← Black Entrepreneur Experience
Black Entrepreneur Experience
BEE 504 Founder/ CEO UrbanGeekz, Kunbi Tinuoye ~Throwback Episode
00:50:34
Kunbi Tinuoye is an award-winning British-born journalist based in the United States. She is the founder of UrbanGeekz, a video-centric African-American, Latinx, and multicultural digital news platform focused on technology, science, business, and...
Loading summary
Transcript80 lines
- [00:00]
A
Welcome to the Black Entrepreneur Experience podcast. Inside the business buzz and brilliance of black entrepreneurs. Here's your host, Dr. Francis Richards.
- [00:12]
B
What happens in Vegas goes all over the world on Black Entrepreneur experience. Episode number 504, Dr. Frances Richards. And I am so honored today to have with us, joining us on Black Entrepreneur Experience, Kombi Tennoya. And she is the founder and CEO of Urban Geek. It's a groundbreaking video centric, African American, Latino and multicultural digital news platform focused on technology, science and business. Kumbi, welcome.
- [00:48]
C
Thanks for having me.
- [00:50]
B
You know what, I have given our audience such a brief bio about you. Why don't you fill in the gaps and share with our audience what you'd like us to know about you and your company?
- [01:02]
C
Okay, so let me just rewind a bit so you can just get a little bit of background about me. So I think first and foremost you can hear from my accent. I was born and raised in London, schooled in London, did a first degree at Cambridge University, and then I did a postgrad postgraduate journalism qualification. After that I worked in the media, primarily for the BBC. I was a BBC journalist in the UK for a number of years. Then after that I somehow made my way to Atlanta, which has been a phenomenal experience. And for about three and a half, four years I was a southeast correspondent for a website called the Griot, which at the time was under the NBC MSC umbrella. So I did that for a number of years working from Atlanta. And then I set up Urban Geeks. I left the Grio and I just took this, you know, threw myself into really setting up my brand. What can I tell you about my brand? Maybe I can give you a bit of an idea of why I set up the platform. You know, for about three to three and a half, four years, I was a correspondent for really one of the biggest African American brands out there. You know, the Grio was, you know, on par with Ebony, Essence, you know, the kind of big brands. And it kind of, sort of kind of niggled me a bit that we didn't really cover a lot of stories on technology, business, science and entrepreneurship. So that was really why, you know, one of the reasons I set up the brand. And then that kind of coincided, I think about 2014, Facebook launched their employee demographics. There was a big push. About 2015, Reverend Jesse Jackson was really behind it with the Push Foundation. And there was a really big push for the big tech companies to start basically letting people know their demographics. And I wrote a story which really kind of, I would say was a real Turning point for me, in the gray. I pitched the story, you know, because as I say, we weren't covering those types of stories. I just thought, this is a great story, we need to cover it. And essentially it just gave me a lot of insight into the industry. And I was like, wow, you know, technology, when you think about technology, you think about innovation, you think about forward thinking, you know, you think about something that's really at the forefront. And I was like, wow, this is crazy. You know, these companies have so few women and particularly minorities in, you know, in tech jobs and not even just tech jobs in management roles as well. So hopefully wasn't. But that's really why I set up the brand.
- [03:44]
B
And so tell us, when you actually launched, what was the biggest accomplishment today in reference to setting up the brand and the launching of the Urban geek?
- [03:59]
C
Okay, so, you know, I just, and I always say to people, Urban geeks is a bootstrapped digital news platform. It's a labor of love, a lot of blood, sweat and tears. So I literally launched with minute facilities. I just knew, sorry, my new resources. I just knew that I had to do this because I saw very clearly that there was a gap in the market. So, you know, I just knew I had to do. And I just basically, I mean, if you just want me to talk a bit about the launch. Prior to launching, the site went live in February 2015. And prior to the launch, I knew that I wanted to, you know, launch with original content. So I basically did a couple of, you know, interviews. I interviewed Kimberly Bryant from Black Girls Code. I did a great profile piece on her. I did an interview with Hank Williams, who at the time was the CEO of Platform. I did an interview with an African American entrepreneur in sort of a big play in Atlanta called Rodney Sampson. So I did about 15 to 20 original stories to really kind of kick start the brand. So that's really how I did it. I just literally built the website, you know, worked with a developer on a really low budget. We just built the website. Me and him went back and forth on the design. I had made sure I had some, you know, great original content. And I just, I just literally click the button and launched.
- [05:29]
B
So are you. Where are you currently located? Where are you operating the business at now?
- [05:34]
C
Still in Atlanta.
- [05:36]
B
Absolutely. And do you feel that that was the best city to launch?
