Young and Profiting (YAP) with Hala Taha

YAPClassic: Morgan DeBaun, Your Startup Survival Kit for VC Funding and Leadership

Nov 1, 2024

Morgan DeBaun is the founder and CEO of Blavity Inc., a dynamic digital media company amplifying Black culture. In this podcast, she shares her journey from a disappointing initial search for investors to finding social impact backers who believed in her vision. Morgan discusses the significance of diversity in the workplace, the challenges of raising venture capital, and the balance between entrepreneurship and personal life. She also offers practical insights for aspiring leaders on building strong teams and celebrating wins to retain top talent.

59:06

Episode guests

Morgan DeBaun

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Morgan DeBaun's journey illustrates that access and opportunities in funding are often more crucial than hard work itself, especially in Silicon Valley.

Her experiences with code-switching highlight the importance of adaptability and empathy in navigating diverse cultural environments within corporate settings.

Prioritizing diversity and inclusion at Blavity not only drives innovation and growth but also fosters a supportive atmosphere that retains top talent.

Deep dives

Inspiring Entrepreneurial Journey

Morgan DeBond, founder and CEO of Blavity Incorporated, transformed her disappointment with the media's portrayal of key societal issues into a thriving digital media company dedicated to Black culture. Starting with an email newsletter, she leveraged her skills to establish a platform that would provide a voice to underrepresented communities. Her journey underscores the importance of access and opportunity over mere hard work, particularly within the competitive environments of Silicon Valley. By recognizing these dynamics, she emphasizes the need for individuals to reconsider their approaches to achieving financial freedom and business success.

Intro

3min

Navigating Identity and Opportunity

15min

Empowering Creators and Businesses: Tools for Success

5min

Fundraising and Equity Challenges in Startups

13min

Transforming Blavity: Diversity and Inclusion in Tech

9min

Empowering Entrepreneurs Through Smart Financial Tools

8min

Structured Boards and Personal Sacrifices in Startups

8min

When Michael Brown was killed in his home state of Missouri in 2014, Morgan DeBaun was dismayed by the poor media coverage of the story. Realizing there was a gap in authentic, real-time coverage of Black issues, she set out in search of venture capital to build a platform for Black voices. To her disappointment, everyone she approached said no. But she found her way to social impact investors who provided the first round of funding she needed to build Blavity, a leading digital media company for Black culture and millennials. In this episode, she shares how she built an influential media empire and offers practical advice on navigating the toughest challenges of founding and leading a company.

In this episode, Hala and Morgan will discuss:

- Why hard work is not enough

- Being an outsider in Silicon Valley

- Bootstrapping vs. raising venture capital

- Finding social impact investors to fund Blavity

- Rallying her investors to raise more capital

- How diversity can boost your bottom line

- Celebrating wins to attract and keep the best talent

- Using anonymous feedback to build a stronger team

- Learning to lead 200 employees

- Balancing entrepreneurship with personal life

- And other topics…

Morgan DeBaun is the founder, CEO, and Chairman of Blavity Inc., a company that builds product solutions and media for Black consumers and the enterprises that want to reach them. She launched Blavity in 2014 to address the lack of media representation for Black audiences and has grown it into a multimedia empire that includes brands like Blavity News, AfroTech, Travel Noire, and Shadow & Act. Under her leadership, Blavity reaches over 100 million readers monthly and hosts AfroTech, the largest Black tech conference. Morgan advises top brands on diversity strategies and shares her insights through her podcast The Journey and The Journey Newsletter. Her work and thought leadership have earned her recognition on Forbes' 30 Under 30, America's Top 50 Women in Tech, and The Root 100.

Connect with Morgan:

Morgan’s Website: https://www.morgandebaun.com/

Morgan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgandebaun/

Morgan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorganDeBaun

Morgan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgandebaun/

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