Startup Funding | Learn from Venture Capitalists, Angel Investors and CEOs of Disruptive Companies

On this episode of Startup Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Azim Barodawala who is the CEO of Atlanta-based Volantio Inc, a technology based focused on helping industries with highly volatile pricing and availability. This technology particularly applies to the travel industry and increases conversion rates while reducing costs. He is also a graduate of Duke University and completed his MBA in the Walton School along with a Masters in International Affairs from the University of Pennsylvania. Azim, who has a strong passion for travel, innovation, technology, and strategy, has been able to utilize his significant international experience to solve the problem of last minute airline ticket sales. He talks about his experiences and why he decided to become an entrepreneur in a startup company. Azim explains better what Volantio Inc, actually does and how they are able to solve a major problem in ticket sales. “Are you really passionate about what you are doing?” According to Azim, passion is a huge part of a successful startup, sharing how his passion for traveling was a huge factor in changing the way Volantio Inc operated in the past. Volantio Inc was already setup before Azim came into the picture and he tells us how he was able to properly integrate and overcome that challenge. According to Azim, “financial concerns are the ones that can hold some people back” stating that monetary gains or glory shouldn’t be the main focus for startups, instead they should aim to solve a problem, in his case, Azim is trying to change and fundamentally impact how airlines are able to sell their tickets. We get to hear Azim’s best and worst parts of raising capital including the highlights of the fundraising process for his business. We get to learn network building tips like writing a thank you card to potential investors and leveraging personal connections which will make funding much easier. Speaking on the best advice he has received, Azim recommends a lecture he once heard on: 10 pieces of advice for a mega-successful career and a fulfilling life. These tips include focusing on objectives and starting your day early for higher effectiveness. The episode ends with Azim giving some words of wisdom to startup founders who want to raise money for their business. Roshawnna and Azim discuss: [04:09] Azim talks about himself and why he decided to become an entrepreneur. [05:25] We get to hear more about the company and what has Azim fired up. [12:44] Azim talks about how he was able to come into the business. [16:50] Azim talks about his passion and how it was able to help him in the business. [20:25] “Tell us about the best and worst parts of raising capital.” [26:16] We learn what may have held him back from investing in the business. [34:52] Azim shares a personal habit that contributes to his success. [50:23] Azim shares words of wisdom for founders who want to raise capital.

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

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Today on our EnrichHer edition of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Nicole, a co-founder of Diversity Photos based in Atlanta. Nicole talks to us about her experiences as an entrepreneur describing how she found a need and was able to solve it by being innovative and thinking outside the box. Nicole starts by telling us why Diversity Photos are important and why she decided to become an entrepreneur. Nicole who is an Atlanta native started out in economic development and thereafter made her way to Atlanta where she decided to step out on her own and create a digital marketing firm. During the course of her business she discovered that there was a significant need for images containing more diversity content which could not be easily gotten from traditional stock photo websites. This gave birth to Diversity Photos and along with three other co-founders they have been able to create a platform to solve the need that she and her clients were experiencing. When asked what has got her excited about Diversity Photos right now, Nicole admits that their idea has successfully taken off a lot faster than they expected, presently they have over 20,000 images on their website and are processing about another 100,000 more. According to Nicole, success for Diversity Photos would mean creating a community of tens of thousands of photographers and becoming a household name for professional diversity images. Diversity Photos is also having an impact in Atlanta according to Nicole mostly in the photography community as well as the model community. By giving unknown photographers and models the opportunity to showcase their craft. Nicole also share with us some obstacles she has overcome during the course of her entrepreneurial career and business. Roshawnna Novellus and Nicole discuss: [01:48] Nicole tells us more about why Diversity Photos are important and why she decided to be an entrepreneur. [03:07] Nicole gives us a sneak peak on happening at Diversity Photos that has her excited. [03:50] Roshawnna asks Nicole what success looks like for Diversity Photos. [04:38] Nicole tells us what impact Diversity Photos has had in Atlanta. [05:58] Nicole shares with us an obstacle she has overcome and how that helped her leverage her business. [07:23] Nicole tells us what listeners and readers can do right now to help make Diversity Photos a success.

