Podcast May 14 9am-10am

Voices of Black Innovation

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James T. Kirk

VP of Statistical Analysis + Data Reconfiguration

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May 14-16, 2025 San Francisco, CA

BGS Awards

Celebrate innovation & community impact

Founder Diaries

Blog features and mini-documentaries about startup journeys from different regions.

BGS

Founders Residency

A 3-month virtual or hybrid residency that brings together selected Black founders from across the globe to co-build, co-learn, and gain visibility.

Key Features:

Weekly expert sessions (business modeling, fundraising, cultural branding)
Founder matching across geographies
Final pitch showcase to partners/investors

BGS

Diaspora Capital Bridge

A targeted initiative to connect Black-led startups in Africa with diaspora investors, mentors, and advisors.

Components:

Cross-border pitch nights
Investor readiness bootcamps
Diaspora-to-Africa investor network

BGS

Young Black Innovators Program

A program targeting university students and recent grads (Africa + Diaspora) to prototype ideas with cultural relevance and global potential.

Activities:

Summer hackathons
Innovation fellowships
Startup storytelling contests

BGS

Cultural IP & Product Design Lab

Empower founders to turn local heritage and creativity into globally marketable products.

Focus:

Afrocentric product innovation (fashion, food, digital goods, etc.)
Training in intellectual property protection
Co-design partnerships with artisans and creators

BGS

BGS Sandbox (Startup Studio)

An internal venture studio to ideate and co-build scalable startups with founders from different markets.

Structure:

Ideas sourced from the community
Teams formed cross-border
Equity split model + micro-grants or revenue-share funding

BGS

Black Capital Week

A week-long virtual campaign featuring:

Daily live interviews with Black investors
“Ask Me Anything” (AMA) with successful founders
Capital Clinics: 1-on-1 sessions with funders
Resource drops (grant lists, funding guides)

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