Minority Innovation Weekend

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-011: Sesie Bonsi

Sesie K. Bonsi is the Founder and CEO of Bleu. Bleu facilitates mobile transactions utilizing Bluetooth, low energy beacons. Follow them at @bleucoent.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-010: From Spark to Seed and Beyond: Launching a Tech Startup as a Founder of Color

Listen to our panelist as they discuss their experience launching a tech startup as a founder of color.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-009: Fireside Chat With Delali Dzirasa, CEO, Fearless

New startup companies are created every day, but many don’t last. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA) about 90% of startups fail. Unfortunately, 10% of startups fail within the first year. Delali Dzirasa, the CEO and founder of Fearless technology was faced against the odds of failure when he started his business in 2009. However, Dzirasa set a goal in the beginning to create a company that would exist forever. “The why makes your company last more than the competitors,” Dzi...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-008

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-008: Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Dr. Freeman Hrabowski has served as the president of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) since 1992. During his presidency more black students have earned bachelor's degrees in science and technology from UMBC (www.umbc.edu) than from any other non-historically black university in Maryland. More importantly, Hrabowski understands the importance of minority...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-008: Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-008: Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Dr. Freeman Hrabowski has served as the president of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) since 1992. During his presidency more black students have earned bachelor's degrees in science and technology from UMBC (www.umbc.edu) than from any other non-historically black university in Maryland. More importantly, Hrabowski understands the importance of minority...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-007: Troy LeMaile-Stovall, CEO and Executive Director, TEDCO

Troy LeMaile-Stovall has over two decades of experience in higher education, information/communication technology, investment management, and management consulting. Currently LeMaile-Stovall serves as the CEO of TEDCO, one of the largest hubs for technology companies in Maryland. More importantly, LeMaile-Stovall understands the importance of following your passion, and he has founded two management consulting firms. LeMaile-Stovall sits down with the MIW podcast team and shares how technolog...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-006: Brisa Renteria, Founder and CEO, Improve Growth

Brisa Renteria is an experienced sales selection strategist, and she previously worked for the largest sales training organization in the world. During her career, Renteria has trained over 5,000 sales leaders at technology companies like Microsoft. While working to find the best sales people for companies across the country, Renteria realized that companies can't succeed without a strong foundation. As a result, in the midst of the pandemic, Renteria founded Improve Growth, a company that re...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-005: Prasanna Naik, Product Manager

Prasanna Naik went against the odds and quit his job as a Product Manager for Airbnb during a global pandemic. However, it was for the right reasons - to follow his dreams and launch a tech startup. Prasanna sits down with the MIW podcast team to discuss the importance of building a solid foundation for a startup company. Although, he can't share the details of the start up (just yet) he gives tons of advice to prepare others in their journey.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-004: McKeever Conwell, Founder and Managing Partner, RareBreed Ventures

Mac Conwell is an experienced software engineer and former tech startup founder. Currently Conwell is using his talents, investment philosophy and expertise to raise 10 million dollars for his venture capital firm, RareBreed ventures. RareBreed Ventures is closing in on that goal and is investing in founders before everyone else. Conwell sits down with MIW podcast team and shares how he's found great entrepreneurs in areas where many aren't looking.

Episode 2021-003: Monique Mills, MBA, PMP, Founder & Chief Strategist, TPM Focus

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2021-003: Monique Mills, MBA, PMP, Founder & Chief Strategist, TPM Focus Monique Mills received her undergraduate electrical engineering degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology and her MBA, with a concentration in Management of Technology, from the Georgia Institute of Technology. After many years of corporate industry experience, she took the plunge and stepped out on her own to create and lead the growth of her own technology company as well as a m...

Episode 2021-002: Dr. Sanna Gaspard, PhD, CEO, Rubitection

Dr. Gaspard has a passion for entrepreneurship, healthcare, medical devices, and innovation. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering (BME) at the University of Miami in Miami, FL (‘04). She completed her Masters (’05) and PhD (’11) in BME at Carnegie Mellon University. While earning her graduate degrees she founded and served as CEO of two biotech companies, TLneoCare, LLC and Rubitection Inc, to commercialize her innovations. As CEO she developed the business strategy, IP ...