- [05:40]
C
Oh, absolutely. I honestly, and I will say everyone in London knows my story about how much I love Atlanta. I absolutely love Atlanta. I mean, it was just, I mean, obviously this has really been the only real city that I've lived in since I've been in the States. But I just think Atlanta is a phenomenal place. You know, one of the things I love about Atlanta is that, you know, there's a black middle class. You know, you meet people of color who, you know, influencers and who are doing really something tangible with their lives. So that's one of the things I love about Atlanta. The other thing about Atlanta, even though it's, we're not, you know, I'm not in Silicon Valley or New York, Atlanta has really got an emerging tech ecosystem that is really starting to grow. And you know, within the last. What I would even say, yeah, the last three to four years, there's been a major influx of tech hubs, co working spaces, accelerators in Atlanta. So that's another reason why I love Atlanta. The other thing about Atlanta that I love is, you know, when I talk about my platform, I will say urban geeks is, you know, African American, Latino as well, multicultural, brand focused on business, science, technology and entrepreneurship. But at the same time, we do cover lifestyle and entertainment. So I was very mindful that I wanted to, you know, I want to get people to read about tech and business and entrepreneurship. But, you know, I know our audience. There's no harm in throwing in a couple of lighter stories as well. And as you know, Atlanta has got a thriving entertainment industry, which is, you know, everyone. People refer to Atlanta as a Hollywood of the South. So for me, Atlanta has everything. It's got. It's got, you know, emerging tech hub. It's got, you know, entertainment. It's got, you know, you have a lot of corporate headquarters here, like Coca Cola, so it's got corporate, so. And then obviously it's got a black middle class. So for me, Atlanta is a great, great place to launch a brand like this.
- [07:48]
B
So, Kobe, what is a daily or weekly habit that you do consistently that has given you the greatest success?
- [07:57]
C
I think, you know, and if I just talk in a very sort of generic term, I think you just, I mean, I'm extremely hard working. I really am. And you know, really, you know, when you set up, you know, you have this idea and vision for a concept that you want to, you know, take over the world. You know, if you really, you know, if you're really serious, you've just got to be extremely focused and work really hard. So for me, it's consistency. You know, I just, you know, I just keep on top of, you know, as much as I can, you know, and everything. One of the things I do which is probably quite basic, but it helps me on my iPhone. I, you know, they have notes on the iPhone and every, you know, every Sunday I just type up a list of all the things I need to achieve, you know, relating to the company and just mark those through and actually whenever I achieve it, an accomplishment like right, you know, get this interview with X, Y and Z, I sort of put a smiley face, which for me, on my own little way I find quite encouraging and quite inspiring. It's like my things to do list electronically. So that's it really, I think just work hard and just have a lot of focus.
- [09:07]
B
So with you being in the technology space in terms of writing about it, and you mentioned notes on your iPhone, is there a technology tool or a technology platform that is a must have for you in managing your business day to day?
- [09:21]
C
Definitely one of the things, I mean, I'm hoping that anyone who has a digital platform is familiar with Google Analytics. Pretty sure most people are. But for me, Google Analytics is a really great tool for me. For listeners that don't know about analytics, analytics is a great tool for you to really want to see your traffic and see traffic, see the demographics, who's reading your website, how are they accessing your website? Is it on a mobile device? Is it on, you know, is it on a desktop? So for me, Google Analytics has been a great tool and one of the things I love about analytics as well. And if you dig a bit deeper, it tells me the stories that have done really well, you know, and it really, you know, it really breaks down. So I think I've got a real sense of how many people clicked on a story, how many people liked it. So it just gives you a real background. So the great thing about that, it gives you an idea of what kind of story stories resonate, you know, with your readers.
- [10:29]
B
So what would you say Kumbi is working well now for you in business?
- [10:36]
C
I think that's what's working now for me in business is that I'm really feel now we're starting to get, you know, Urban Geese is an emerging news platform, but the brand I think is quite well respected. So that's just something that's really working well for me. And again, that was very, you know, before we did, you know, launching the website, I was very mindful of the visuals, you know, because it's not just the content, it's the visuals and you know, how clean your website looks a detail. So, you know, when we launched and you got to sort of think about my background as well. I'm very visual, I'm an ex BBC journalist so just having a really clean brand has really helped. And you know, so for instance I won't say any names but you know I was speaking to someone quite high up at Yahoo, you know, pretty senior at Yahoo and you know we were sort of talking about the possibility of a partnership and he was just like, it's like so clean, you know what I'm saying? So those are the kind of details that I think really, you know, really matter. The other thing that I think is really working with the brand is I've, you know, I think for you, for anyone to have a successful brand there has to be, you know, what's your unique proposition? What friendship. You see what I'm saying? Because there's no point and I've got a quote that I've always put up on social media. There's no point duplicating the big players with limited resources. You need to think about something that's very innovative and original. So my thing that I would say minority websites don't cover enough stories about technology, business, science, innovation, the big tech blogs, I won't say the names, we know who we're talking about, they don't cover enough about us. So for me I felt that I was something very unique when we launched. So yeah, the uniqueness factor. The other thing about the site which I think is working for us is that we pay a lot of attention to visuals. So for instance I'm very into high res kitchens. You know some sites, you know, they may not pay that much attention, much detail to imagery. And then the other thing as well, Urban Geeks is a video centric site which again is you know, quite unique. You know I edit so you know, I edit content if where possible with the resources that we have, you know, we'll do video interviews and we also have a show actually a bulletin called Geeks Watch. So those are things I think have really helped.
