CEO Emma Mcilroy modeling Wildfang's new book.
Mixtape Vol. 22
The Backstage Mixtape brings you news, opportunities, and stories to help underestimated founders succeed. Subscribe.
Jobs
Product Manager + UX Engineer + Social Media Intern @ Civic Eagle - Remote - Apply.
Senior Full-Stack Engineer @ Haute Hijab - New York, NY - Apply.
Account + Product Manger @ DietID - Detroit, MI - Apply.
Enterprise Sales Associate @ Mahmee - Los Angeles, CA - Apply.
Sales Associate @ Wildfang - New York, NY - Apply.
Discover more career opportunities.
News
The future is feminist, so Wildfang is very proud to have written a kid's book about Feminism. Read.
Healthy Roots introduces their newest, limited edition doll powered by P&G's My Black is Beautiful. Grab this bundle and get a matching kid's t-shirt and a Curl Care Kit featuring the full-size MBIB product line. Buy.
Fintech Female Fridays features Ramona Ortega of My Money My Future. Read.
Bippy's been getting some press love with mentions in the Cassandra Report, The Hustle, and Fast Company. 🤩
Mita Carriman of Adventurely joins the WiFi Tribe Podcast to share inspiring stories of overcoming hardship with grace. Listen.
Vitae London exceeds their funding goal on Kickstarter for their new luxury interchangeable fashion watches which impact lives across Africa. Read.
Events
Arlan joins Headliner Maci Peterson Philitas for the ILLI Summit: LA.
The ILLI Summit: New York
Oct. 24 - New York, NY
Part of the "I Look Like an Investor" event series – join Headliner Maci Peterson Philitas of On Second Thought for an empowering conversation with inspiring, Black female investors.
Learn more.
Inclusion 2019
Oct. 28-30 - New Orleans, LA
Registration for in-person tickets are sold out for Shifting Workplace Culture, but you can still register to watch it online. Headliner Janice Omadeke of The Mentor Method will be speaking on retention of diverse talent through mentorship.
Learn more.
Rogue Women - LA
Nov. 5 - Los Angeles, CA
This invite-only event presented by VentureFuel connects you with trailblazing women who "go rogue" to forge new paths and make the impossible, possible. Expert group chats, 1-on-1 mentoring, and an investor session focused on women-led businesses. Free to attend for founders, investors, and corporate execs.
Learn more.
AfroTech
Nov. 7-10 - Oakland, CA
The groundbreaking, revolutionary experience for Black techies, startups, and entrepreneurs returns! Come join 6000+ fellow founders, entrepreneurs, and engineers as we scale our collective power in culture, innovation, and tech.
Learn more.
Opportunities
Backstage Office Hours
Founders! Looking for feedback on your deck, tips on business strategy, or other help as you build your startup? Meet with local Backstage Crew in your city, or sign up to join us for online office hours. 💜
Sign up today!
Illumina Accelerator
The world’s first accelerator focused solely on creating an innovation ecosystem for the genomics industry. Gain access to seed investment, sequencing systems and reagents, a subscription to genomics databases, guidance, and fully operational lab space. Applications are open for the SF Bay Area and in Cambridge, UK.
Apply by November 1.
Chobani Incubator Spring 2020
Designed to help nurture, support, and celebrate food startups that can positively impact our world. Entrepreneurs who share a vision for delicious, nutritious, natural, and accessible food can apply to get support, guidance, and resources needed to provide better food to all.
Apply by December 1.
Distance Venture Acceleration Program
This flexible, Vancouver-based program is a good fit for pre- or post-revenue startups across all tech sectors, including IT, IoT, software, life sciences, agri-foods, and manufacturing. Non-BC-based founders can apply to participate remotely.
Learn More.
Resources
Breaking into New Careers is a new ebook from Andy Ayim in Tech for career transitioners and new graduates designed to make transitioning into new careers in tech more accessible. Read.
Pitch deck tips from Backstage Detroit's Tops Kataria. Read.
Tips for cold emailing investors (written in 2016 – still helpful today). Read.
What We're Reading
Shiseido to acquire woman-led, fast-growing beauty brand Drunk Elephant in $845M deal – one of the biggest ever for a skin-care brand. Read.
Muhga Eltigani, Founder of NaturAll ClubOne, becomes of the few Black women in the US to raise more than $1M from VCs. Read.
In a new series by Leah Fessler and Alex Marshall, Sydney Thomas of Precursor Ventures shares what it's really like to break into venture capital. Read.
Backstage LA's Greer Engonga on what the gaming industry is missing by ignoring women of color. Read.
CuteCircuit's haptic Soundshirt helps deaf users better feel music. Read.
