Digital Media Achieves Milestone: UrbanGeekz Reaches 50th Edition
UrbanGeekz's 2015 Inception: Pioneering Multicultural Digital News
Kunbi Tinuoye, a British-born journalist based in the United States, founded the groundbreaking multimedia brand UrbanGeekz in 2015. Based on the principle of encouraging technology, science, business, and startup culture, the video-centric digital news platform focuses on the African-American, Latinx, and multicultural communities.
Tinuoye's contributions extend beyond UrbanGeekz, as she is also the founder of Geekz Ventures, a startup pre-accelerator supporting Black and Brown founders launching their initial tech-enabled ventures. With a focus on media, connectivity, entertainment, and mobile technology, Geekz Ventures plays a significant role in nurturing innovative ideas.
Tinuoye's accomplishments have earned her a place on Crunchbase's '25 Black Entrepreneurs Making Waves' and VentureBeat's list of 10 black journalists in tech to follow. She previously worked as a correspondent for NBC's theGrio.com, and prior to that, held a senior broadcast journalist position for the BBC in London. An international writer by trade, Tinuoye's work has been published in numerous publications, including The Daily Mail, London's Evening Standard, Ebony.com, and The Voice newspaper.
Notable milestones in Tinuoye's career include a seat on the SXSW Pitch Advisory Board, CES Conference Advisory Board, and being a lead mentor for the Comcast NBCUniversal Farm Accelerator. These achievements and more have made her a respected figure in the Atlanta startup ecosystem.
Blavity Inc. Steps into the Spotlight
Morgan Debaun, the Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc., has grown the company into a market leader for Black media, reaching over 100 million readers per month through popular brands like Blavity News, 21Ninety, AfroTech, Travel Noire, Shadow & Act, and Blavity TV. With a focus on Black culture and millennials, Debaun's innovative approach has made her one of the few African-American women founders to raise more than $1M in venture capital.
The inception of Blavity Inc. originated from Debaun's college days at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where groups of African-American students would congregate with their inspiring discussions. She referred to these gatherings as "Black Gravity," or Blavity.
Following her career in product management and business development at Intuit, Debaun dedicated herself full-time to Blavity due to her discontent with the media coverage of major events like the death of Michael Brown. As an advisor to influential global brands, including Pepsi Co., American Airlines, CES, and others, Debaun has made a significant impact in the media landscape.
Her Agenda Bridges Ambition and Achievement
Rhonesha Byng, Founder and CEO of Her Agenda, created a digital media platform aimed at overcoming the gap between ambition and achievement for millennial women. Graduating from DePauw University and Alumna Posse Scholar, Byng's background in on-camera reporting and freelance writing sparked the creation of Her Agenda.
The platform empowers millennial women with content, community, and resources to thrive in their careers and pursue their aspirations. Byng, along with Devon Christopher Johnson, is also the co-founder of BLKTECH Interactive, a fast-growing nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Black-owned media businesses. BLKTECH Interactive's mission revolves around promoting growth, self-agency, and accountability within the Black-owned media community.
Byng's tireless efforts have resulted in recognition on Forbes' 30 under 30 lists in both the media and dorm room founders categories. She has also been acknowledged by ESSENCE, NBCBLK, and BET for her impact and has shared her insights at prestigious events such as Google, Cannes, and Adweek NexTech.
Sherrell Dorsey's Impact on the Black Innovation Economy
Sherrell Dorsey, an award-winning data journalist, entrepreneur, speaker, and author, advocates for equity in underserved communities. As the Founder of The Plug, a subscription news and insights platform, Dorsey provides insights into the Black innovation economy and serves as a valuable resource for Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, and ecosystem leaders across the nation.
The venture-backed company has garnered attention from publications like The Washington Post, The Information, Fortune Magazine, and others, and was the first Black business publication to syndicate on The Bloomberg Terminal in 2021. Prior to starting The Plug, Dorsey founded BLKTECH Interactive in 2016, an organization that has supported over 2,000 entrepreneurs and technologists of color in Charlotte.
In 2018, Dorsey was named one of CNET's most inspiring women, and in 2021, Adweek named her one of the 100 Most Creative Business Leaders. Dorsey holds a Master's in Data Journalism from Columbia University and is the author of "Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us" published by Wiley. As the host of TED Tech Podcast, she highlights cutting-edge developments in technology and innovation.
CultureBanx: Bringing Hip-Hop Culture to Stock Market News
Kori Hale, CEO and Co-Founder of CultureBanx, is a pioneer in social entrepreneurship and impact. The platform produces stock market-driven business news for hip-hop culture, providing high-quality content on market-driven stories, innovative products, and services.
Prior to launching CultureBanx, Hale was part of the digital media millennial news company Cheddar's launch team and anchored the first daily news show from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as the first Black woman. Hale brought her experience as a TV Producer for CNBC's top-rated shows Squawk on the Street and Squawk Alley, as well as her time as an international producer for Bloomberg TV and a financial correspondent for TheStreet.com.
Hale is passionate about supporting the arts and community involvement, as demonstrated by her position as a board member of the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts.
A complete list of the UrbanGeekz 50 2023 can be found, with Rhonesha Byng as the featured main image. The list highlights the top African-American female founders and CEOs of digital media companies.
- Kunbi Tinuoye's UrbanGeekz highlights business, technology, and lifestyle news within the African-American, Latinx, and multicultural communities.
- Tinuoye, a recipient of venture capital funding, is also the founder of Geekz Ventures, supporting startup businesses in media, connectivity, and other tech-enabled ventures.
- Morgan Debaun's Blavity Inc. focuses on Black culture and millennials, reaching over 100 million readers monthly through brands like Blavity News, 21Ninety, AfroTech, Travel Noire, Shadow & Act, and Blavity TV.
- Debaun's innovative approach has attracted more than $1M in venture capital, making her one of a few African-American women founders to achieve this milestone.
- Sherrell Dorsey's The Plug focuses on the Black innovation economy, serving as a valuable resource for Fortune 1000 companies and ecosystem leaders across the nation.
- Kori Hale's CultureBanx brings stock market news to hip-hop culture, blending finance, entertainment, and entrepreneurship through high-quality content.
- Rhonesha Byng, co-founder of BLKTECH Interactive, aims to empower millennial women and promote growth in the Black-owned media community.
- Sherrell Dorsey, founder of BLKTECH Interactive and The Plug, advocates for equity in underserved communities and has been recognized as one of CNET's most inspiring women and Adweek's 100 Most Creative Business Leaders.
- Kunbi Tinuoye, Morgan Debaun, Rhonesha Byng, and Sherrell Dorsey feature as notable Black entrepreneurs and founders featured in various news, business, and technology lists, contributing significantly to the collective growth of the startup ecosystem and innovation.