- [13:08]
B
So when you talk about high resolution photos and videos, are you outsourcing that? Are you buying any? Specifically on the web, are you making any recommendations or are you, do you have your staff basically going out doing this themselves?
- [13:25]
C
It's a combination of both. So for instance we do have staff, you know, if we go to an event, you know I do have like, you know, some photogenic will take pictures. The other thing, it's not just, I mean, you know, I keep on going back to fact that the resources are limited. So you've got to be creative, you've got to be smart. You see what I'm saying? So you know, you know, don't forget if there's even a launch, you know, there's an event taking place, they often have an official photographer. I would make sure myself, one of my team tracked on the official photographer and they give us high res pictures. You know that, that's just, that's something in terms of the imagery, in terms of video. As I say we do that in house. I can edit. So you know, if we've got, we've had some shows up on the site actually called Geeks Watch and you know, have a videographer. He actually, you know, he's, he's an ex CNN guy and does freelancing for Fox and some of the big players. So he's very experienced. So he will shoot and then I'll edit or you know, me and him will sort of edit it together. So we do that in house because obviously we got to do as much as we can in house because of resources and we have the talent to do it in house as well.
- [14:38]
B
So Kumbi, is this the first business you launched?
- [14:41]
C
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely. So as I say, I think I mentioned a bit about my past. You know, by trade I'm a journalist. You know, I did a first degree in political science at Trinity College, Cambridge and I did a master's in journalism and you know, worked in print and then so really in the uk my career was really at the BBC and then came here, worked for NBC. So yeah, this is the first business I've launched. Absolutely. First time entrepreneur.
- [15:13]
B
And so what advice would you give to someone in our audience that are listening to you? And they would say that's what they want to do, they want to launch, they want to start a business, they're fearful. What advice would you give them?
- [15:28]
C
You know, one of the things, and I've sort of said it already but I really, I'm very, you know, I say, I'll say this again, you know, it's really important to have an innovative brand, you know, something that is quite unique. And that's why obviously I've said, I've told you our unique proposition, you know, there's no point, you know, because you think about it, I had worked at the Griot for three to four years. I don't know if you're aware of the Griot, but you know, it's we, you know, lifestyle, race and you know, similar ish to a lot of the other sort of minority brands. So you think about it, what sense would it make for me to go and do the same thing with like, with pennies. Do you see what I'm saying? So for me, the first thing, you know, sometimes I find that people are just flip flop, they just want to be an entrepreneur for the sake of it, you know, oh, it's kind of, it's like really cool to be a technology entrepreneur or even any kind of entrepreneur. So sometimes you, you know, people flip flop between business ideas. You have to be driven by passion, passion, passion, passion. Because it's so difficult, so challenging. If you don't really believe in the concept and the idea and want to make a difference, it's not going to work. So, you know, I really feel that you have to have, you know, whatever your business is, it had to have impacted you or is something that you've seen, you know, something that needs to be changed is something that you, you really have an association with. So, for instance, if you're a mother and you, you know, and you, you've got, you know, a baby and you realize, oh my God, there's this, you know, having a baby, there's this issue that's always, you know, challenging for women that have babies. And you can see how it impacts other women. And you've got a very, an innovative idea that you feel could make women's, you know, a certain demographic's life easier. Go for that. Does that make sense? Go for what you're passionate about, Go for what where you have some kind of affinity or association. So that's the biggest thing I would say. The other thing I would say, of course, is revenue, you know, because I always say, if you ain't making money, if you ain't got any kind of business model, it's a hobby, you know. So, you know, think about, you know, your different revenue streams. How are you going to make money? And then you also, you've got to be willing to be flexible. Because sometimes, you know, especially when you're a newbie, you have this, oh my God, we're going to make millions of dollars this way. It may not work. So you've got to be able to pivot and to be flexible. We really got to think about revenue. Revenue is really, really important as well. How would you keep this business going?
- [18:05]
B
So what is one valuable lesson you wish you knew before starting your business?
- [18:10]
C
Do you know? I wish I knew. Do you know what? I had no idea it was going to be this hard. I mean, I mean, nothing has prepared me for how hard this has been. Do you know what I'm saying? And the other thing is as well I think especially with, you know, when you first have an idea, people think they're going to like make a million dollars or it's going to be huge, like in a short period of time. It takes time, it really does, to build a decent, a viable business. But at the same time, and this is something that, you know, I did a talk about this at the same time, obviously it does take time and it is taken time for me because we, this is a self funded bootstrap operation. But at the same time, obviously you know that if you get an investor, you know, you're going to scale and grow a lot faster. You know, so for me, we've gone down the bootstrap. Self funded, self financed, you know, relying on customers and revenue to keep the business going. If you do that model, if you opt for that model, you've got to be incredibly creative and you're gonna, you've got to be patient and you've got to know that you are going to have some hard times. Hard times, you know, and do. That's what, that's why I say it has to be fueled by passion because you're going to give up, you know, if you get all these doors knocked in your face and then you're looking at your bank account and thinking, how am I going to survive if it's not fueled by passion, it's not going to work. So really I would say, the thing I would say is patience and being realistic and thinking about your revenue models.
