Sign O' The Times: Building a Company that Ends Racism
In this episode of Build the Damn Thing, Kathryn Finney shares how a series of unfortunate events led her to create Genius Guild, which is supported by one of the most powerful women in the world -- Melinda Gates. Kathryn also highlights how her failed trip to Alaska in 2020 led her to donate more than $160,000 to 15,000 black women-led entrepreneurs within six weeks. And this action showed her that it was possible to help such startups in a new way.
Kathryn Finney is a venture capitalist, tech visionary, and startup champion who is the Founder and CEO of Genius Guild and General Partner of The Greenhouse Fund. She is former CEO of digitalundivided, a groundbreaking social enterprise focused on creating a world where Black women own their work. She is also the founder of The Budget Fashionista (TBF) and became one of the first Black women to have a successful seven-figure startup exit when she sold TBF.
A Yale-trained Epidemiologist, she has been recognized for her groundbreaking work by the Aspen Institute, Entrepreneur Magazine, Marie Claire, Ebony, Inc. Magazine, Black Enterprise, and more.
Insights from the Podcast
Understanding that sometimes things will not work and that’s okay
Strategies on building a community around black-women entrepreneurs
How her life in building led her to create Genius Guild
Understanding that black-owned businesses are undercapitalized and under resourced, and the structures needed to enable them to succeed does not exist
How to create a space where everyone can win, especially Black folks
How to move capital to Black communities without asking for permission
Quotes from the show:
“It took me twenty years to build relationships to be able to do Genius Guild.” -Kathryn Finney, Genius Guild Ep #1
“I knew that I could build Genius Guild because I had spent a lifetime building staff.” -Kathryn Finney, Genius Guild Ep #1
“Genius Guild is a culmination of all the experience that she (Kathryn Finney) has gained over more than a decade of working on related problems.” -Brian Laung Aoaeh, Genius Guild Ep #1
“I cannot tell you how scary it is to be a Black woman and to ask for what it is you need because we rarely get it” -Kathryn Finney, Genius Guild Ep #1
“If this doesn’t work, we are okay because we believe in you and we know you will figure it out” -Kathryn Finney, Genius Guild Ep #1
“When Black people win, everyone wins. We want to help humanity win” -Saidah Nash Carter, Genius Guild Ep #1
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Produced by Genius Guild Content Studios
Executive Producers: Kathryn Finney and Darlene Gillard Jones
Post-Production Company: Prosper Digital TV
Post-Production Manager: Joanes Prosper
Post-Production Supervisor: Jason Pierre
Post-Production Sound Editor: Evan Joseph
Co-Music Supervisor: Jason Pierre and Darlene Gillard Jones
Show Music: Provided by Prosper Digital TV
Main Show Theme Music: "Self Motivated" Written & Performed by Tamara Bubble
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Season 1 Episode 1
July 16, 2021
18 mins, 14 secs (18.1MB, Audio)
#BlackExcellence #Entrepreneurship #Startups #BlackWomen #KathrynFinney #BlackOwned
