@blackfounders
The number of black folks at TED2012 conference was notable and, I hear, the most that conference has every had attend at any one time. The upside is that I got to rub shoulders with a lot of folks from our community in the tech space. One such group is Black Founders, a group whose mission is to increase the number of successful black entrepreneurs in technology. As was evident from CNN’s Black In America 4–and is noted on the Black Founders’ site:
Black entrepreneurs, however, remain underrepresented in the tech entrepreneurship space. Black entrepreneurs make up only 1% of VC-backed tech startup founders and during the period measured from January to June 2010, the median amount of funding secured by an all-black founding team was $1.3 million, compared to $2.2M for a racially mixed team, and $2.3M for an all-white team. (source: CB Insights)
One of the ways Black Founders is attacking this problem is through their multi-city conference series called Ideas Are Worthless, which aims to help illuminate the path from idea to execution. It’s a simple premise, really: On their own, ideas that aren’t implemented create no value.
Check out their agenda. If you’re in the tech space, this looks to be an event with practical, actionable knowledge that will help you build a successful company. You’ll meet other entrepreneurs, folks from emerging companies, as well as potential investors. The event runs from 1pm – 7pm on Wednesday the 11th.
More detailed information on the conference is here.