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.

On this EnrichHer edition episode of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Donna Burke who tells us how she became an entrepreneur and how she came up with the idea of creating a Barre Studio. Getting most of her entrepreneurial spirit from her parents, Donna decided to follow in their steps. Donna shares with us the story of how she got the idea for her very own Barre studio in Atlanta. Her story stems from when she started taking Barre, where she noticed her discomfort in boutique fitness settings, being overweight at the time and she began having confidence issues because of that. After identifying the problem, she decided to create a place where women could walk in no matter their fitness levels or looks or background and be able to make friends, learn about healthy living and nutrition. Donna created a Barre studio with emphasis on fun workouts and great music that everyone wants to come back to. When asked how she is able to keep her Barre studio open to people of all fitness levels, Donna says she started from the fundamentals, addressing issues we all try to work on and talking about them. Her Barre studio also has an open space where you are immediately in the midst of the workout group when you walk in, according to her, this helps create a laid back atmosphere which helps everyone open up a little bit more. Donna views success in her business as helping people in her Barre class achieve their desired weight goal or gain more confidence and generally be better than when they first came in. She also says she would like to make her success story impact more people. Donna also has an impact on Atlanta with various sporting events and charity programs with a focus on the younger generation. Being an entrepreneur comes with its obstacles and Donna shares with us an obstacle she has faced as an entrepreneur and how she was able to overcome it. She also shares information on what all viewers and listeners can do to help make sure that the business is successful. Roshawnna and Donna Burke discuss: [01:44] Donna tells us more on how she became an entrepreneur and how she came up with the idea of creating a Barre studio. [02:59] Donna shows us how she is able to keep her studio open to all kinds of people in all fitness levels. [04:00] Donna shares what success looks like for her in her business. [04:30] Donna shows us how she is having an impact on Atlanta. [06:32] Donna shares information on what all viewers and listeners can do to help make sure that the business is successful. rt.

On this EnrichHer edition episode of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have Jeannell Darden who shares her experiences on starting her own beauty hair product Moisture Love. Jeannell has always been surrounded by entrepreneurs from her childhood and this influenced her decision to become one, she first created her product by trying to solve a need and now is in the process of building her own brand. Jeannell Darden is an Atlanta native and a Georgia Tech graduate who began making hair as a chore from when she was little, she grew to love it and decided to have a career in beauty. The idea for her beauty product came when she had a bad experience with the color and chemical treatment for her hair and decided to cut it off and go natural. However, it was really difficult to find good products for an all-natural hair and she decided to make her own hair products. Now things are looking up, Jeannell recently landed her first international distribution deal and is currently working on expanding her lab space. When asked what success means to her in her business, Jeannell says she feels enriched when she hears success stories from people who have used her products successfully and seeing herself actually create a company but ultimately her goal is to see Moisture Love become a household name when it comes to Moisture. Jeannell also gives us the lowdown on how she came up with the name “Moisture Love”. Jeannell also talks about the future of her business and gives listeners and viewers information on how they can help expand her brand. Roshawnna and Jeannell Darden discuss: [01:50] Jeannell tells us about herself and why she decided to become an entrepreneur. [02:51] Jeannell shares information on what’s going on with her nosiness that has her excited. [03:30] Jeannell explains what success in her business means to her. [04:21] Jeannell tells us how the name “Moisture Love” came about. [05:03] Jeannell talks about the future of her business.

