00:00Next segment. So black women, which is what Essence is about, although there is the men's experience upstairs, but black women deserve to be at every table, no matter the industry. So for our next conversation, black tech boss, we're going to hear from a woman who is not only sitting at the table, she is empowering and encouraging others to join her. So please welcome Essence business editor, Jasmine Browley, who will welcome and interview our next panelist.
00:30Thank you so much for joining us today. I so look forward to presenting a compelling conversation with a dynamic woman.
01:00She's a leader and a visionary as well as an innovator and a pioneer for diversity in the tech industry.
01:06As chief executive officer of Streamlytics, she's transforming how people ethically interact with data.
01:14In 2011, she founded New Me, the first accelerator for minorities globally, and I am so excited to talk to her and you'll be really, really excited to hear from her.
01:25Please join me in welcoming Angela Benton to the stage.
01:29Oh, hello. Yes. Hi, Angela. Thank you so much for being here with me today to share your knowledge.
01:45So first of all, can you talk to me a little bit about your role as CEO with Streamlytics?
01:49As chief executive officer, you know, my role on a day-to-day basis is really focused on innovation and operations management.
01:59So the actual people management and not only am I a CEO, but I'm also the founder.
02:05So I came up with the idea. I raised money for the idea and then I'm an operator as an executive in a day-to-day role.
02:13Got it. Got it. All right. So in 2011, you founded New Me, which has since been acquired.
02:20Can you tell me a little bit more about why you launched the company?
02:23You know, what were your goals, successes, and what were your greatest lessons?
02:28New Me was the first accelerator globally for minorities.
02:33We were based in Silicon Valley, the first of its kind.
02:37And what I was really trying to do with that is I noticed as an engineer being in technology that there weren't a lot of black people raising money.
02:47Anytime you looked at the technology press, it was mainly white guys having all the fun.
02:55But so I wanted to I knew a lot of brilliant people and I wanted to bridge the gap.
03:00So why aren't black people raising the same level of capital and the best way, you know, to actually do that is to set foot in Silicon Valley and make sure that people know that you're there.
03:11And so we helped hundreds of founders raise over forty seven million dollars in funding.
03:16I sold that company a couple of years ago, but it's still an operation.
03:21If any founders have an idea, you can look up New Me Accelerator and also Lightship Capital and you can raise money from them.
03:31They can help you grow your startup.
03:32And to date, the impact has been a hundred million dollars.
03:36So it's it's amazing as a founder to be able to start something from scratch and then to birth it and kind of continue to see it grow.
03:46Even without you, it's you know, it's a it's one of like the greatest pleasures, I think, in life.
03:51Oh, my gosh.
03:52What an accomplishment.
03:53And, you know, of course, you just spoke to the fruit of your labor.
03:57But, you know, I would love to know how and where did your journey with tech begin?
04:02You mind telling us a little bit about the early days and how you found your lane?
04:05So my career in technology actually started out as a designer.
04:11I have a design background.
04:12Not a lot of people know this, but I went to Savannah College of Art and Design.
04:16And so this was during the first dot com boom.
04:21And everyone was saying I was obsessed with magazines.
04:23So all I ever really wanted to do was actually work for a magazine and lay out magazines.
04:29But during the first dot com boom, everyone was saying magazines are going away.
04:36You should really focus on this thing called websites.
04:40And so I ended up teaching myself how to code.
04:42And that's how I entered the technology industry.
04:45Oh, my gosh.
04:46See, I knew we were going to be sister friends.
04:48So, you know, what advice can you offer to the young people here today and, you know, who's going to be watching who might be interested in pursuing a career in tech?
04:59Because sometimes it could be a little intimidating to think about.
05:02The technology industry is intimidating.
05:04But what's beautiful about the world that we live in today is there's technology everywhere.
05:09And so even like, you know, when I look at my kids, they're so technology fluent at a young age than I was even at, you know, 15, 20 years old.
05:22So the biggest thing is I don't think it's the technology hurdle.
05:27A lot of people will say, oh, well, I have to learn how to code.
05:30That's not true.
05:31I think it was true a while ago.
05:32But there are a lot of different roles in technology that you can be a part of.
05:36So that's the first thing.
05:37The second thing is just to do it.
05:42Like, it doesn't matter if you don't see anyone that looks like you.
05:45Like, still show up, right?
05:46That's a part of our responsibility, I think, as a community is even when we don't see people that look like us in spaces or not at the same table,
05:54it's still a responsibility for us to show up and let people know that we're there.
05:59Absolutely.
05:59You heard what she said, go and get that tech money because it's out there for us, okay?
06:05Well, you know what?
06:06I just, I love talking to you, but I know that you're busy and we have a whole plethora of things to enjoy.
06:12So, Angela, thank you so much for joining us today.
06:15Thank you for having me.
06:16And before you go, can you please let us know where we can find you on social media?
06:20Sure.
06:20On social media, you can find me.
06:22I'm A, Benton, B-E-N-T-O-N, everywhere.
06:25If you're interested in the companies that I work with and launch, you can also find out more about that on my website, AngelaBenton.co.
06:33Love it.
06:34Well, thank you so much, everybody, for listening and watching, and I hope you enjoy the rest of this fabulous weekend.
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