Shine co-founders, Naomi Hirabayashi and Marah Lidey are just two of a small few women of color who have received VC funding — let alone raise over $10 million in venture capital. Embracing their power as unicorns at the intersection of venture capital, wellness, and technology, the dynamic duo is committed to cultivating relatable self-care experiences for a diverse group of people. With a community of four million across 189 countries and an award-winning iOS and Android app, the Shine app provides support around your mental and emotional health. From accessing a community for support and searching a library of audio meditations to listening to a pep talk — the Shine app is your all-in-one self-care companion. While people of color are severely underrepresented in the wellness space, Shine is committed to letting users connect with other Shine members to share tips, motivation, and support from others who are working on being their most authentic selves. Recognized as 2018 Women’s...

As a start-up founder, finding ways to raise capital is probably one of the top three challenges keeping you up at night. Whether you’re trying to convince a family member or Silicon Valley investor to give you money, one key element for success is being prepared to clearly communicate your value and plans for growth and profitability. So in the words of Will Smith, “If you stay ready, you ain’t got to get ready.”  Here are a few questions to guide you in clearly communicating your value: In 60 seconds or less, how can you convey the unique value proposition of your startup’s product or service? For an investor who’s pitched often, time is of the essence. Prepare and practice a 1-2 sentence compelling story which highlights: The problem you solve. The benefits that make this product or service stand out from the crowd. The key to winning a person over with this statement is to entice them to want to learn more. Most importantly, avoid catchy phrases and buzzwords. For instance, ...

At some point during your entrepreneurial journey, second-guessing yourself, procrastinating and feelings of not being good enough will take control of the thoughts in your mind. Welcome to the world of self-doubt. But believe it or not, self-doubt is natural. Self-doubt doesn’t mean you’re incompetent. It doesn’t mean you should stop what you’re doing. A lot of times self-doubt and feelings of anxiety comes from our desire to want to control everything.  Friendly reminder, you can’t control outcomes, you can only control your effort. It’s only when you allow self-doubt to push you into hiding from marketing yourself or sharing your work, resolving a conflict between team members or making business decisions that it becomes problematic. Even over-researching an idea and not asking for help is a sign self-doubt is getting in your way. Here’s the thing.  Sometimes when you have a desire to do something new, your thoughts of “What if?” paralyzes you from taking action. The reality is...

Entrepreneurship can be a tough road yet sometimes it is wise, not to try to re-invent the wheel, but follow the path of other entrepreneurs who paved the way for you. Go from a pocket full of dreams to launching your first startup with some of our favorite quotes from these successful Black entrepreneurs. 1. “If you have a dream AND you have a job. That’s amazing! You can learn how to navigate both. Your employer, or as I like to call it your “investor”, gives you the money to invest in your dream, and pay your bills while you chase your dreams.” [Twitter] Getty Images Lisa Nichols shared her story with Mindvalley about how she went from having $12 in her pocket to being Mindvalley’s A-Fest keynote speaker for seven consecutive years. Nichols is the CEO of Motivating the Masses, Inc. which lists her as a best-selling author of six books with a motivational speaking platform that has reached 80 million people globally. She is known for her contribution to the law of attraction hit...