heard, if youre not being celebrated, then tell your own story. Social media is a powerful thing, and women and minority entrepreneurs should use it to their advantage. The only key is to design your message so that people who are not a part of your story care about it.
Another suggestion that came from a panelist is to find people in your circle who can tell your story if they have more influence. As an actionable plan, we need to make a more structured environment to tell our own stories, and spread it through that network.
Stop acting like bootstrapping is sexy.
Natalia Oberti Noguera, CEO and Founder of Pipeline Angels, brought up something that she oftens hears in medi: When it comes to entrepreneurship, you only see the highlight reel. You see the product of sleepless nights, the luxurious lifestyle after years of barely making ends meet. Those types of stories make you question whether or not youre doing it right. Media has made bootstrapping sexy (almost like it gives you grit, and you have a chip on your shoulder.) For many of us, bootstrapping is living. When youre bootstrapping everyday, how are you supposed to bootstrap a business. Its not glamorous, so we need to stop acting like it is.
Dont let scarcity stories perpetuate the scarcity.
When it comes to women and minorities doing things, it seems like all we hear about are exceptions. The one person who made it. This is mostly because people see the growth of minorities as a threat rather than an opportunity. How do we get past the exception, and make powerful women and minorities the norm? Dont let the success of one seem like a failure for yourself. Theyre not the exception. If they can do it, you can do it too.
For me, being in a room with all of these accomplished women and men of color–experts in academics, business, public policy, and beyond–wasnt one of those stories. For us it was normal. This is what it should look like. It shouldnt be a surprise.