Last week, entrepreneur Jewel Burks Solomon was able to add a new title to her long list of accomplishments. Solomon was named the head of the new Google for Startups. The appointment represents a seminal moment for both Solomon and Google. The African American, Nashville native will be the first person to serve in the newly created leadership position at Google.
The Atlanta-based appointment represents a return to Google for the highly accomplished tech entrepreneur and advocate for increased representation in the industry. Solomon previously managed Google events, before serving as an entrepreneur in residence for diversity markets at the top tech company, where she matched underrepresented companies with Google tools and resources. Prior to the position, however, Solomon was no stranger to entrepreneurship. In 2013, she received significant seed funding for Partpic, which uses technology to provide imaging of equipment parts to facilitate maintenance and repair. As its co-founder and CEO, she promoted and expanded the company, which eventually led to its acquisition by Amazon in 2016.
Having credited her tech industry exposure to skills she acquired during her college internship with Google, Solomon has embarked on a journey that has come full circle. This time, the alumnus of the high-ranking HBCU Howard University is planning to make an even greater impact. During a recent interview with Hypepotamus, Solomon described her goals in the new position:
With Solomon at the helm, Atlanta’s entrepreneurs can benefit from the pairing of expert tutelage with critical technology resources. Under Solomon’s leadership, new businesses are sure to be starting up — and starting off — in the right direction.
