29 MAY 2017 · Today on Startup Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Jessica Norwood who is a fellow of Nathan Cummings Foundation and the founder of The Runway Project which uses entrepreneurship as a way to bridge the wealth gap for black-owned businesses. They do this by providing the early pre-seed capital and business support a.k.a friend and family money. Jessica who is based in Mobile, Alabama and grew up between politics and entrepreneurship, believes that the entrepreneurial spirit has always been a part of her. As a result of a childhood surrounded by politics, she saw several opportunities where black entrepreneurship could be strengthened, more than what was already being done. Having done some work with some major foundations on food investment in Alabama, Jessica saw how she could get more direct investments to support the entire eco-system surrounding black farmers from the production side to the consumption side. The problem Jessica saw was that investors cared more about later stage, growth type of capital where assets may be used for collateral but many startups are undercapitalized from the very beginning. Also, friends and family money which represents a $60 billion industry was not readily available for African Americans because of the wealth gap. If you’ve ever wanted to know about trends in the food and agriculture industry, listen to Jessica talk about innovations in the industry including business to business operations and small scale in-house farming. Jessica isn’t only interested in the agriculture sector though, in her words “what I’m most passionate about is the entire eco-system surrounding how we deliver friends and family money to entrepreneurs of color in particular.” She also outlines the innovations and movements that are going on to make her idea a reality. Jessica also gives advice to people who aren’t accredited investors but wish to support startup companies ate the seed stage. When asked how we can open people's mind to the cultural realities behind black startup founders towards seeing more social enterprises evolve, Jessica states that with a greater inclusion of people who come from those communities to be a part of creating the solution we can effect a culture change by using diversity as a strategy to understanding where good business opportunities are. Don’t miss out on Jessica’s advice to startup founders so that they can be as attractive to investors as possible. Her advice includes greater inclusion and visibility and she also shares examples of how this can be done. That’s not all, we get to learn a personal habit of Jessica’s that contributes to her success in this deeply insightful episode. Roshawnna and Jessica discuss: [02:50] Jessica talks more about herself and her she came up with the idea for Runway Project. [06:01] We get to learn more about trends in agriculture and urban farming. [09:40] We learn what other sectors Jessica is interested in asides agriculture. [19:10] Jessica shares a story of an entrepreneur that helped her push forward to create her approach. [25:40] They talk about changing the cultural perception surrounding startup founders. [32:42] Jessica shares recommendations for entrepreneurs who can’t access funding easily. [41:40] Jessica answers an interesting question from Dr. Roshawnna

17 APR 2017 · Bootstrap Capital, a non-profit organization, partners with the City of Atlanta to host EnrichHER, on April 27, 2017 at 6:00 PM at Atlanta Tech Village. EnrichHER is a citywide event featuring Atlanta’s most successful women executives; and local women-led companies will be given the opportunity to pitch their businesses for the chance to win a $5,000 grant. EnrichHer is an initiative developed by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus , with the support of Atlanta City Council President Ceasar C. Mitchell’s, “Back to Business” program. According to the 2016 State of Women-Owned Business Report , Georgia was listed as a top ten state for spurring economic growth among female business owners. “My Back to Business program is partnering with EnrichHER so that more women-led businesses may flourish within the City of Atlanta,” says Mitchell. EnrichHER will be an evening of sharing, learning and leading. The program includes networking, panel discussions, keynote presentations, and a business pitch competition. Dr. Novellus will share the stage with Lisa Nicole Cloud , founder, Women’s Empowerment Network and serial-entrepreneur; Kimberly Blackwell , advisor, PMM & NBWC ; Susan Oh , managing partner, Telemundo ; Veronica Maldonado-Torres , program director, Georgia Protege Project ; Genevieve Bos , managing partner, Thought Capital ; and Rashan Ali , multi-media personality. Judges for the business pitch competition will include: Grace Fricks , president, Access to Capital For Entrepreneurs ; Theia Washington , executive director, Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative ; and Dina Marto , founder of Twelve Studios . EnrichHer is the first city-wide effort aimed at connecting women in business with local resource organizations providing funding, childcare, mentorship, educational trainings, grant opportunities, and other business resources that increase long-term sustainability. “My vision for EnrichHER is to be a resource for networking and educating entrepreneurs on everything that is available to support and help them become successful.” states Dr. Roshawnna Novellus, “That's what makes us different. Many of these organizations do well, but operate in silos, sometimes their messages only go so far, limiting their reach, but if we unified all of these diverse businesses, they could truly benefit from each other." Tickets, speaker and panelist bios, and vendor opportunity information are available online at, EnrichHER.co . To join the conversation follow the hashtag #EnrichHER on Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook . ### About Dr. Roshawnna Novellus Dr. Roshawnna Novellus , known as the Wealthy Yogi, is the co-founder of Bootstrap Capital and Host of Startup Funding. She is passionate about helping business owners ready to attract funding. She provides financial investments to local businesses and educates them on financial management . Dr. Novellus has been featured in Forbes, Huffington Post, WSJ, and Rolling Out. She has also completed the Pipeline Angels Fellowship, a Kauffman program in angel investing. Roshawnna serves on the Commission on Women for the City of Atlanta, and was honored as one of the Women Who Means Business by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. About Bootstrap Capital Bootstrap Capital is laser-focused on helping early stage companies achieve what others believe is impossible. Bootstrap Capital is a non-profit organization that connects entrepreneurs with the resources, networks, and funding needed to be successful. Through their hybrid approach, they partner with passionate founders who are looking to transform large markets. Their tagline is: “We are entrepreneurs investing in entrepreneurs.”

