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Defying the Odds Through Innovation and How Leaders Can Adapt to Change
In this talk, Morgan breaks down the behind the scenes of building Blavity and encourages entrepreneurs of all ages to ignore the statistics or the naysayers. If not you… then who? If not now… then when? Morgan uses her story to show what’s possible—inspiring small business leaders to seek out ways to contribute to both positive and sustainable innovation and personal growth amid an ever-changing climate. Morgan shares lessons from her signature WorkSmart program to give entrepreneurs implementable tools for growth.
Women in the C-Suite: How to Break Free of Self Doubt
At the age of 25, Morgan DeBaun made history as one of the first 20 Black women to raise over a million dollars in venture funding, defying the odds of a dying publishing industry by unapologetically following her gut. She has since acquired and scaled multiple brands. In this session, Morgan shares her story of overcoming internal doubts and external doubters by tapping into her natural talent - launching and growing successful businesses. What does it mean to truly live life unapologetically? The takeaways from this chat will be applicable for life and business - take charge and claim your space!
Leading with Purpose: Diversity and Inclusion in Technology
The growth of STEM jobs has outpaced the growth of overall employment in the country. Of the 25% of women in tech roles, only 3% are Black women. While diversity, equity, and inclusion in other sectors is slowly growing, the tech sector is still lagging behind.
Join Morgan DeBaun for this honest conversation about the future of Black women in tech. How has the current social climate changed the conversation around diversity in the highest-growing career field in the US and what should tech companies do to attract and retain multicultural talent? As a CEO and a Black millennial woman, Morgan will share her tech world experiences from working in Silicon Valley as a new graduate to leading the top media company for Black millennials.
Serial entrepreneur and innovative CEO Morgan DeBaun is a leader in the Metaverse
Angel investor and Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc., MORGAN DEBAUN is the dynamic leader of multiple groundbreaking businesses and a renowned advisor to global brands. Under her leadership, Blavity has launched leading consumer summits, including AfroTech, the largest tech conference for Black innovators and founders. DeBaun has had the Metaverse at the center of AfroTech’s strategy for years, a testament to her visionary leadership. The Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree has embraced the emerging tech space for its potential, rather than as a temporary virtual option. As a trailblazing CEO and millennial Black woman, DeBaun shares unparalleled advice about leadership, amplifying diverse voices and cultivating true inclusion, and funding and scaling impactful business enterprises.
By creating a highly customized experience for AfroTech’s annual virtual conference, DeBaun is proving that by investing in making the metaverse accessible and enjoyable for users, advertisers and publishers will prioritize the space as well. DeBaun has helmed numerous successful ventures, making history at the age of 25 as one of the first Black women to raise over $1M in venture funding, and continues to attract Silicon Valley’s top venture firms as she scales Blavity’s reach and impact. In highly sought-after keynotes and conversations, DeBaun offers vital insights for individual entrepreneurs and organizations seeking to innovate, cultivate resilience, and center values-driven and sustainable growth strategies.
RESILIENCE PROGRAMMING: Blavity Founder & CEO Morgan DeBaun on navigating the challenges of growing a business and leading the conversation about diversity in tech
MORGAN DEBAUN made history at the age of 25 as one of the first Black women to raise over a million dollars in venture funding. As Founder & CEO of Blavity Inc., the leading media company created by and for Black millennials, Morgan has spent years mastering the challenges that face all growing companies: funding, acquisition, and scaling, and sharing her insight to help other entrepreneurs thrive. Now, she advises other small businesses on how to overcome these obstacles.
A keen business mind and brilliant innovator, Morgan knows how to adapt and defy the odds while building teams that lead with purpose. She talks about using resilience to adapt to change, and shares lessons from her signature WorkSmart program to give entrepreneurs implementable tools for growth. At TechCrunch's Disrupt 2020 conference, Morgan shared details of her journey to show audiences what’s possible and encouraged entrepreneurs of all ages to face new challenges head on. Her story is so intriguing, she was featured in Forbes about how she achieved her vision of access for Black voices in media.
While diversity, equity, and inclusion in other sectors are slowly growing, the tech sector is still behind. Morgan fosters honest conversation about the future of Black women in tech: How the current social climate has changed the conversation around diversity in the highest-growing career field in the US and what tech companies should do to attract and retain multicultural talent.
Morgan DeBaun is a serial entrepreneur and corporate advisor. As the Founder & CEO of Blavity Inc., the leading digital media company for Black culture and millennials, Morgan has grown the company into a market leader for Black media, reaching over 100 million readers per month through a growing brand portfolio which includes: Blavity News, 21Ninety, AfroTech, Travel Noire, Shadow & Act, and Lunchtable. Under DeBaun’s leadership, Blavity has launched several leading consumer summits, including Summit 21 for Black women creators, and AfroTech, the largest tech conference for Black innovators and founders.
To scale the company’s reach and impact, DeBaun has raised over $12 million from top Silicon Valley venture firms, including GV, MACRO and Comcast Ventures. As a result, Blavity Inc. has become the country’s preeminent organization giving a voice to the Black community and supporting professional development and growth. DeBaun and Blavity, Inc. recently expanded their long-running commitment to Black economic advancement by creating the nonprofit foundation, Blavity.org. DeBaun is also the creator of WorkSmart, a business podcast and small business advising program.
DeBaun acts as an advisor to influential global brands and companies including Disney, American Airlines, CES, Pantora Bridal and Rosen Skincare. She is also an angel investor in Golde, a consumer brand present in over 200 stores, and Public, which has a $1B+ valuation.
DeBaun is a recipient of Ad Color’s Innovative Award, has been recognized by Forbes in the “30 Under 30” and America’s Top 50 Women in Tech lists, and was named as one of the 100 Most Influential African Americans by The Root. Born and raised in St. Louis, she graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and minors in Entrepreneurship and Education.
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