- [19:44]
B
And that's really excellent because when you think about minority businesses and women owned businesses, the key is capital. And so a lot of them, you know, a lot of business owners want to know, or individuals that want to start businesses, how do you raise that capital? And so you talked about bootstrapping, hindsight, 20 20. Would you do the same business model or would you recommend going after investors?
- [20:11]
C
Right, so what I need to let you know like now is that we have had a lot of investor interest because the brand is, you know, I think we've got a great brand. So we have had quite a bit of investor interest. At the moment. I am slightly on the fence. And I say that because, and this is a very unique to me, I say that because if I can generate revenue from business, I prefer to do that than generate revenue from an investor. Does that make sense? But saying that particularly a lot of tech companies, you need to be able to, a lot of companies need capital to get to scale and grow. So you know, it's been a long, slow, hard path. You just really need to think about what's best for you. But I totally believe that capital, particularly for women and minorities, can be good for a lot of companies because that's really what takes a lot of companies to the next level. You know, the whole thing about, you know, minority firms is that one of the things where we struggle with is to scale and to grow. I'm sure you know that that's, that's one of the biggest issues is how do you scale, how do you grow? And yeah, so, you know, I mean, it really depends on where you go. But capital is important. So are you asking me what advice I would give someone how to raise capital? Is that what you're asking?
- [21:40]
B
Either or if you wanted to comment on that, you, you definitely answered the question about, you know, the fact that you, you had personally decided to bootstrap. It's not that you have decided against investors. That may be something that's future on the table. If you want to share with the audience in reference to raising capital, that is excellent also.
- [22:05]
C
Yeah. And just to go back to bootstrapping, you're right. At the moment we're bootstrapping. We're seeing how far we can go and definitely just tell these potential investors we're not discounting an investor. We've decided to bootstrap. And one of the things, and the reason I say this, and I'm really passionate about this is that particularly there's so much emphasis on investors. And you know, you see in TechCrunch, you know, this person's raised a million dollars and that they're successful. For me, I'm thinking if you, if you have a business, a successful business. For me, I'm saying my definition of a successful business is how much customers do you have, how much growth do you have, how much revenue do you have? Do you have smart revenue models? So for me, I'm thinking sort that out first and make sure that you are viable. And then if you want, you can do it alone or if not, you can go the investor route. But in terms of capital, obviously for me, I think one of something that's really important is obviously the business idea you have to have. I mean, investors, they want it, they want it. They're going to invest in a business that's scalable, that can grow. You know what I'm saying? Which is obviously why tech enabled businesses are so popular with investors at the moment. So you've got to really think, you know, there's certain businesses, you know, that they're not just going to invest in. So obviously Think about, you know, what your business is and what potential does it have to scale and grow. The other thing as well that investors really like is to think about your potential market. You know, you know, how big could your potential market be? So for instance, if you say to an investor, you know, this, what I'm doing is very disruptive and you know, you know, we have potentially a market in the US in Africa and whatever investors, their eyes are going to light up. But just one thing I would just say is just really, you know, one of the things that's really helped me and I think this would any help any, you know, new entrepreneur is to be really connected to the, to the ecosystem. And I say tech because I'm in the tech space. So for instance, I'm based at Atlanta Tech Village, which is a fourth biggest tech hub in the US So it's just a great place to work, a great place to network, a great place to make contacts. And actually being in that space, space has really given me a lot of insight into how it all works. Do you see what I'm saying? Because sometimes I think, you know, people of color, you know, we don't really understand. Do you know what I mean, how you know, how it works? The language, you know, angel investors VENT, VCs and convertible notes and all that kind of language that comes to the whole investor space. So really being in this co workers way. So I would say if you've got, if you've got, if you're an entrepreneur or you or you're thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, I would say get yourself attached to a tech hub or co working space. And they're popping up everywhere now because, you know, you learn from your peers. Does that make sense? I mean, you know, so somebody who's working there will have a chat and they're like, oh yeah, yeah, I'm going through this funding round or that funding round and it gives, gives you a lot of insight into the space and how it all works.
- [25:20]
B
And you would recommend that they go into a co worker space even if they're not going to go into the tech field.