1 APR 2017 · Today on our EnrichHer edition of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Shade Smith who tells us more about why she decided to become an entrepreneur and what gave her the idea behind her clothing company She Unites. While trying to feel comfortable with her clothing styles as a lover of active gear, Shade Smith wanted to be able to seamlessly transition between her day to day activities and decided to create a platform which extends from fashion into a means of helping women achieve their goals and balance their lives. Shade Smith shares with us things she has been working on that has her excited including trying to get funding for her business and getting the name and brand to the mainstream so it gets easily recognizable. On the question of what success looks like for She Unites, Shade Smith sees success as a united front of women pushing the idea of feminism in a positive light and getting women to step outside their comfort zone and make a big mark on the society. When creating She Unites, Shade Smith had some challenges which she shares with us and also how she overcame them. One of which is having a busy schedule and having to balance various activities at once without being stressed out. Shade Smith also share with us what we can all do to make sure that She Unites is successful.   Roshawnna and Shade Smith discuss: [01:40] Shade Smith tells us more about why she decided to become an entrepreneur and what gave her the idea behind her clothing company. [02:50] We get to learn what is going on with She Unites right now that has Shade Smith excited. [03:21] Shade Smith gets to answer the question “What does success look like for you?” [04:40] Shade Smith shares with us obstacles she has overcome and what she learnt from that experience. [05:48] Here we see what impact She Unites has on the city of Atlanta. [06:40] Shade Smith tells us how we can help make her vision for She Unites a reality.

31 MAR 2017 · On our EnrichHer edition of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Martice Sutton the founder of Girls Going Global explains the reason behind her business, how she came up with the idea and what made her venture into entrepreneurship. A former international studies major, Martice always knew she wanted to make an impact in the community. After graduating from Spelman College she worked abroad on social enterprise in India where she worked with several girls organizations and decided that she wanted to do something to expose girls form her home town to the different cultures and experiences all over the world and created the startup company: Girls Going Global. Martice describes her initiative as a no-vacation experience, exposing girls to global cultures, global issues and ensuring they know that there is more to the world than their immediate community. Martice shares with us happenings in her business that has got her excited with over 40 girls coming from all over the country with plans of visiting new places and encountering their very first world wonder. She also shares the grand vision for Girls Going Global where she would love to see various chapters all over the country and being able to expose more girls to global experiences. Every entrepreneur is a problem solver and Martice is no exception, during our interview she shares with us several challenges she has had to overcome and how she learnt from them. Girls Going Global also has a huge impact in Atlanta with plans of engaging more Atlanta girls through education and opportunity creation. Martice also shares with us the ways we can help support her initiative and ensure it becomes a success.   Roshawnna and Martice Sutton discuss: [01:50] Martice tells us more about what Girls Going Global is, how she came up with the idea and what led her into entrepreneurship. [03:00] We get to know more on why it’s important to expose girls to cultures of different countries. [03:40] Martice shares with us happenings in her business that has her excited at the moment. [04:56] We get to learn about challenges which Martice has faced with starting up Girls Going Global. [05:41] Martice answers the question “How is your business impacting Atlanta?” [06:18] Martice shows us how we can help support her vision for Girls Going Global.

