Stanley Rameau

📢 Reintroducing Black in Fintech...In my first post about Black in Fintech, I highlighted the critical gap in representation within the industry. And let’s be real—those challenges are still here. But it’s bigger than just getting more Black professionals in the room. Fintech is a powerhouse for economic growth and financial inclusion, yet the Black community remains one of the most underserved and excluded. 📉 🎙️Will a podcast solve it? Not at all. This is a movement. I’m here to share a refined vision for Black in Fintech, and I’m calling on Black professionals, fintech founders, consumers, allies, and sponsors to join us in building a community that makes fintech a driver for equity and positive change for Black and marginalized communities. 🌍 👉 If this resonates with you, awesome! Take a look at the slides in this post, and complete the survey to help us chart a clear course for 2025 (link in the comments below) 👇 👇 👇 Follow our page Black in FinTech and reach out to share your insights, questions and how to get involved 💜 💌 Thank you to everyone who’s supported us and waited for this re-announcement! 💌 #BlackInFintech #FintechForTheCulture #EverythingUP

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The Taste Radio podcast by BevNET.com has launched a new series called: “Black Founders Club,” and the premier guest features our #PortCo A Dozen Cousins’ Founder & CEO Ibraheem Basir. In this episode, Ibraheem shares his journey as a Black entrepreneur, his funding experiences, and his future goals for A Dozen Cousins.  Watch the video on BevNET.com or listen to the Taste Radio podcast on major platforms. Don't miss it! https://lnkd.in/enD5mT7n #entrepreneurship #founders #startups #foodandbeverage #podcasts

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Last week, I had the privilege of participating in not one, but two Fireside Chats at AFROTECH. The first was with non sibi ventures and the inspiring Alysia Green of Chevron, and the second with the brilliant Cherae Robinson of Flybridge alongside the talented Tayo Adesanya of Lola Vision Systems. And let me tell you, those conversations left me #inspired and #hopeful. The biggest lesson I walked away with? The call for a better #EV driver experience is something we need to bring out of the #climatetech group chat and into conversations that include everyone—because this impacts all of us.  At ChargerHelp!, we’ve been doing the hard work—using big #data, reimagining #transportation, and thinking deeply about the future of #mobility. Sharing that vision at #AfroTech with folks who aren’t the usual faces in #electrification was powerful. These were everyday people, people with fresh ideas and unique perspectives, and connecting with them reminded me why this work matters so much.  It also brought me back to my roots. South Central Los Angeles has always been a source of #pride for me. It’s where our journey began, and it’s a community filled with incredible talent, innovation, and leadership—things that don’t always get the recognition they deserve.  That’s why I’m so excited to invite the California Department of General Services and the California Energy Commission to South Central for a conversation we all need to have. This isn’t just about EVs or charging stations. It’s about making transportation equitable, reliable, and accessible for everyone. It’s about opening the door to new voices, ideas, and partnerships to shape a future that includes us all.  So, I’m inviting you to join me. Come be part of this important conversation. Together, we can create something better—not just for the drivers of today, but for the communities and families who will rely on this future tomorrow.  Let’s come together and make it happen. Register below. #pleaseshare

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$240B in venture capital investments last year… and according to a McKinsey report only 1% of VC funding goes to Black founders. So why is it that a $25M fund directing grants to Black women is what is being found unconstitutional? We know (and they know) that diversifying investments is good business, good for the economy, and just plain fair… So what are Edward Blum and his group so afraid of? This news is disheartening but we’re not changing course. ICA Fund will keep making smart investments in great businesses and moving our country forward together. #FearlessFund #Diversity #VentureCapital https://lnkd.in/gk6yqPTC