- [25:28]
C
No, this is for tech, this is for technology. This is for tech. And actually most of these spaces, to be honest, are geared towards technology. I mean, if you think about it now, you know, people are looking well in my head now, you know, businesses should be, you know, innovative, disruptive, you know, and if you think about it, in my head, technology is what's going to enable that. So you know, it has to be a smart idea. That's Technology based, that's just, you know, I mean, you know, I'm not sure if, you know, you know, you know, certain businesses just wouldn't fit in that model. But if you're, if you, if you've got a great idea for a tech business, I would say. And really being at ATV has been pivotal to my success. Absolutely. Just being in the whole ecosystem, you understand what I mean? And the great thing about spaces like that, where I am, you know, you meet like young entrepreneurs who are literally just come out of somewhere, like Georgia Tech, which is a great tech college in Atlanta, and they're just like, you know, quite green and they're like, oh, I've got a great idea. And then you have people there who have raised millions of dollars, you know, have really got their head around the whole funding, you know, the whole funding round. They've gone series A, series B, they've had VCs. So you've got a really wide spectrum of people and it's just a really great place to bounce ideas of people. So for me actually co working spaces is pivotal. And if you're in Silicon Valley, if you're in New York, San Francisco, anywhere really, they're popping up. So I would say that's the first thing. And I'm just about technology because that's what I'm familiar with. Yeah, so that's what I would say.
- [27:06]
B
So Kumbi, who are your top two influencers in life and what lessons do they teach you?
- [27:11]
C
Okay, I tell you who I would say, who's my top influencer? Who's somebody who's really made, you know, really a really big impact on my life, you know, and I don't know if she knows it, but, you know, when I first came, you know, pretty new in the States actually I got this great gig and I always thank God for that. And it just really fitted my lifestyle at the moment, at that time, as I say at the Griot, which is owned by NBC, you know, and I was a correspondent and my manager was a woman called Joy, Ann Reed. And I don't know if you're familiar with Joy, but she was like, she hired me, she was my manager and she was just amazing. And she's an. I don't know if you're familiar with who Joy is. She now has her own TV show. She's really, really popular, smart woman, went to Harvard, really, really smart. She has a show, she has a show called, I think it's called I Am Joy. You know who I'm talking about?
- [28:10]
B
Yeah. Because I Believe that she sits in for some of those guys. I talk. I. Anderson Cooper or whomever on one of those talk shows. One of the. I want to say, the newsworthy shows, if I'm not mistaken.
- [28:27]
C
Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. So Joy sits in. She covers for a lot of the majors, but she's also got her own show as well. And what I just love about, you know, Joy was just, you know, just a completely different type of manager. And I, you know, she's now very. She's actually a pretty big influencer now in the media space. But when I was, you know, working with her, she was more. She was kind of behind the scenes, but she was doing some reporting as well. But she's just amazing. And what I love about her is that she really gave me that. She was just a brilliant manager, and she's such a smart woman, and she really gave me the space to grow and develop, you know what I'm saying? Just to have some, you know, a compassionate manager that brings out the best in you. So for me, I just think Joy is just. Apart from her managerial skills, which is amazing, she's super smart, super talented, and just amazing, Amazing around. She's an influence. I really admire her, you know.
- [29:25]
B
So it sounds like she was a great mentor manager.
- [29:28]
C
Absolutely. She was just amazing. And I think. And you know what. And I'm saying this because, you know, I'm sort of comparing it to experiences I had at the BBC. You see what I'm saying? It was just such a breath of fresh air to have somebody. And, you know, she doesn't micromanage, but she. She gives you a rope long enough for you to grow. Do you know what I mean? And she trusts you enough. And just the other thing about Joy, I loved about Joy, she's just such an upbeat, inspiring spirit, you know, always pulls up the team. So I just. I don't know. I have a lot of respect for Joy, so she's someone I really, really respect. And then the other person, it's gonna be probably an obvious choice. But I say that because I suppose she's is Oprah, you know, because, you know, Oprah is a media mogul, you know, and, you know, not, maybe I'll be a media mogul one day. But I just love the fact that she's just smart, you know, she had her show. She's diversified, you know. You know, she's just amazing, you know, I mean, Oprah, for me, is just like a demigod. So she's. Yeah, she really is. I really. I just really, you Know, I really admire her, just what she's achieved as a woman of color, you know, high up there on the Forbes list. Just, she's just someone who I just think is just amazing. And she's smart as well, you know, if you look at. She's really, really smart. So those are the. I would say to Joy Ann Reid, who I've worked with personally and now doing phenomenal things at msnbc, and then Oprah, who obviously I don't know personally, but hopefully one day I will.
- [30:59]
B
Absolutely, absolutely.
- [31:02]
C
Yeah. So that's the other person.
- [31:05]
B
So let's talk. Let's switch gears here. And so, Kumbi, tell us, what is the worst moment in business and what was your takeaway? Oh, God.