30 MAR 2017 · Today on our EnrichHer edition of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have the crew of Dare Dream Dance who speak to us about how they came up with the idea for a dance academy and why they decided to become entrepreneurs: Cicely Kelly & Rae Coleman. Being Atlanta natives they saw the opportunity to develop a curriculum for dancers of this generation and have a noticeable impact in the community. Dare Dream Dance started in 2013 in a studio in Atlanta and today it has grown to become a wonderful program with so many different success stories and many different studios all over the country. Dare Dream Dance has an ambitious long term goal of being a recognizable name when it comes to quality dance and being the go-to school for anyone who is trying to become a booking working dancer and provide them with the tools they need to be successful for a long time. Creating a dance studio isn’t the easiest thing to do and Cicely of Dare Dream Dance shares with obstacles she has had to overcome and what she learnt from that. Dance isn’t all that’s on their minds though, being Atlanta natives Dare Dream Dance crew have various impacts on the city of Atlanta asides dancing with each member contributing in her own way to make the community better. We can all contribute to the success story of Dare Dream Dance and the crew shares with us how we can go about making their dance studio a success.   Roshawnna and Dare Dream Dance discuss: [01:50] The crew share with us how they came up with the idea and they decided to become entrepreneurs. [02:38] We get to see the long term vision for Dare Dream Dance. [03:38] Cicely shares with us some things she has had to overcome being a studio owner and how she learnt form that. [04:55] The Dare Dream Dance crew tell us how they have been impacting the city of Atlanta asides from their dance school. [08:00] The crew show us what we can to help ensure that Dare Dream Dance is a success.

29 MAR 2017 · On our EnrichHer edition of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus today we have a new entrepreneur who has curated an awesome series of stories representing people of color: Lalanya Abner. She shares with us more about herself and what led her to become an entrepreneur. She says: “I think entrepreneurship honestly was in my blood”, being something that has always been in her family from before she was born, she’s is a natural at it. Being raised in a family of entrepreneurs doesn’t deter her as she plans to carve a name for herself. She tells that the inspiration behind her stories has always been children, she noticed that children of color were mostly underrepresented in the choice of available play material for children. Being an artist/creator/writer herself and with the help of friends they decided to solve a need. With an awesome educative series, they aim to teach children of color how to be entrepreneurs themselves. Presently parents can find this book on Amazon and on their website. It hasn’t been all easy though and she had some obstacles which she shares with us along with how she was able to overcome and learn from them. She sees success as having created a culture for young children they can be proud of, bridging the gap for children of color. Her stories are having an impact in Atlanta and hopes to leave a legacy for children of color through legacy planning and succession planning. “Spread the word” is what she has to say on how we can help to make her books a success.   Lalanya Abner and Roshawnna Novellus discuss: [01:42] Lalanya talks more about herself and what led her into entrepreneurship. [02:46] We get to know the inspirations behind her beautiful stories. [05:45] Lalanya and Roshawnna talk about obstacles and difficulties she faced in this business. [06:44] Lalanya answers the question “what does success look like for your business.” [09:19] We get to know what we can do to support this initiative.

28 MAR 2017 · Carver’s Produce is a Georgia Grown natural food distributor transforming how growers and buyers strengthen food deserts.

