BLKtech
Founders
Join Cohort 6 of our 12-week program and mentoring initiative devoted to equipping Black tech founders with unique resources.
2024 cohort in session until September.
Sponsored By
Program benefits
- Gain safe space with other Black startup founders
- Build confidence as a startup founder and learn action steps fit for your unique set of challenges
- Immerse in tailored leadership development education specific to Black startup founders
- Engage in peer-to-peer discussions and camaraderie with founders with similar experiences
Summer Session Staff
Get to know Jeff
Jeff Osuji is the CEO of Eventnoire, the premiere 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 across the country, Osuji co-founded Eventnoire to connect culture enthusiasts to spaces and places that embrace Black culture, diversity, 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”. Osuji served as President of the Illinois Black Alumni Network and as Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) at 1871. He is also an angel investor as well as a proud father and husband who lives by the motto, “To become truly great, one must stand with people, not above them.
Get to know Tiffany
Tiffany Yvonne, a Congressional Award Winning Speaker, Executive Leadership Coach, and Team Culture Strategist who stands as a trusted source of guidance amidst this turbulent world of work. Tiffany expertly imparts her wisdom through engaging keynotes, transformative workshops, and exclusive retreats. With Tiffany leading out loud, your organization can expect nothing short of a triple win – enhanced engagement (even in times of change), top talent retention, and burnout disruption.
Session details
Summer 2024 cohort in progress
Our BLKtech Founders affinity program unlocks a new world of opportunities for founders through peer-learning, dedicated one-on-one mentoring, and exclusive programming.
- Runs until end of September, 2024
- Every Tuesday, 3-5 PM CST for 12 weeks
- 100% virtual
Program breakdown
Open to all Black tech founders at any stage of their business development, BLKtech Founders is comprised of four main parts:
Share-outs
Private, not-to-be-recorded sessions where we walk through different frameworks of discussions to share, relate, uplife, and more.
EIR office hours
Dedicated Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR) to discuss anything related to a member’s business, reserved through our member portal.
Roundtables
Panels of experts lead by a moderator with Q&A from cohort.
Leadership
development
workshops
Part lecture part peer-to-peer discussions of important topics such as: Confronting Representation Syndrome, Owning the Room and Playing to Your Strengths, and Tackling Tough Conversations.
Opportunity to pitch
Increase your odds of entering our BLKtech Pitch Competition. Cash prize for the winner and opportunity for VC equity for the top 5 finalists.