On this EnrichHer edition episode of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have co-founders of Mini-Cities, Anita and India who share with us how they met each other and why they decided to be entrepreneurs. They both met each other while working at CDC and decided to go into business together. Anita and India who are Atlanta natives have been working with the homeless for some time before they decided to start their own business. They both explain to us how a person may become homeless, why homeless identification is important and give surprising examples of what may cause a person to be homeless. They also share information about recent happening with Mini-Cities that is making them excited. Anita and India also share what success with Mini-Cities means to them in terms of the amount of people they are able to help and the global reach of their brand. They explain how their work with Mini-Cities has been impacting Atlanta in terms of creating economic opportunities for people in need. Anita and India explain what readers and viewers can do to help ensure that their humanitarian business of eradicating homelessness becomes a success and information on joining or sponsoring their group. Roshawnna Novellus, Anita and India discuss: [01:50] Anita and India share how they met each other and why they decided to become entrepreneurs. [02:41] Anita and India tell us why homeless identification is important. [04:08] Anita and India share with us what is going on at Mini-Cities that has got them excited. [05:00] Anita and India tell us what success in Mini-Cities looks like to them. [05:50] Anita and India explain how Mini-Cities has been impacting Atlanta. [06:51] Anita and India explain what viewers and listeners can do to help ensure their humanitarian business is a success.

Today on our Enrich Her edition of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we have the founder of Patientory. During our enlightening interview she talks about what inspired her to become and entrepreneur and how she came up with the idea for Patientory. Born in Jamaica her parents immigrated to Atlanta when she was 3 years old where her parents started a restaurant business. According to her, “I knew I always wanted to help people and I excelled in the sciences and mathematics so I knew I always wanted to be a doctor.” She recounts an experience she had after filling in and babysitting for David Rockefeller in New York City which opened up to her the immense potential of entrepreneurship. She decided to learn more on what entrepreneurship was and how to utilize her passion for helping people, which led her to start Patientory. With firm purpose she attended business school and ended up consulting for medical technology companies where she gained the experience needed to start her own business to help patients be more involved in their own healthcare on a platform with far reaching ramifications. She went on to tell us about exciting happenings at Patientory which include new partnerships and growth potential. Being an entrepreneur comes with several challenges and she tells us about an obstacle she was faced with and how she was able to overcome and learn from it. According to her choosing the right people for her team for the best value when building the platform was a great challenge and eventually a learning experience. She also explains what our listeners and readers can do right now to make sure Patientory is a success. Finally on the golden question of what success in Patientory looks like for her on a global scale she says: “being able to see patients engaged on the platform and use it to improve their quality of life”. With such drive and determination, we know that she is going places. Roshawnna Novellus and the Chrissa of Patientory discuss: [01:47]Chrissa tells us more about what brought her to entrepreneurship and how she came up with the idea for Patientory. [03:30]Chrissa tells us about happenings at Patientory that has her excited. [04:09] Being an entrepreneur means facing obstacles and she gives us examples of obstacles she has been able to overcome. [04:50]vChrissa gives us tips on how we can make Patientory a success. [05:18] Success is a relative term and she tells us what success means to her.

On this EnrichHer edition episode of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus we are continuing our quest to highlight the best women led enterprises in the city of Atlanta. Today we have Linda Chatmon the creator of AppDiva and the founder and CEO of Contracts and Grants. She shares with us her entrepreneurial journey and how she came up with her awesome ideas, she has always wanted to train women to transition from welfare to work. Within 6 months she was able to leave her previous job and create her own company and has never looked back. She also talks about the AppDiva which is a suite of apps designed specifically for business professionals and entrepreneurs. The purpose of AppDiva is to give startups the opportunity to get referrals from their customers. Linda has successfully helped small businesses with proposal support, business development and she has been able to assist startups, corporations, and organizations, win over $356M in government contracts and grants since 2011. We get to learn on this interview what Linda is most excited about in her business right now including her e-learning system, the Fast Track series and the Q&A where she works with fellow entrepreneurs, showing them how to get government contracts. We get to learn about the biggest challenge that Linda Chatmon has had to face and surprisingly educating companies to let them know what they need before they need it tops her list. In a city full of entrepreneurs, Linda has been able to make an impact in Atlanta by changing the entrepreneurial ecosystem and help entrepreneurs get to the next level. She has been able to create and develop a system where contracts can be awarded to small businesses based on previous performance or performance on the Fast Track series. Knowing that we may be interested in getting on her platform Linda shares how we can become a part of her company's story and create our very own entrepreneurial success stories. Roshawnna Novellus and Linda Chatmon discuss: [00:51] Linda talks to us about her whole entrepreneurial journey and how she came up with her awesome ideas. [01:52] She tells us what the AppDiva and her favorite features. [02:38] Linda tells us how she is able to help small business get over their self-imposed limitations. [03:55] We get to learn about the spectrum of services and products that are offered by her companies. [05:01] Having multiple businesses, Linda tells us what is happening right now that has her excited. [06:29] Linda shared and insight to her learning experience and experiences teaching companies what they need to know. [08:41] Linda share the process involved for anyone who wants to be a part of what she is up to.