E2021-001 Black and Brown In STEM

According to a Pew Research Center report, “the majority of STEM workers in the U.S. are white (69%), followed by Asians (13%), blacks (9%) and Hispanics (7%).” In this episode we discuss African American and Hispanic American experiences in the STEM workforce with Andres Marquez (Software Engineer at Facebook), Jazmine Staten (IT Project Manager at Dell Technologies), Marisol Monzon (Medical Student at University of Utah), Tori Sombright (Educational Technology Coordinator, Plano Independe...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-026: Christopher J Allen, Serial Innovator & Founder, CJA Systems

Mr. Chris Allen is a serial innovator and founder of CJA Systems sits down with the MIW Podcast team to discuss innovation and being a founder of a tech startup.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-025: Andre Bierzynski, Innovation Director, AARP

As Innovation Director, Andre is responsible for driving value creation through cross-enterprise solutions (product, services and programs) that impact the future of AARP and deliver new value to the 50+. He is responsible for developing and executing the strategy and vision for new innovative product offerings, including developing product vision and roadmaps, prioritizing initiatives, and helping to articulate the value of the offerings to the enterprise.

Episode 2020-024: Stephanie Lonard, Founder & President at Technically Minded Talent

Episode 2020-024: Stephanie Lonard, Founder & President at Technically Minded Talent Ms. Stephanie Lonard owns and operates a recruitment firm, Technically Minded Talent, for technical talent to provide the best experience for both the hiring manager and candidate. Technically Minded Talent's mission is to increase accuracy and speed of each match. Ms. Lonard is also a versatile and experienced Senior Project Manager and Process Engineer with 8 years of experience in Oil and Gas and Manufac...

Tai Hutchinson, Innovation | Strategic Partnerships + Operations | Program Manager Techstars NYC

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-023: Tai Hutchinson, Innovation | Strategic Partnerships + Operations | Program Manager Techstars NYC Ms. Tai Hutchinson is an experienced Program Manager at Techstars NYC where she runs operations and recruits incoming classes. In addition to being a program manager, Tai has a wealth of experience in Business Development, Program Management, Partnership Development. 

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-022: Jennifer Chiang | Director of Customer Success at Yup | Author of The Startup's Guide to Customer Success

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-022: Jennifer Chiang | Director of Customer Success at Yup | Author of The Startup's Guide to Customer Success Jennifer Chiang is the Director of Customer Success at Yup Technologies, Author of The Startup's Guide to Customer Success, mental health advocate, political economist, and speaker. She is a leader who is passionate about helping companies - particularly startups - unlock the true potential of customer success through analytics, empowerment, and a...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-021: Dr. Dane Brown | Cybersecurity | Biometrics | Privacy & Trust | Cryptography

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-021: Dr. Dane Brown | Cybersecurity | Biometrics | Privacy & Trust | Cryptography Dane Brown is an Assistant Professor in the Cyber Science Department at the United States Naval Academy. He holds a B.S in Electrical Engineering (USNA '05) and an M.S. in Computer Engineering (NPS '06). He completed a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering (Virginia Tech '19) with a focus on analyzing the security of firmware in ARM environments. Dane has worked at the Naval Academy...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-020: Adrianna Samaniego | Investor at Female Founders Fund

Adrianna Samaniego is an Investor at Female Founders Fund, the pre-eminent early-stage fund investing in female-founded technology companies. Since its founding in 2014, Female Founders Fund has invested in over 50 of the fastest-growing female-led technology companies nationwide. These include category leaders like Zola, Billie, Co–Star, Tala, ELOQUII, Primary Kids, Bento Box, Kin Euphorics, Peanut, WinkyLux, Rent The Runway, and more. Prior to joining Female Founders Fund, she worked as a ...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-019: Tsahia Hobson, Healthcare Innovation & Strategy

Tsahia Hobson is a healthcare enthusiast working to transform patient care for all of us while driving creative and innovative solutions with technology. Tsahia is an Innovation leader who solves complex business problems across operational lanes. She evaluates current trends and ideas to identify opportunities for innovation by understanding problems, needs, and ideas. She manages large-scale enterprise transformations, with experience in bringing new products and services to market, and the...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode E2020-018: Michael Ogunsanya, Co-Founder & CEO of MindStand

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-018: Michael Ogunsanya, CEO & Co-Founder of MindStand Technologies Michael Ogunsanya, CEO & Co-Founder of Mindstand Technologies sits down with the MIW podcast team to discuss launching MindStand Technologies. MindStand Technologies is an artificial intelligence specializing in detecting online harassment, hate speech, and potential safety risks. Instances of cyberbullying, hate speech, and threatening behaviors are identified by MindStands advanced machi...

