The Black Enterprise Network

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William A. Adams is a software engineering and startup trailblazer, philanthropist, and co-founder of Microsoft's LEAP program. It was a diversity and inclusion apprenticeship that has trained more than 30 cohorts of developers and program managers around the world. Link to the program here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/leap/He's passionate about helping every single Black person interested in the tech industry by means of what he calls tequity: Meaning his mission is to empower Blacks to build wealth and agency through equity ownership of tech companies. Support the show

In this episode I have a conversation with Brian Bristol: founder and CTO of pigeon loans - the platform that makes lending and borrowing money easy between friends and family. We talk about how Pigeon Loans got started in 2020 during the pandemic, what it means to have product market fit, and talk about why rejection is inevitable, but our path doesn't have to end with those rejections. Support the show

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#22: Nikolai Francis - Vice President of Product Management at WePay [00:40]#23: Why this 23 year old turned down an offer at Google to start his own nonprofit ft. Jehron Petty [01:55]#24: The dream of becoming a hacker and escaping the traditional 9-5 ft. Samuel Bartels [03:48]#25: Serial entrepreneur protecting companies from unethical hackers ft. Tiffany Ricks [05:06]#26: The journey from "Hello World" to major tech executive ft. Nick Caldwell [08:45]#27: The power of community, leadership & work ethic ft. Gwladys Keubon [12:03]#28: Talking AI, AI ethics, and microinvesting ft. Chinasa T. Okolo [14:16] #29: The founding of Black Valley & the UK tech scene ft. Leke Sholuade [15:30] #30: How this vacuum salesman became a web developer ft. Cam Perry [16:55]Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Cam started off as a salesman going door to door selling vacuums, but when he discovered coding he realized that he could open up new doors for himself and make more money. He was a student at the Lamdba school coding bootcamp and since then has been a full-time web developer with a podcast that similarly to this one - shares black stories in tech.In this episode Cam and I talk about how he went from being a salesman to a web developer and his thoughts on doing a coding bootcamp compared to other alternatives. Cam shares a lot of gems so you won't want to miss out. I hope you enjoy it.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

The death of George Floyd in 2020 was a catalyst for Leke, in which he was influenced to start Black Valley: a mentoring program and community that aims to provide tech industry access to the Black community. Black Valley aims to increase representation in tech and social mobility of the black community, in which those new to this space will have all the mentor support and network they need to thrive.Leke and I talk about how Leke got into this space, the founding of the Black Valley Program, and what the tech scene is like in the UK.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Chinasa is a computer science phd student at Cornell university with various research interests including health, computer vision, and AI ethics. She's worked on a variety of projects related to AI and healthcare. And in her spare time she is a startup advisor and microinvestor.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Gwladys majored in Chemical engineering at UC Davis and is currently a human factors engineer at Boeing. Though at the time of this interview she was a materials and process engineer which she'll be referencing later on in the episode. She discusses the importance of leadership and community and how it led her to where she is today. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Nick Caldwell is a tech executive, speaker, angel investor and is currently the General Manager for Core Technologies at Twitter. He previously worked at Microsoft for 13 years as General Manager of the Power BI product, was Chief Product and Engineering Officer at Looker (acquired by Google) and VP of Engineering at RedditNick's charitable work includes being a board member for /dev/color: a non-profit whose mission is to maximize the impact of Black software engineers, and founding Color Code: a scholarship fund dedicated to future leaders of color in technology fields.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Tiffany Ricks has been in the tech industry for over 15 years with an expertise in software engineering and cybersecurity. Her love for cybersecurity originated when she worked at a company that built out technology for the United States Air Force and the Navy.Currently the founder and CEO of HacWare, Tiffany is passionate about protecting companies from unethical hackers. Join our free Facebook group community!Also be sure to check out the main podcast website for detailed show notes and ways to support the show.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

