BLKtech Founders is 1871’s program and mentoring initiative dedicated to equipping Black founders with unique resources to build and scale their solutions. This year, 22 founders were selected to participate in the 10-week experience, where they will learn actionable steps to overcoming challenges, be immersed in leadership development education, and connect with peers enduring a similar startup journey.
Cohort 7, sponsored by Molson Coors, is 100% virtual and meets every Tuesday for 10 weeks. The program includes Share-Outs, where founders walk through business frameworks and strategies, expert-led roundtable panels, leadership development workshops, and dedicated Entrepreneur-in-Residence office hours.
Meet the cohort
Amera McCoy, Founder and CEO of Minority Business Circle
Brandon Bell, Founder and Product Lead at Bell Studios
Brittani Brown, Founder and CEO of PLUG
Corey Cargill, CEO of Chatterbot
Damien Howard, Founder of SEL Plus
Don Cherry, Founder of ServiceCo.AI
Grace James, CEO of GreenQuest Innovations
Jasmine Allen Tillman, CEO of Perfect 10 Pictures
Jennine Lee, Founder of 1104 Technology
Jide Ehimika, CEO of BLIA
Jordan Bond, Founder and CEO of FITKONNEKT INC
Keyna Wells McClain, Co-founder of NuCoord
Kristopher Bowden, Co-Founder and CEO of Postulate
Latoya Stampley, CEO of Stampley Technology & Management, LLC
Mat Burnett, CIO of Admissions Intelligence
Mercedes Pickett, Founder and Data Engineer at ER Data Solutions
Michael-Allen Bullard, Founder and CEO of Gresham Associates International Co.
Mychael Delgardo, Founder and CEO of Senova AI
Ramallah Marshall, Program Manager at NuCoord
Ronnie Burnett, Founder and Managing Director of Admissions Intelligence
Sherard Jones, Co-founder and CEO of VYYABLE
Tiffanie Anderson, Co-founder of BLIA
Meet the Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Jeff Osuji is the CEO of Eventnoire, the premier marketplace for events celebrating the culture. He earned his undergraduate degree in Chemistry and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he started an event production company with his cofounder. After years of producing events nationwide, Osuji co-founded Eventnoire to connect culture enthusiasts to spaces and places that embrace Black culture, diversity, and authenticity.
 Eventnoire’s recognitions include winning the Mountain Dew Real Change Opportunity Fund Competition, 1871’s BLK Tech Pitch Competition, and the People’s Choice Awards at Techrise Chicago’s pitch competition. Osuji has been featured in Forbes, Essence, Afrotech, ABC7, and BizBash and has built a following as a successful “eventrepreneur”.
Get Involved
While applications for this season’s BLKtech Founders program are closed, stay tuned for updates about upcoming program cycles!Â
BLKtech Voices is 1871’s public Community Resource Group committed to Black representation and equity in tech. It aims to foster a vibrant and collaborative ecosystem where the unique perspectives and talents of Black professionals are celebrated and leveraged to drive positive change.Â
Fall Tech Leaders is a program designed to inspire, equip, and support underrepresented leaders at technology companies so they can maximize their strengths, overcome systemic obstacles, and build relationships with experienced mentors dedicated to their success.
Applications for Fall Tech Leaders close on August 26, 2025.Â
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