MIW Podcast Episode 2020-017: Luis Martinez, Founder & CEO, We Tha Plug

Luis Martinez, MSOL is an Afro-Latino from Honduras and raised in Brooklyn, New York with an M.B.A. in Organizational Leadership, Luis is an advocate, networker and ecosystem builder for Blacks, Latinos in tech & innovation throughout the United States and abroad. A Former Pro Basketball Player and U.S. Navy Veteran, currently he is the Director for Startup Grind San Diego. Startup Grind is the largest independent startup community, actively educating, inspiring, and connecting 3,500,000 en...

MIW Disruptive Episode 2020-016: Nina Archie, CEO and Founder of the Innovator-Connector

Nina Archie (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-archie-06375880/) is the CEO and Founder of the Innovator-Connector. The Innovator-Connector™, LLC is an innovative consulting firm creating access to resources, initiatives, and solutions for client’s projects involving intellectual property, commercialization, government funding, small business ownership, and diversity gap issues.

MIW 2020 Empowering Women in Tech Panel

Minority Innovation Weekend presents Empowering Women of Color in Tech Panel.This panel will explore the experiences of women of color throughout the tech ecosystem.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-015: Rakia Finley, Founding Partner at Copper & Vine Studio, Co.

Rakia Finley is the Founding Partner at Copper & Vine Studio, an American software executive, Women in Tech Initiative Leader, full-stack developer, Salesforce MVP, mother, private investor, and philanthropist. She is best known for her work with the Obama Administration on their “Girls in STEM” initiative and continues to develop innovative technology solutions and community initiatives that promote diversity in STEM for girls of color. Named FemTech’s 2016 & 2017 Powerful Woman Programmer, ...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-014: Sandeep Shah

Sandeep Shah, Product Tech Innovator & Strategist Professional with a career working at the nexus of Technology, Policy & Sustainability in the Consumer Products Industry sits down with the MIW Disruptive Podcast Team to discuss venture capital, breaking into venture capital, and more.  Sandeep Shah is a highly diversified & civic minded professional dedicated to leading global initiatives at the intersection of Technology, Education & Retail/CPG; with focus on supporting economically depriv...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-014: Sandeep Shah, Product Tech Innovator & Strategist Professional

Sandeep Shah, Product Tech Innovator & Strategist Professional with a career working at the nexus of Technology, Policy & Sustainability in the Consumer Products Industry sits down with the MIW Disruptive Podcast Team to discuss venture capital, breaking into venture capital, and more.  Sandeep Shah is a highly diversified & civic minded professional dedicated to leading global initiatives at the intersection of Technology, Education & Retail/CPG; with focus on supporting economically depriv...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-013: Aurelia Flores, Investor Liaison at Citrine Angels

Aurelia Flores has been in the digital marketing field for nearly 10 years. She also practiced law – intellectual and corporate business law – for nearly 20 years after graduating from Stanford Law School. As a business and intellectual property attorney, she helped structure deals for Angel and VC investments during the late 90’s dot-com boom. She has assisted small businesses in formation, launching and getting to profitability – including assisting in writing business plans and obtaining S...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-012: Anne Griffin

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-012: Anne Griffin – Product Manager | Growth | AI and Blockchain | Public Speaker Anne Griffin built her product management career working with organizations such as Microsoft, Comcast, Mercedes-Benz, and Priceline. She currently works at Priceline as a Product Manager and as the Chief Product & Curriculum Officer of Tech 2025, a platform and community for learning about and engaging with emerging technologies such as blockchain and AI, and exploring their...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-012: Anne Griffin, Product Manager | Growth | AI and Blockchain

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-012: Anne Griffin – Product Manager | Growth | AI and Blockchain | Public Speaker Anne Griffin built her product management career working with organizations such as Microsoft, Comcast, Mercedes-Benz, and Priceline. She currently works at Priceline as a Product Manager and as the Chief Product & Curriculum Officer of Tech 2025, a platform and community for learning about and engaging with emerging technologies such as blockchain and AI, and exploring their...