- [31:18]
C
What's the worst moment in business? I think the worst moment. And even I've been there, it's just kind of like when you're running out of money, you know, I've got to points and I'm like, how? Because even, you know, being in a co working space, you know, there's still a monthly fee, you know, and there's still commitments that you have to do. I mean, the worst thing is just like when you're so low on cash. Do you not understand? I mean, like, just like, how am I gonna do this? But my takeaway, and this is actually one of the things I think, actually bootstrapping has been a great thing for me. It's taught me to be incredibly resourceful and creative, you know? You know, when you have to be creative. Maybe if someone gave me a check for a million dollars, I wouldn't, I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have stretched myself to this level. Do you see what I mean? I. You just. For me, it's just made me really creative, really resourceful, and just you gotta be like laser sharp, you know, when you're in the survival mode. So it was tough and it has been tough, but it's made me just. It stretched me in a way that I never thought possible.
- [32:25]
B
Now, did you ever envision with your education, the journey in journalism, that you would be an entrepreneur?
- [32:33]
C
No, not really. Not at all. And that's why I say that Atlanta has been so great for me. Obviously, I've always seen myself. Well, I don't know. You know what I mean? I would say yes and no. Know, in the sense that, you know, probably, maybe if I had stayed in the uk, I would have just continued, you know, being, you know, probably working for a reputable news news platform, whether in television, radio or print. I think I would have probably continued that path. At the same time, I do think, and I even think when I was younger, I've always had leadership qualities. So, you know, you know, when there's that, that's probably part of your personality. But I actually think Atlanta has been a major turning point for me because for me, you know, and probably the people that I associate with, you know, I mean, in my circle, Atlanta has just been a fresh. A breath of fresh air to see people of color, you know, and these are the obviously professionals just like, you know, living, you know, in some ways living their dreams, you know, and maybe it sounds very idealistic, but, you know, there are black people in Atlanta who are doing extremely well, you know, whether it's as an entrepreneur or in corporate America. Of course, it's not that. You know, it's not, you know, we know there's challenges and whatever, but there are people doing really well. So for me, Atlanta really opened my eyes to the possibility of living a different type of life.
- [34:01]
B
So what do you see as the goal for the future with your brand and your business?
- [34:08]
C
So, you know, my goal is for Urban Geeks to be a multimedia global brand. And that really. That's really the goal. I mean, I want Urban Geeks to be as big as TechCrunch. I want it to be as big as Wired Mashable. I want it. I mean, I want Urban Geeks to be, you know, on par with, like, the biggest technology blogs or even the biggest minority blogs as well. Well, so that's that. You know, the vision is huge. You know, I want it to. I want it to be, you know, a brand that everyone, you know, like the way you mentioned certain brands and everyone's familiar with it. I want Urban Geeks to be in that league. You know, as I say, we have a show called Geeks Watch, and I really want to develop a lot more of the video side as well to the brand. So we do a lot more video. So that's one of the things that we want to do. And I've always said as well, urban Geeks. And you've got to know my background, obviously, I was born and raised in the uk. I've spent a lot of time in Africa. Now I'm in America. So, you know, I'm not like, you know, I've got a very kind of global mindset. So for me, I've never seen this brand as being, you know, just US based, you know. Yeah, the majority of my audience will be minorities, African Americans, Latinos, women in the. And not even women Men, minorities, people of color in the States. But I definitely want to make sure that, you know, we're talking about stuff that's happening in Europe and in Africa and Latin America as well. So I really see it as a kind of global brand further down the line, not just a US based platform.
- [35:51]
B
So take, take us on the journey. In reference to naming Urban Geek, how did you come up with that name? And was it pretty easy?
- [36:00]
C
Wow. Oh, my God. It was just, oh, my God. I went back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. I actually came and, you know, I just, oh, my God. It was so. I spent so much time thinking about this name. There was a time I was flipping between Urban Geeks and Urban Nerds. Nerd. I just, I couldn't decide, you know, I really couldn't decide which one I wanted. So I really, really went. I mean, and, you know, and that's another thing as well. When you, when it comes to branding, everything's in the detail. Having, you know, you got to have a great name, you know, a great memorable name that's catchy and quick. I would say two syllables. So I really went, oh, my God. I went there. So many different names. It was like, it took me a long time until I finally, and I remember I was talking to someone who's like, you know, urban nerd. And then I even remember looking in the dictionary and someone was saying, geeks are slightly more positive connotations than nerd, you know, and then I put the Z because I thought Z was a bit cool. So it was just literally brainstorming, pure brainstorming, that that was how I came up with the name. And I think I even got to a point when I was just like, such stalemate. I didn't know what to do. I think I went and I was like phoning on my friend, trusted friends. What do you think? I gave, I email people, like six names. What do you think? So it was, it was a long process to come up with. It really was, you know, because the name is so important. Name is so important, you know, really, really important to get the name right. So, yeah, so it was, it was just brainstorming back and forth, brainstorming.
- [37:38]
B
So, Kumbi, what do you do when you hit that bump in the road? How do you adjust and reset?
