Christopher Norris’ Post

Last week, I attended AFROTECH for the first time, and it was nothing short of inspiring. From Morgan DeBaun’s energizing kickoff to Marlon C. Nichols’ CultureHouse event, the conference was a celebration of innovation and resilience. Marlon’s panel with Patreon stood out—a young creator turned her platform success into a TV series highlighting DEI experiences. But the real inspiration came from conversations with attendees (of which there were tens of thousands). Amid concerns about growing societal tensions and cuts to DEI initiatives, I saw defiance, brilliance, resourcefulness, and determination. These tech professionals are crafting strategies to recruit top talent and foster inclusion—even in challenging environments. They reminded me of Zulu warriors at the Battle of Isandlwana— fearless. Others, undeterred by the challenges of the moment, are already strategizing to seize opportunities during this period of uncertainty. AfroTech reminded me that the best of us are here, building a brighter, more inclusive future. I left with a renewed belief in the power of community and collective action. Let’s keep moving forward and keep focused on our respective interests! Here are a few other amazing organizations doing the Work: Register and Apply NOW: Unicorn Ambition Conference Join us at the Unicorn Ambition Conference, where underrepresented founders share their journeys of building building unicorns. Connect with major corporations seeking enterprise tech design collaborations and investors looking for end-of-year investment opportunities in fintech and healthtech startups. Don’t miss this chance to elevate your entrepreneurial journey and to find community! Register and Apply here: www.unicornambition.co Date: Dec 9th | Venue: The Forum, Harlem APPLY NOW: Spring 2025 Factor Fellowship backed by Primary Venture Partners Applications for the Spring 2025 Fellowship are now live! Tom Ogletree and team are looking for ambitious early-career professionals from diverse backgrounds looking to break into the startup ecosystem. Through the program, you will learn the ins-and-outs of startups and VC, connect with leading investors & entrepreneurs, and receive hands-on support to successfully transition to a startup operator role.  Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eMVpWpnd Apply NOW: In partnership with Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), PEERLESS, managed by Desiree Almodovar, elevates exceptional founders from their earliest days through ongoing mentorship, intentional networking, and a $1M investment from AlleyCorp. Our goal is to create a more innovative and equitable venture ecosystem that scales the best ideas from founders of all backgrounds. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/e4sVpJ_g

Capped off a great conference in Boston with a history tour of MIT with the TECNA gang! Very cool! The last two days have been filled with great opportunities to learn and build relationships with CEOs and their teams from tech hubs all across North America. Some key learnings… 1. Convening - TECNA brought amazing people together who were then able to help each other through experience sharing and knowledge sharing. I learned a ton from the speakers, but especially from my peers. 2. Fellowship - you just can’t beat good ol’ in person hanging out with someone. I’d met several of these folks in calls but when you have time and space to have a meal, go on a walk or just spend time with someone, you quickly build a totally different level of respect and fellowship. This fellowship is what turns a couple of days of sharing into continued support and collaboration. These two things are arguably the most important part of community building and are at the core of our strategy at Edmonton Unlimited to help the awesome entrepreneurs we serve. Looking forward to sharing my learnings with the team! #tech #innovation #startup #entreprenueurship #community Edmonton Unlimited

The next Software Day at the Ion Houston is June 11th! This month’s keynote session features Mercury’s Samantha Lewis moderating a fireside chat with Youngro Lee, founder and CEO of FinTech company Brassica. Samantha and Youngro will discuss the journey “From Seed to Success,” including Brassica’s recent acquisition by BitGo. A Q&A will follow the conversation.   Software Day Schedule:   1. Office Hours (by application) - Curated mentors with expertise in high-growth software innovations will assist pre-Series A startups in the early stages of revenue generation. Apply to participate in mentor office hours at the below link. 2. Keynote Session (4 pm to 5 pm) – An opportunity for founders to hear experts share their stories and expertise with a focus on helping startups achieve rapid, sustainable growth. Mercury’s Samantha Lewis will moderate a fireside chat with Youngro Lee, founder and CEO of Brassica. 3. Networking (5 pm to 7 pm) - Sponsored by our friends at Gunderson Dettmer, this is where founders will find the greatest potential: a space to catalyze growth through collaboration.    Register by clicking the link below! You can also apply to participate in mentor office hours.   We hope to see you there!   https://lnkd.in/e9HcXX4V     #HoustonSoftwareStartups #SoftwareStartups #SoftwareStartupCommunity #VC #VentureCapital #SeedCapital #FiresideChat #MentorOfficeHours #Mentorships Blair Garrou Aziz Gilani adrian fortino Heath Butler Melissa Lutzke Turowsky Jackie Pfister Andreas R. Galliker, CFA Winston Gilpin Dan Watkins Eddie Lou Tolonye Williams Patrick Okorafor, CPA Alex Gras Lisa Roberts Devin R. Brassica

Exciting Opportunity for my Fellow Underrepresented Founders in NYC! The NYCEDC Founder Fellowship, part of the Venture Access NYC initiative, is an invaluable resource for tech startup founders from underrepresented communities looking to grow their ventures. Each year, this program provides selected founders with essential access to networks, capital, and resources to help them succeed in New York City’s competitive tech landscape. What Fellows Receive: ✅ Personalized work plans to address specific business needs ✅ Cohort convenings to share insights and receive business support ✅ Introductions to capital providers and potential collaborators ✅ Access to an extensive network of mentors and advisors If you’re a tech founder looking for opportunities to expand your business and build connections, check out the Founder Fellowship! Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dYcAPTh4 #NYCEDC #FounderFellowship #VentureAccessNYC #TechFounders #DiversityInTech #NYCStartups #UnderrepresentedFounders #TechInnovation #Entrepreneurship #StartupSupport #NYCTech #NetworkingOpportunities #GoodRapport