27 MAR 2017 · On our EnrichHer edition of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus, today we have Jing Kālu who has created an innovative air filtration company. During our interview, Jing talks about why she decided to venture into entrepreneurship. In her own words: “Going green has always been on my mind…..doing something to make people healthier and happier”, creating a system to help people live healthier and happier is the inspiration behind her being an entrepreneur. Jing shares with us happening in her company that has her excited, from creating a more efficient air filtration system to pitching for investors for startup funding as she is actively trying to get capital to expand her company recently. By investing her own money she has been able to get a patent and finished the production process of the air filtration system and now is looking for a new way to expand. Every entrepreneur has had to overcome some form of obstacle or the other and Jing is no different as she has had to invest her retirement funds to start up the company and keep it going and attend meetings to market her product to prospective clients. Today her company is able to create any number of products of each model upon request. Jing also tells us how we can help make her multi-million dollar project a success. Roshawnna and Jing Carter-Lu discuss: [01:43] Jing talks to us about why she decided to become an entrepreneur. [02:38] Jing tells us what is going on in her company that has her excited at the moment. [03:12] We talk about investments and expanding her business. [04:00] Jing shares with us obstacles she has had to overcome as an entrepreneur. [05:07] We learn how we can all pitch in to help support the business right now.

26 MAR 2017 · On our EnrichHer edition of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Tracey Pickett the founder of Hairbrella today. She tells us more about why she decided to become an entrepreneur and what led her down the part of Hairbrella. Coming from a family mostly comprised of entrepreneurs, Tracey admits she has always wanted to be an entrepreneur herself, even after attending Law school and practicing for 5 years she still remained true to her dream. Tracey shares with us what is happening with Hairbrella that has her excited from creating a kick starter campaign where she was able to exceed her initial goal, to receiving all the product feedback that they can from their backers and implementing that into their production process and vetting several factories for larger scale production. Tracey sees the Sarah Blakeley’s story as an inspiration and admits that success for Hairbrella would be very similar to her story, being able to build an international brand that women all benefit from. Hairbrella has impacted the city of Atlanta by creating opportunities for beauty shop owners inspiring women to come up with innovative ideas and helping them with keep their looks despite the weather. We also talk about obstacles which Tracey had to overcome in the course of making her vision for Hairbrella a reality including the fear of selling and learning new things. We end the interview with Tracey showing us how we can help support Hairbrella and ensure it becomes a success. Roshawnna Novellus and Tracey Pickett discuss: [01:54] Tracey tells us more about why she decided to become an entrepreneur and what led her down the path of Hairbrella. [02:28] We get to learn about happening at Hairbrella that has Tracey excited. [03:02] Tracey tells us what success looks to her for Hairbrella. [03:56] Tracey shares with us the obstacles she has faced while starting up her company and what she’s learned from overcoming those obstacles. [04:57] Tracey shows us how Hairbrella has impacted the city of Atlanta. [05:55] We get to know how we can support Hairbrella and make the vision a success.

24 MAR 2017 · Today on our EnrichHer edition of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Mary who has an amazing startup company focused on helping people get employment. During our interview Mary tells us more about how her company works and the driving force behind her success as an entrepreneur. When asked what led her to become an entrepreneur Mary replies: “I’ve always been an entrepreneur….I have always had a heart for helping people”. By utilizing the full potential of the internet, Mary’s goal was to create employment when computers became so popular and using a model that worked. Mary is no novice when it comes to running her own business having been in business for 17 years offering the type of services she does today, but this is the first time she has ventured to offer her services to small businesses who need it. Using an efficient model when dealing with small business which involves cold-calling Mary is able to convince small business that she can help them with the skills, knowledge, and people that can create value for them. Eventually Mary with her business want to create a standard for non-traditional employment for people who cannot get regular jobs for one reason or the other. Speaking on what has got her excited about her company, Mary says she is honing her skills in marketing herself and her company as it is a new process for her but one that she look forward to. Success means a lot to Mary in her own words: “Success for me has always been if I was responsible for employing a million people” and with an impressive repertoire of skills and strategies she is determined to make that happen. The company also has some positive impact on the city of Atlanta, by creating jobs and employment opportunities. Mary finally tells us how we can help her company successfully create employment for a million people.   Roshawnna and Mary discuss: [01:40] Mary tells us more about her company and what led her to become an entrepreneur. [02:48] Mary shares with us her effective model to work with startups. [04:08] Mary talks about marketing and happenings in her company that has her excited. [05:10] Mary answers the question “What does success look like for your company.” [06:40] Mary explains how her company’s works positively Impacts the city of Atlanta. [07:07] She shares ways we can help make her company a success.