Blavity’s CEO On Afrotech, Entrepreneurship, And How To Turn A No Into A Yes
Image courtesy of Blavity.
If there’s one thing startup founders can relate to, it’s hearing “no.” A lot.
“It’s our job to take risks, push the envelope, and ask for things that may not yet exist,” says Blavity founder and CEO Morgan DeBaun, host of the first Afrotech summit, which brought together more than 500 innovators, entertainers, and tech influencers in San Francisco on Nov. 11 and 12 for networking and inspiration. “As part of that process, the result is often a ‘no’ from partners, from potential clients, even from teammates. I view any sort of decline as a learning opportunity. A ‘no’ is another step to a ‘yes.’ It’s part of the process and something that should be appreciated and respected.”
Here, a few of the conference's rule-breaking panelists share a couple of the no’s they’ve faced and how they’ve overcome them.
Everette Taylor, Vice President of Marketing at Skurt
On getting to yes: “When I was 19, I dropped out of college and moved back home to help my family. I immediately started to look for jobs on LinkedIn, and, despite five years of experience and a willingness to take entry-level jobs, I was turned down or received no response by company after company. As a marketer, I naturally wanted to test my results, so I created a fake profile with a photo of a White guy with the same résumé. Seven out of ten companies that did not respond to me [before] showed interest in the fake profile. Instead of letting that get me down, I used it as fuel and motivation to prove those companies that doubted me wrong. It also led to the inspiration for me to start my own company. I was hell bent on making something out of myself.”
On staying motivated: “I recently read this article that Ray Allen wrote [in which] he says, ‘Do you want to fit in, or do you want to embark on the lonely pursuit of greatness?’ Greatness requires the ultimate of sacrifices and adversity that can seem insurmountable at times. Fitting in is settling for mediocrity, not pushing yourself past your boundaries. If you're willing to see something through, it will be worth it.”
Jessica O. Matthews, founder and CEO of Uncharted Play
On getting to yes: “When I was creating our first product, SOCCKET – the energy-harnessing soccer ball – many engineers told me that the SOCCKET would be impossible to create. I approached the idea without a formal engineering degree, which allowed me to question the way things were traditionally done. I owe my success to not knowing where the boundaries were and creating something new. The result of my perseverance is the SOCCKET, which eventually led to the beginning of what Uncharted Play is today.”
On staying motivated: “I believe that discomfort breeds innovation. I love being uncomfortable. You have to be open to the situation or adversity in front of you. Take it as a learning lesson and stay hungry and humble.”
Ariel Belgrave, /dev/color programs director and Gym Hooky founder
On getting to yes: “I was determined to leave Wall Street and join a company that was making an impact in the tech space. I thought I’d found that company, but I was hugely disappointed when I did not receive an offer after making it to the final round. It was discouraging to know that my years of professional experience outweighed their belief that I would excel in the role. But I handled this setback with a resilient mindset and a constructive approach. I learned that the best way to find a job in the tech space was through personal connections. At the time, I only knew a handful of techies, so I challenged myself to build a greater presence in the community. My perseverance and commitment to building my network, inevitably, opened many doors of opportunity and were instrumental in helping me find the role I envisioned for the next chapter of my career.”
On staying motivated: “Keep learning during tough times. Adversity is one of the greatest teaching tools of life. It refines us. We are tested through the fire. We are tested with roadblocks, disappointments, and challenges. With these adversities come valuable lessons we learn about the circumstances, ourselves, and others. These very lessons will help polish and shape us for the the better.”
DeBaun hopes that the group who came together for AfroTech will continune sharing the takeaways from the two-day conference. “This is like Christmas for me,” she says. “I wonder what my life would have looked like if I was 18 and had gone to a conference like this and had access to these people and got to hear how they did it. I’m excited to see the impact.”