Female founders, check out this free online startup program starting soon! Register by March 27th 👇 The Future Startup Founders program aims to help female founders bring their tech ventures to life. Participants will learn how to identify market opportunities, develop a minimum viable product, and secure funding from investors. 🟨 The program starts on April 3rd, 2024, and concludes in early June. 🟨 Sessions run weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays (19:00 - 21:00) and Thursdays (18:00 - 21:00). 🟨 The program offers 10 weeks of online training and networking in English, including interactive presentations, practical exercises, Q&A and mentoring sessions, and networking events with investors. 🟨 Registration deadline: March 27th, 2024, end of day. Elena M., Partner at F1V, is one of the program trainers. In her workshop on May 22nd, titled “Funding and Investor Tips for Startups,” she will share advice on improving pitch decks and discuss common mistakes to avoid during pitches. Read more about Elena Mazhuha’s workshop via the following link and visit the main website page to learn more about the program: https://bit.ly/497pUbD.   Organizers: Cyprus Computer Society - CCS, Femme Forward 🙌 Apply now, and we'll see you at the program! 💛 #femalefounders #startups #program #opportunity

I'm on board as a mentor for the #IamPitching competition, a cornerstone of the @V4-Ukraine Talent Fusion Program. This initiative is about discovering and empowering a new generation of innovators, ready to supercharge the startup scene across the Visegrad region and Ukraine. Why you should not miss this competition: 🌍 Gain visibility to catapult your startup into the limelight and get valuable feedback. 📚 Benefit from the wisdom of the mentor squad through 3 transformative mentoring sessions designed to elevate your startup journey. 🎤 Seize the opportunity to showcase your startup at the CEEcosystem Summit in Budapest, presenting your groundbreaking ideas to a captive audience of regional angel investors and institutional backers, ready to be wowed. The organisers: @OUVC, @Accelpoint, @Insane Business Ideas, @Rivne IT Cluster   The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe. #innovationjourney #professionaldevelopment #entrepreneurship #startups #pitch #pitchcompetition #VisegradFund

🌟 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮? 🌟 Applications for the next Voltage Cohort are 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡! This is your chance to take that brilliant tech or tech-enabled idea you’ve been nurturing and put it to the test. Voltage is all about doing the homework before jumping headfirst into building your startup. Over five weeks, you’ll get the guidance and resources you need to refine your concept. 💡 Key Dates: • Kick-off: Wednesday, October 9 • Session 1: Saturday, October 12 • Session 2: Saturday, October 19 • Session 3: Saturday, October 26 • Session 4: Saturday, November 2 • Graduation: Wednesday, November 6 ⏳ Deadline to Apply: September 20 - don’t wait until the last minute! Become part of a community that’s just as invested in your success as you are. Apply now: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eAQCKT7j #InnovationDepot #VoltageProgram #ValidateYourIdea #StartupJourney #Birmingham #Tech AppThink Harmony Venture Labs

📣 Draper’s Silicon Spring Pitch Prize is back! It's your chance to win the Golden Ticket 🎟️ to the Draper University Hero Training Program. The winner gets a place in the five-week Draper University Hero Training program in San Mateo. This program will give you the skills, mindset and network to take your venture to the next level – faster, with more impact ... American style! 🚀 ☀ Where could this opportunity take your startup? Well, first to Silicon Valley, where you'll meet an A-list of investors, including the legendary Tim Draper. You'll meet innovative founders in your cohort. You'll learn about storytelling. And you'll pitch a LOT. You may come away with the investment you need to skyrocket your startup to scale-up status. 🎢 Take it from us, it's worth the trip. If you're a software or smart hardware startup, you need to apply early. Here are the dates you need to know: April 25th - Deadline for application (pitch deck + motivation letter) May 2nd - Finalists will be announced May 13th - Final pitching event on High Tech Campus Eindhoven For more information on eligibility and how to apply to the Silicon Spring Pitch Prize 👉 https://lnkd.in/e_iD38vj #herotraining #innovation #impactstartups #goodthingsarecoming Andy Sven Dagmar Sabine Thomas Meron Federico Pim Henk Jorge Theresa Kinga Luís Mark High Tech Campus Eindhoven

This morning, in London, we had the privilege of meeting with key stakeholders in the UK ecosystem who support underrepresented founders. Our goal was to gain deeper insights into their needs and determine how we can best support these underserved startups. A big thank you to Playfair, London & Partners, 10x10, London Venture Capital Network, and Colorintech for an inspiring and essential discussion. We depart with key takeaways that reinforce our focus: 1. Investment: With only 2% of female founders securing funding, this remains a critical area of focus. 2. Skills: While we offer free credits to assist founders in developing their solutions, it is equally crucial to impart knowledge on how cloud technology can truly facilitate the scaling of a startup. Our aim is to enable founders to save time on technical aspects, allowing them to reinvest this time into growing their business. 3. Visibility and Connections: Building the right networks is crucial, and our presence in the community is more important than ever. We're excited to empower future underrepresented founders and help them scale! Huge thanks to my amazing team: Nathan Jordan, Bakari Brock, Tiffany Johnson, 🌈 Anne-Claire Lo Bianco, and Ayo Haruna. Looking forward to making a difference together! #Startups #Diversity #Inclusion #Empowerment

Life Science Nation (LSN) staff hear daily from the early-stage companies that cash is king and that they do not have the funds to travel across the globe to attend partnering events… a very bleak picture. On the other hand, LSN sees that many countries and regions with life science innovation ecosystems are funding and subsidizing costs for select cohorts of startups. Learn more: Fundraising is a numbers game. So why are many startups not playing? | Next Phase Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eYXvFs2M