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$UHURU celebrates the limitless potential of underserved creatives of Africa and the diaspora. Buy into Freedom, Empowerment, Financial Distribution, and incredible art and culture. On this Juneteenth, I want to highlight one of our favorite NOWHERE advisors and dear friend Greg Liburd's newly launched groundbreaking project, $UHURU, the world's first pan-African digital asset ecosystem. They’ll be utilizing NOWHERE to bring their global community together with token gated gatherings, town halls, talks, socials. $UHURU, is a visionary project that celebrates the limitless potential of underserved creatives of Africa and the diaspora. Meme with meaning my friends. Bring incredible art and culture to the globe. As we commemorate the end of slavery in the United States, $UHURU symbolizes a new era of economic liberation and self-determination for people of African descent. Greg Liburd's vision is to leverage the transformative power of blockchain technology to create generational wealth, foster entrepreneurship, and fund global creative visionaries. This Juneteenth, let’s join Greg Liburd pioneering spirit to break barriers and empower communities that have been historically underserved and marginalized by buying $UHURU. Together, we can forge a path towards economic independence and prosperity for all. https://uhuru-coin.com #afrofuturism #financialInclusion #blockchain #economicempowerment

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After 8 impactful years, 1863™ Ventures (founded by Melissa Bradley) is closing its doors… for a new chapter. It has been announced that Washington, DC-based 1863 Ventures is closing its doors. The non-profit has provided business development programs, coaching, mentorship, and capital access to new entrepreneurs. The vision has been to create $100Bn in wealth for the “New Majority” (Black and brown entrepreneurs), and founders to date have benefited from the $7MM investment pool. “We’re no longer lacking technical assistance or training programs for Black founders,” she told the Washington Business Journal. “What we’re lacking is a level of credibility and sustainability around, ‘Once a founder graduates, what happens next?” Another organization called New Majority Ventures is now taking shape, functioning as a for-profit that helps founders through their next stage of growth. I love this evolution — as I believe #sustainability is an under-addressed issue in a landscape where firms have largely pushed for growth. We need reimagined metrics + ROI frameworks measuring holistic economic impact over decades, not sprints (jobs created, ripple effects on family/community economic activity, evolution stories, founder wealth portfolio shifts, regenerative capital cycles, etc.). #Revolutionary leaps require #evolutionary strides.

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Happy Father's Day to my favorite ally. Resharing our most loved episode of Sisters with Ventures Podcast Supporting Black Businesses: Making Progress and Building Community #SupportBlackBusinesses #BuildingCommunity #Entrepreneurship #BlackOwnedBusinesses #CommunitySupport #Progress #fathersday #SmallBusinesses #SupportLocal #BuyBlack #EconomicEmpowerment

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In 2020 alone, nearly half of Black-owned businesses had to shut down—not because they weren’t doing good business, but simply because they didn’t have enough cash reserves to stay afloat. With the economy still uncertain and banks tightening their lending, crowdfunding has become a powerful, accessible option for entrepreneurs to raise capital. For many small businesses and startups, bank loans are harder to secure, but crowdfunding provides an alternative that not only generates the funds they need but also builds early community support and proves market demand. If cash flow is a challenge for your business, crowdfunding could be the perfect way to keep things moving. DM the phrase: "CROWDFUNDING 101 REPLAY" for more details.

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To this we say - if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Sadly, the future landscape of funding for Black entrepreneurs shows no signs of improving. In fact, according to a recent piece by AFROTECH, it's getting worse. "According to insights from Crunchbase, Black-founded startups pulled in a mere $705 million in venture funding in 2023, barely scratching the surface (0.5%) of the colossal $140.4 billion #VC pot feeding all U.S.-based #startups last year. For the first time since 2016, this drop is below the billion-dollar mark, though still higher than that year’s total of $582 million raised by Black-founded startups. This is particularly striking considering that 13.6% of the U.S. population identifies as Black or African-American, per the United States Census Bureau." And, if the recent successes in the higher courts of the case against the Fearless Fund, brought last year by the American Alliance for Equal Rights, a group led by Edward Blum, who also led the charge to overturn Affirmative Action tells us anything, interest in leveling the playing field in general is clearly still subject to "fragility." Harder still, according to an outlook published by Wellington Management, distributions from VC funds overall dropped a staggering 84% from 2021 to 2023, further growing dry powder inventory and extending the allocation drought. Competition for fundraising will continue to be a trending theme among all emerging companies in 2024.   It's up to us as a community to see and build our way out of and beyond this. We cannot rely on anything but our own proven will to thrive against all odds. But we must do it together. If we intend to thrive as a community we must work as a community. Join our movement today! #BlackBusinessesMatter #VentureCapitalInequality #LevelThePlayingField #EntrepreneurshipEquity #FundingDisparities #BlackStartupStruggles #CommunityEmpowerment #InclusiveEconomy #BuildingBlackWealth #SupportBlackEntrepreneurs