- [37:46]
C
Oh, I think I've had many bumps, particularly on this crazy journey. I just think you just need. I think the thing is, you know, once you just are so focused on the potential for your brand, where you know how far you can go, you have the vision, you have the passion that kind of resets me because I really have, I mean, I, I went to a really challenging period with. And just like on the technical side, it was just so horrendous and I just was. I couldn't resolve it. And it's still not completely resolved, actually. And it kind of has affected the site a bit. And I was just like, I can't, you know, I literally, I phoned my social media manager and I'm like, I've got to give up now. And I'm just like, you've come this far, you can't give up. You've got to really believe in the product. And I think that's what it is. I really believe in the brand. I also, you know, there's a bit of a social, you know, maybe enterprise side to it. I am extremely passionate that I want to be part of that whole conversation about women, minorities in the tech space. I want to actually have a brand that makes an impact. If somebody, you know, and you see my brand, we don't just do pure tech, you know, it's, you know, there's different types of stuff. But if I could be a brand where some, you know, young girl, you know, just, just if I can inspire someone to, you know, for a sign that looks like me to get into technology or to get into entrepreneurship, then I think I've done my job. Do you see what I'm saying? So for me, you know, there's a real purpose and passion behind what I'm doing. So I really, I mean, I want to, I want to inspire people. I want people, you know, that look like me, me to work at Facebook, to work at Google, because, you know, these are the jobs of the future. And you always gotta. Yeah, that's why, that's why I'm so big on technology. You always got to look up where things are going. They've already done studies about, you know, what jobs, you know, in the next decade are going to be, you know, the most impactful jobs. And it's all based around technology. So if we're not part of that, you know, if someone that looks at me is not part that we're going to be lagging behind, you know what I'm saying? So I really want to be part. I really want to make an impact. So that's probably what pushes me when I just think this is just too much work. I just, why am I doing this? Why am I like, do you know what I mean? In this situation, like, you know, so pushed and stretched you know, and then that's what really brings me back as well. And then I think just the overall picture, having such a big vision kind of keeps me going as well.
- [40:29]
B
So what would you say to date is your biggest achievement so far?
- [40:33]
C
Oh my God, we have done so much. Oh my God. I mean, God, we've achieved a lot and. Which has been amazing. But you know, I've, you know, I may have to list a few. I mean, I'm extremely proud of the fact that we've partnered with AT&T. We've done a partnership with 20th Century Fox. Even now we're doing banner ad campaigns and this is through an advertising agency with AT&T. So, you know, we partner with great brands. I've got a. Probably should get my pitch deck up and try and remember, you know, we've done big name partnerships. One of the things I'm extremely proud of as well is as I say, I'm a member of Atlantitec Village, which, you know, it's a tech space, you know, so, you know, there's a certain demographic. So I approached the management team there because, and actually I've been there for maybe about two years now and actually, you know, and I approached the management team, I said, why don't we run a competition whereby we could bring a woman or a woman of any demographic or an underrepresented minority into this space and via competition between, you know, that was a collaboration with. Between Urban Geeks and Tech Bridge. And Tech Bridge is a really cool place to be, you know, kind of looks a bit like the Google campus. Great place in Bucket, which is a, you know, great kind of cool area. So I, what I'm really proud of is that I actually approached the management team and pitched that, you know, pitched the competition them and they were like, yeah, and I'm extremely proud that, you know, we managed to get, you know, we were like, I was one of the judges and we managed to get, you know, young guy Justin, who's the founder of Event 10 in. And you know, we gave them six months, you know, we gave them a space for six months, you know, free rent, free space, which for me was great. And the other thing I'm really proud of, it wasn't just that we impacted one person's life, which we did. I really felt they sent the message to some, you know, certain types of, you know, you know what I'm saying, You know, the certain, you might not think they comfortable or welcome there. I really felt, I really feel that it sent out the message that ATV is open to anyone who's got a great technology idea. So for me, that was, that's something I'm really, really proud. But yeah, I mean, we've just done, I mean, just, you know, we've, we've done great partnerships. You know, I won a pitch competition. I'm proud of just so much. You know, we've had lots of press. I mean, there's a lot of, we've had a lot of achievements even in Georgia as well. The Georgia Technology association, they recognize so many recognized and you know, you know, impacting the startup ecosystem in. So there's been a lot of achievements and even just recently, I don't know if, if you're aware of an accelerator called 500 Startups based in Silicon Valley, one of the big accelerators, and we just did a partnership with them, which is quite a big thing. So we've done a lot. You know, there's been, there's, there's been a lot of milestones and achievements along the way as well. So it's been amazing.
- [43:48]
B
So, Kobe, what book would you recommend and why to our audience?
