One of the biggest ways to contribute to the success of Black startups in America is to level the playing field.

Jewel Burks Solomon and Joey Womack are on a mission to do just that as they work to elevate Black startup founders and eliminate the relationship gap hindering the success of those without direct access to coastal financial centers. While it’s no easy feat, Solomon says that the war wounds and bruises along the way have inspired her to keep going.

“The bruises were motivation, I didn’t want other people to have the same knocks that I had in my journey. So, it was pretty clear to me what I needed to do next,” she shared with Black Tech Green Money’s Will Lucas. “I saw that there were big problems, problems that I experienced when I was growing and building my own company that I needed to go and solve. Being the entrepreneur that I am, I needed to go and attack those problems. I saw taking on the role as head of Google for Startups as a great platform and a great way to attack the problem.”

Much like Solomon, Womack saw a problem that he needed to attack as well, which is where Goodie Nation came in — to eliminate the relationship gap that stands in the way of success for entrepreneurs and their startups.

“I was focused on closing what we call the relationship gap for diverse founders and social entrepreneurs,” Womack said. “So, we’re hyper-focused on introducing them to key influencers in tech for advice, for capital, for professional development, and also, for talent.”

Want to learn about being intentional when it comes to the business relationships you form, Google’s investment into Black startup founders, and more on investing in socially-focused startups? Check out the full episode of AfroTech’s Black Tech Green Money below:

Goodie Nation

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