YAPClassic: Morgan DeBaun, Your Startup Survival Kit for VC Funding and Leadership

Young and Profiting (YAP) with Hala Taha

When Michael Brown was killed in his home state of Missouri in 2014, Morgan DeBaun was dismayed by the poor media coverage of the story. Realizing there was a gap in authentic, real-time coverage of Black issues, she set out in search of venture capital to build a platform for Black voices. To her disappointment, everyone she approached said no. But she found her way to social impact investors who provided the first round of funding she needed to build Blavity, a leading digital media company for Black culture and millennials. In this episode, she shares how she built an influential media empire and offers practical advice on navigating the toughest challenges of founding and leading a company.

In this episode, Hala and Morgan will discuss:

- Why hard work is not enough

- Being an outsider in Silicon Valley

- Bootstrapping vs. raising venture capital

- Finding social impact investors to fund Blavity

- Rallying her investors to raise more capital

- How diversity can boost your bottom line

- Celebrating wins to attract and keep the best talent

- Using anonymous feedback to build a stronger team

- Learning to lead 200 employees

- Balancing entrepreneurship with personal life

- And other topics…

Morgan DeBaun is the founder, CEO, and Chairman of Blavity Inc., a company that builds product solutions and media for Black consumers and the enterprises that want to reach them. She launched Blavity in 2014 to address the lack of media representation for Black audiences and has grown it into a multimedia empire that includes brands like Blavity News, AfroTech, Travel Noire, and Shadow & Act. Under her leadership, Blavity reaches over 100 million readers monthly and hosts AfroTech, the largest Black tech conference. Morgan advises top brands on diversity strategies and shares her insights through her podcast The Journey and The Journey Newsletter. Her work and thought leadership have earned her recognition on Forbes' 30 Under 30, America's Top 50 Women in Tech, and The Root 100.

Connect with Morgan:

Morgan’s Website: https://www.morgandebaun.com/

Morgan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgandebaun/

Morgan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorganDeBaun

Morgan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgandebaun/

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Resources Mentioned:

Blavity Website: https://blavity.com/

Morgan’s Podcast, The Journey: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-journey-with-morgan-debaun/id1687058364

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