MIW Disruptive Episode 2020-011: Ernest Sweat, Associate Partner at GreatPoint Ventures

Earnest Sweat is an Associate Partner at GreatPoint Ventures who focuses on verticals whose emerging technologies will have the most significant impact on global GDP, specializing in retail, supply chain, real estate, and manufacturing. Prior to joining GPV, Earnest was a founding team member at Prologis Ventures, the venture arm of the world’s largest industrial real estate owner. Earnest is also a founding Board Member of BLCK VC, a community built for and by black investors, and, shortly a...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-010: Claire Coder of Aunt Flow

Claire Coder launched her first company at age 16, designed a bag for Vera Bradley that sold out in 24 hours, and has her own line of GIFs. The 22-year-old founder has been featured in TeenVogue, Forbes, and starred in TLC’s Girl Starter Season 1. When she is not jamming out to Macklemore and India Arie, she is pretending like she knows how to run Google ads.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-009: Ellington West and Brandon Dottin-Haley of Sonavi Labs

Ms. Ellington West, CEO, and Mr. Brandon Dottin-Haley, CBDO, talk with the MIW Podcast team about launching the health-tech startup Sonavi Labs from an idea developed at The Johns Hopkins University, raising funding, and growing Sonavi Labs into an innovative device and software company focused on developing modern medical products that analyze body sounds for the diagnosis of diseases. Sonavi Lab's technology rooted in artificial intelligence that will evolve the patient experience and enhan...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-008: Dr. Tiffany Gray, Public Health Advisor & Data Scientist

In this episode with the MIW Disruptive podcast, we sit down with Dr. Tiffany Gray, Public Health Advisor & Data Scientist to discuss the cross section of technology and public health. We also discuss The Entrepreneurship Diet which covers Dr. Gray's journey into entrepreneurship.  Take a moment to listen to this podcast while we cover topics such a blockchain and its application in the global response to COVID-19, artificial intelligence, Big Data vs. Data Science, and Dr. Gray's advice for ...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-007: Joycelyn Brown, Managing Partner at IPS Legal Group, P.A.

Joycelyn S. Brown, Esq. is the managing partner at IPS Legal Group, P.A.. After receiving a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University, Ms. Brown worked as an engineer in the semi-conductor industry for several years. Ms. Brown received her law degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 2008. Following law school, Ms. Brown worked as an associate at one of Florida’s most respected law firms where she represented companies in a variety of matters including intellectual property a...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-006: On startups navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic

On this episode of MIW Disruptive, Jason Tagler & Calvin Young of PitchCreator.com discusses startups navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-5: Jason Tagler & Calvin Young, PitchCreator.com

On this episode of MIW Disruptive, Jason Tagler & Calvin Young talks about PitchCreator.com. PitchCreator.com helps entrepreneurs learn how to communicate with investors and raise capital.

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-4: Michelle Dhansinghani, CEO of Elan Strategies

Michelle Dhansinghani is the CEO of Elan Strategies, a Washington D.C based boutique consulting firm with a global presence focused on business development for non-profit organizations, private sector investments, and political campaigns. We generate growth and revenue for our clients through access to a powerful and expansive network of corporations, civil society organizations, and public sector entities in the United States and in Latin America. Described as a connector and relationship bu...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-3: McKeever Conwell, Manager, Seed Portfolio Development

McKeever’s primary role at TEDCO is to find, help make investment decisions on, and help build Maryland-based startups. McKeever (Mac) works closely with many TEDCO portfolio companies to help them secure customers, partnerships, and funding. Mac also conducts extensive outreach to all of the tech communities and ecosystems in Maryland and does a lot of work supporting founders who consider themselves to be economically or socially disadvantaged. In 2017 Mac helped launch the Minority Busines...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-002: Joey Price, Founder Jumpstart:HR, LLC

Joey Price is an award-winning Human Resources executive, business coach, thought leader, and professor. He is the founder of Jumpstart:HR, LLC, an HR Consulting Practice specifically for small businesses and startups, and host of Business, Life, and Coffee, a weekly personal and professional development podcast. As the CEO of Jumpstart:HR, LLC, Joey innovates by creating HR solutions for small business owners and start-up founders who want to build better, more competitive businesses. As a p...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-002: Joey Price

Joey Price is an award-winning Human Resources executive, business coach, thought leader, and professor. He is the founder of Jumpstart:HR, LLC, an HR Consulting Practice specifically for small businesses and startups, and host of Business, Life, and Coffee, a weekly personal and professional development podcast. As the CEO of Jumpstart:HR, LLC, Joey innovates by creating HR solutions for small business owners and start-up founders who want to build better, more competitive businesses. As a p...

MIW Disruptive Podcast Episode 2020-01: What Is MIW?

What Is MIW?

What Is MIW

What Is MIW?

MIW Test Podcast #2

Podcast Test # 2

Podcast 1: Test