Quyionah Wingfield is the CEO of Cool Moms Dance Too LLC, the innovative mommy and me dance fitness program for cool moms and their children. She is a mother, creative entrepreneur, intellectual property educator, writer, and a family health and wellness advocate who studies psychology at Georgia State University. Her love for and background in dance started very early on and grew at the age of 12 when she entered Star Quest National Dance Competition in Albany NY. With no formal training and one night of rehearsal, she placed 3rd in her category. Quyionah began training in dance while attending the Whitney Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts after moving back to NJ with her family. During this time, she was invited to perform at special events for the City of Newark and other private organizations. Quyionah’s professional experience includes working as the Assistant to the Communication Information Officer for DeKalb County Police Department; a promotions administrator contracting work with recording companies such as Interscope, Geffen, A&M, 1720 Entertainment, Universal and more. She became involved with civic issues using her platform as an on-air radio personality on the DCP Media Network in 2008 where her focus was self-development and business. In 2013, while conducting research for a concert app she created a successful concert meetup named “Atlanta Music Lovers and Concert-Goers” to innovate the concert experience for attendees and fans. Quyionah co-founded Cool Moms Dance Too (CMDToo) with her two daughters Jaira Jazzelle and Serenity Marie, created after the loss of their father. The loss devastated the family and dancing together became a form of therapy to cope with the difficulty and grief of losing a parent and partner. Cools Mom’s Dance Too is a mommy and me dance fitness program which encourages health and well-being physically and emotionally. CMDToo’s corporate responsibility promotes family fiscal health through kidprenuership and family business building. Currently, Quyionah is a standing member of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta and the Center for Innovation which enables her to develop creative ideas and produce change for families worldwide. Through her intellectual property courses and workshops Quyionah has created a family-based book publishing and entrepreneurship workshop name Read, Write and Live Your Life created to encourage literacy, entrepreneurship and publishing for the whole family. Although she has accomplished much, when asked she believes there is so much more to be done.

On this EnrichHer edition episode of StartUp Funding hosted by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus, we are continuing our quest to highlight the most amazing women-led enterprises within the city of Atlanta. Today we have Mia Martin the founder and CEO of Events for Less Marketing who in this insightful interview tells us more about her business and how she became an entrepreneur. Starting out in corporate sales and marketing about 14 years ago, Mia always knew she had that entrepreneurial spirit. Her opportunity came when she went back to school for digital marketing at General Assembly where she became passionate about digital marketing. By blending her digital marketing knowledge and corporate sales experience, Mia has been able to create opportunities not only for herself but also for small business owners. No surprise that she’s excited about helping small businesses grow, by developing the strategy they need with a mix of marketing to make their businesses a success. We get to see how Mia has been able to differentiate her services and grow in her niche. In her words: “I make sure that I do it right.” Her trick she says is by performing premium level services and with a strong work history showcasing her skills. Success for Mia would be to help as many small businesses as she can, and she also tells us how we can make Events for Less marketing a success.

Barbara Jones is the Founder/CEO of Lillii RNB Inc, a Retail IT Consultancy and Freeing Returns Inc, a Merchandise Returns Disrupter Tech Startup. Barbara Jones is a Technical Founder and 20 year Java Coder/Architect in the niche field of Retail IT at the Point of Sale. Barbara holds a Computer Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and has lived in Atlanta, GA for over 10 years now. Barbara loves Technology and trains Women and Minorities in the niche field of Retail IT. Barbara has been an entrepreneur for close to 20 years.