In this episode, Sam and I talk about what is was like trying to learn how to code in Ghana, the reason why he's worked remotely for various companies outside of doing a traditional 9-5 at a tech company, and we get into balancing staying in a job for a steady income and eventually transitioning into doing something we're passionate about.  Join our free Facebook group community!Also be sure to check out the main podcast website for detailed show notes and ways to support the show.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Jehron Petty graduated from Cornell University last year and instead of taking a product management job at Google he decided to follow his entrepreneurial passion. At just 23 years old, Jehron is the founder and CEO of Colorstack: a nonprofit that provides Black and Latinx computer science students with the support, community, and career development they need to reach their full potential in the tech space.Join our free Facebook group community!Also be sure to check out the main podcast website for detailed show notes and ways to support the show.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Nikolai Francis has been in product for over 15 years. He comes from a family of engineers and currently works at WePay as a Vice President of Product Management. Compared to what's considered to be traditional tech products, Nikolai loves the payments space because of how interesting the problems are.Join our free Facebook group community! Also be sure to check out the main podcast website for detailed show notes and ways to support the show.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

In this episode I have a conversation with Daniel Jimenez: growth manager at SqlDBM and founder of Debtly. He talks about his deep interest in finance and how that interest sparked the founding of his company. We also discuss the difficulties that come with being a young startup founder and how you can outsource work without having what's considered a traditional founding team. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

In this episode I have a conversation with Darius Gant, founder of Tesoro AI an artificial intelligence startup, investment professional, as well as a former professional basket player. He talks about how his passion for basketball would change and evolve into passion for the tech industry: especially as founder and investor. He also shares the impact that artificial intelligence has on our society and how it can be used for more than just self driving cars, but also for social good.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Shason Briscoe is a Software Engineer at Survey Monkey and advocate for growing diversity in the tech industry, especially for the black community. He shares how he got interested in Silicon Valley and tech, what it's like to be an intern vs a full timer, and how he's had an impact on black tech and engineering communities. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

In this episode I'm joined by Jaimon Mcmillian,  an incoming Associate Inside Sales Representative at Dell Technologies and a fellow MLTer. He shares his interest in the tech industry and how he got in from a non-technical standpoint, and we talk about the idea of betting on yourself and how it can potentially change your life for the better. Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

In this episode of the podcast I'm joined by Dr. Stevens Bonhomme: a Client Success Manager at Microsoft. In this episode he shares what got him interested in economics, why he moved from Haiti to the United States, and describes his day to day work at Microsoft. Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

In this episode of the podcast I'm joined by Moby: an Internal Communications Specialist at Slack and one of my many amazing mentors. He shares how he used his passion for writing and journalism to grow in his career, how he fell into tech, and we also do a deep dive on what it means to figure out what you really want to pursue in terms of your life and career, especially if you're about to enter the workforce for the first time ever.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show

In this episode, I speak with Ifueko: CTO and co-founder of Hairtelligence: a black hair startup looking to innovate the beauty space by use of computer vision. She's an exceptional engineer with industry experience at Google and startups that still struggles with imposter syndrome from time to time. She breaks down how she battled it over the years to gain more confidence herself and shares how you can do the same.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

My guest for this episode is Whitney Griffith. Whitney originally had plans to get into medicine, but her path took a different turn in which she discovered Computer Science at Howard University. She was amazed at the problems that can be solved with technology and eventually became obsessed with it. She now works at Microsoft as a Software Engineer in the healthcare sector and is the founder of social entrepreneurial ventures such as Seamless Money and SUPLS. In this episode she shares her founder experiences and advice for those looking to grow in tech and as a whole. The key lessons to take away from her story and previous guest stories is that certain opportunities will happen when they are meant to, as much as we think we have set paths for ourselves, we can never really expect the unexpected. We have to take things as they come and react to them in the best ways that we can.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

My guest for this episode is Heather Hiles. Heather has over 30 years of experience in education. She founded non-profit and for-profit organizations in Break-the-Cycle, San Francisco Works, Pathbrite, and Imminent Equity. She is currently a board member at Udemy and Black Girls Code, as well as an advisor for startup founders. In this episode she talks about her founding experiences at both the for-profit and non-profit level, her investing experiences, and some financial literacy tips for beginners. Most importantly, we talk about why being comfortable in your own skin and blocking out the noise from others can really help you pursue your dreams.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

