Majora Carter, Founder, Sustainable South Bronx and Startup Box: South Bronx
Majora Carter recently opened up a new startup incubator and tech education center in the South Bronx to foster entrepreneurship.
“There is a dramatic shortage of engineering talent in the U.S. labor force, and we want to fill that gap with people who could otherwise end up in the criminal justice and welfare systems,” she previously told Fast Company. She says most of the talent in the South Bronx either leaves or doesn’t get “nurtured into something positive.”
In 2010, Carter was touted as one of the 100 most creative people in business. She’s also a Peabody Award-winning broadcaster.
Startup Box is a nonprofit organization. Sustainable South Bronx is a non-profit environmental justice solutions organization.
Dan Miller, Founder and CEO, Fresh Sessions
Dan Miller is one of the people who played a minor role in developing the business model of BlackGirlsCode, an organization geared toward getting more diverse women involved with technology.
But now Miller is on to his own project, Fresh Sessions, a soon-to-be launched startup that will help musicians access top-notch recording studios.
Fresh Sessions is currently bootstrapped and is gearing up to launch this year.
Tristan Walker, Founder, Walker and Company
Early Foursquare employee Tristan Walker launched his own startup, Walker and Company, in December 2013 to better serve the African-American community.
The first brand, Bevel, sells premium razors and shaving cream geared toward Black men. Walker has already snagged $2.4 million from Upfront Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, SV Angel, Collaborative Fund, Sherpa Ventures, and the William Morris agency’s Charles King. Walker and Company is still relatively small and employs five people.