- [43:54]
C
Okay, so I tell you, a book that really made a big difference in my life. It's not recently published, but, you know, that was just something that really impacted me. I remember reading this a couple of years ago when I was young and you know, a book called the Valley. The Valley of the Valley by Yang Le Van Sant. That book was such an impactful book on my, you know, just so much impact on my life and what it was really showing you and which is actually I think life. You know, you, you know, people have this kind of rose color. You know, people just are very, you know, unrealistic view of life that it's always going to be amazing. What she was talking in her book is that, you know, the process of, you know, the Valley. The Valley is when you go that go, you go, you know, you go down, you, you have challenges and, and real sort of difficulties in life. And she really, the whole concept of the premise of the book is talking about the value of actually got getting down and then coming up. And for me that was just. Yeah. Have you, have you heard of that book? It's amazing.
- [45:02]
B
I have not. I'm going to have to check it out. I do know her as an author and she's just amazing. Yeah, so that is really good.
- [45:13]
C
Yeah, that book is, it just is such a powerful book. Just so powerful. And it kind of even, you know, sort of gives you, teaches you, you know, how you get yourself in really bad situations, because, you know, sometimes we do. And then how to get just if. For me, it's more like real kind of, what can I say? Self development, self awareness book. But that was a great book for me.
- [45:36]
B
So if you conducted this interview, what is the one question that you wish I would have asked you? And I'd like you to answer that question.
- [45:44]
C
Ah, Lord. What's the one? I don't know. I mean, you've asked me about my vision. I'm trying to think. I'm sorry, I've just gone blank.
- [46:01]
B
Yeah, don't worry about it. That's okay. That just means from a journalist to myself, that I've done my job. So I am, like, really, really pleased.
- [46:11]
C
You'Re gonna edit that bit of me.
- [46:15]
B
Maybe not. So why don't you share with our audience a party piece of advice you want to offer?
- [46:22]
C
Okay. And I've probably said this already, but I really believe that if you want to run a business, become an entrepreneur, it has to be fueled by passion and a connection to the problem. Because really and truly, if you think about what is a successful business, a successful business is resolving some kind of issue or problem or pain point for a particular demographic. That's really what a successful business is. Or maybe providing a service that hasn't been provided before. But it has to be, and I say, really emphasize this, has to be fueled by passion. And that's why I say, you know, for me, if you look at my journey, I was, you know, working for, you know, one of the big minority brands. And I was there and I saw that there's something. I felt that something there had to be, you know, something needs to be changed. So I had a personal connection to the problem. So I think you have to have a personal connection because there's no point just saying, oh, I want to do this and you not, you know, you want to do, I know, something medical. And you're like, you've got no experience or history in it. But definitely passion has to be. It has to be passion fueled. Otherwise you're going to give up. Yeah, you will. You will. Because it's so challenging. You will. So that's why passion, passion has to be the driving force and, you know, can be.
- [47:48]
B
We come to the part of our podcast, it's called the Fun Facts Lightning round. And I'm going to ask you a series of questions and I want you to give me very quick answers. If it's something you desire not to answer, feel free to say pass. You ready for the lightning round?
- [48:04]
C
Absolutely.
- [48:06]
B
The last movie you saw?
- [48:08]
C
Oh, my God. What was the last move I saw? Oh, my God. I don't even watch that much tv. Sorry.
- [48:16]
B
You relax. Doing what?
- [48:18]
C
Oh, I relax. Oh, I relax. I love swimming. I absolutely love swimming. Swimming.
- [48:25]
B
And your favorite singer or rapper?
- [48:27]
C
Favorite singer or rapper? I do like Beyonce. I think she's cool, particularly with the whole lemonade thing, you know, I think Beyonce is cool.
- [48:36]
B
And your favorite dance song.
- [48:40]
C
What's my favorite dancer? Ymca. Ymca.
- [48:46]
B
And what food you eat every week, no matter what?
- [48:49]
C
What food do I eat every week, no matter. Do you know what? I probably every week now make sure I eat a salad. Definitely.
- [48:56]
B
And your favorite month?
- [48:59]
C
My favorite month. I'm a summer baby. I love summer. So let me just say June.
- [49:04]
B
Thank you so much for joining us on black entrepreneur experience. And before we close, what is the best way kumbi for our audience to connect with you, your brand and to support your business?
- [49:18]
C
Okay, so really the best way to connect with us is to go to the website and read off, you know, phenomenal content. Read and watch because it's. It's text and video. So the website, urn, is urban geek, which is u, r b a n geeks, which is g, e e k z. I say that very loud dot com. Best thing is to go to the website and obviously then. And even there I could give you all our social media. It's all on the website. So you go to a website, read our content, click it, share it, and then obviously follow us on social media. We're on Twitter, we're on Instagram, and we're on Facebook. Those are on the main social media outlets that we're on. So follow us, Follow us and share our stories.
- [50:04]
B
Thank you so much, kumbi. That is a wrap.
- [50:08]
C
Thank you.
- [50:09]
A
Thank you for listening and subscribing to black entrepreneur experience. We would love for you to leave a review and rating on itunes and share with your friends. For show notes and more episodes, go to www.bv. join us next Wednesday. And remember, green is the new black, so keep your bank accounts and your business in the black.