My guest for this episode is Tanaka Mutakwa. Tanaka co-founded and runs a meetup group called Tech Leadership Meetup Cape Town: a community consisting of longtime, new, and aspiring technology leaders. He is also VP of Engineering at Names & Faces, in which he leads his team from Cape Town South Africa.In this episode, he shares how he got into engineering and created his side hustle, known as the NoDaysOff lifestyle brand, as well as how people can upgrade their leadership skills.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

My guest for this episode is Charles Arday. He is a mindset and wellbeing coach, as well as an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning hobbyist. Charles is also the current co-founder and CEO of Winie, a startup that provides support for entrepreneurs and merchants selling products based in Africa.In this episode, Charles shares how he actively learns about tech and data science online, and the impact that Winie will make in the e-commerce space.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show

My guest for this episode is Lance Davis, a computer engineering student at North Carolina A&T State University. Lance has interned at Apple, both as a software engineer and product manager. He will be joining Microsoft next year as a program manager intern.In this episode, Lance shares how he got into tech, earned those opportunities as well as why it is important to be goal oriented for the things you are trying to achieve.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

My guest for this episode is Tia Caldwell, who is a great mentor and leader. She has eleven years of professional experience at Microsoft, where she began as an intern and worked her way up to a senior engineering manager. She has also worked at Netflix. Tia was also a Director of Engineering at Slack. In this episode, she describes the importance of having community and tech, and how she has transitioned from being a software engineer to a director.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

In this episode, I speak with the Orion Brown, a solopreneur, who founded Black Travel Box. She breaks down her journey from being Pre-med to Brand Management, and how she discovered an opportunity from the booming black travel movement. She is a startup founder and brand management professional with over fifteen years of experience. She has dynamically leading cross-functional teams across multiple industries within both large and small cap businesses. Orion's areas of deep expertise include consumer insights-driven brand strategy, product and packaging innovation, and portfolio management.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Chanel has had extensive experience in STEM ever since she was a child, and is currently a UX researcher at Apple. She is a strong advocate for helping the black community and is the founder of Mentor, Me Chanel: a program created to provide young black professionals with the resources they need to get into the tech space. Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show

Kenton is a lover of technology and product manager with experiences at Cardinal Health, Eventbrite, and currently Groups360. Since high school he has grown as an entrepreneurial leader and proves you don't need to go the "traditional" routes to become a PM. He also is a co-founder of helloGROOV: a platform designed to help those with their personal finance and wealth growth goals.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Dimitri is an investment banking and private equity analyst with experiences at Goldman Sachs, Battery Ventures, and more. He is also a co-founder of Equal Equity Impact: an investment firm that specifically invests in startups founded by underrepresented groups which includes Black, Latinx, Women, and LGBTQ+ founders. In this episode Dimitri shares his journey into venture capital, the differences between investment and private equity firms, and advice on how to stand out in the interview process.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show

Tiyani is an entrepreneurial lawyer from Africa, TEDx speaker, and content creator. She came to the U.S. to get her masters in law and business/entrepreneurship, and is currently a co-founder of Anu: a startup that aims to connect startups with quality legal services/resources using artificial intelligence. In this episode she shares why she decided to come to the United States, how she uses her legal experience in entrepreneurship, and tips for new startup founders.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show

Adam is a wartime product leader with 10 years of product experience and helps companies make more efficient software product teams. He also has experience as a startup founder, and loves to write on anything product and leadership specific to help others in the space. In this episode, we talk about what product management is, why it's so popular, and share resources as to how you can find a support system and get into product management.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Emmanuel is an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning enthusiast/hobbyist. His love for technology and math has influenced him to create cool projects such as detailed data analyses on social media platforms, Google Assistant conversational actions, and many others.In this episode he shares how he got into computer science, and what motivates him to build out personal side projects and take online courses outside of class.Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)

Disheka Moore is a scholar, entrepreneur, and software engineer. She is currently a 2X Microsoft intern and founder of EyeDriven: a company that wants to protect your eyes from blue light while also making you look fashionable. In this episode she shares how she got started in Computer Science, her Microsoft internship offers, and why she founded EyeDriven during quarantine. Find episode transcript, resources, and specific chapter time stamps through the attached episode website link or at https://www.blackenterprisenetwork.fm/Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/benpodcast)