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In venture funding, where opportunities often seem boundless and innovation reigns supreme, the reality for Black entrepreneurs often tells a starkly different story... #venturecapitalism #vcfunding #BlackEntrepreneurs #startups https://lnkd.in/gtd4MM5b

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My Journey as a Black Business Owner: Celebrating Success & Goals Join our inspiring journey as SPEAKER_00, a passionate Black business owner, shares their decade-long experience in entrepreneurship. Discover the importance of setting SMART goals to drive success in your business! Celebrate the highs and lows of the entrepreneurial journey with us. #BlackBusinessOwner #EntrepreneurJourney #SMARTGoals #BusinessSuccess #CelebrateEntrepreneurship #SmallBusinessTips #GoalSetting #Inspiration #BusinessChallenges #PersonalGrowth

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The Black Wealth Summit is the go-to event for empowering Black and Brown communities with the tools, knowledge, and strategies to build wealth and achieve financial freedom. This year’s theme, "Embracing the Power of Artificial Intelligence to Create Black Wealth," is all about tapping into the latest innovations to open up even more opportunities for financial success. https://lnkd.in/e4PpGY5i

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August, 2024 is Black Business Month. Resources for Black Entrepreneurs. SCORE Mentors CLICK TO LEARN MORE https://bit.ly/3WE3KaF #blackbusinessmonth

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Digital Prosperity Pipeline- Your AI-Powered Wealth Blueprint Pt 1 of 6 Let’s talk about the elephant in the room - As Black women entrepreneurs, we've been told success requires grinding 24/7, sacrificing everything, and playing by rules that weren't written for us. But what if I told you AI could change that game entirely? I remember staring at my laptop at 3 AM, exhausted from juggling client calls, admin work, and content creation. That breaking point became my breakthrough moment. Today,

Digital Prosperity Pipeline- Your AI-Powered Wealth Blueprint Pt 1 of 6 Let’s talk about the elephant in the room - As Black women entrepreneurs, we've been told success requires grinding 24/7, sacrificing everything, and playing by rules that weren't written for us. But what if I told you AI could change that game entirely? I remember staring at my laptop at 3 AM, exhausted from juggling client calls, admin work, and content creation. That breaking point became my breakthrough moment. Today,

We at Founders Connect are building a community of Black Builders - founders, professionals, investors, and creators dedicated to empowering Africa and its diaspora. A few weeks ago, we quietly launched this community by sending direct invites to a handful of amazing people I've had the privilege of meeting and interacting with over the years. But as we gear up for our first community event—the official launch and town hall—I thought, why not open it up a little more? Why "Black Builders" as the name? Well, this community is for individuals of Black or African descent who are actively building - whether it's startups, careers, brands, or investment portfolios. It's also open to allies of any race who are committed to developing and investing in initiatives that empower Africa and its diasporic communities. This journey has been incredible. From telling stories via Founders Connect on YouTube to organizing in-person events that bring our community together, we are now creating a closed space where we can engage and interact regularly without waiting for the next physical meetup. It has been a natural progression, driven by the connections and needs I've observed along the way. The Black Builders Network is more than just a community - it's a curated space for experienced professionals (6+ years in their field) to share knowledge, offer support, and discover new opportunities. If you're a founder, professional, investor, or creator of Black or African descent or an ally committed to developing and investing in Africa and its diaspora with over 6 years of experience, I'd love to have you join us. There are three ways to join the Black Builders Network. 1. Through a referral from someone in the community. 2. Apply directly at https://lnkd.in/eMeb42_q 3. Through a direct invitation from me (send me a DM to get this ). It is still very early days; we are still testing the waters with what works, how often the community wants to engage, how to meet everyone's needs, etc, but I am excited because the vision is clear and it is solid. #BlackBuildersNetwork #AfricanTech #Entrepreneurship #CommunityBuilding cc Tega Gabriel Ogigirigi

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Consider your personal involvement in creating opportunities for people of color in the US and around the world. We are responsible for our culture!#DreamExchange#ipo#VentureExchange#blackwealth#blackwallstreet#invest#wealth#generationalwealth

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