The panelists of the Mighty Dream Forum summarize their advice for people who are starting to have their dreams.
Norfolk, Va. — Pharrell Williams invited a slew of industry leaders to the Powerful Dreams Forum for Business Development in Norfolk this week.
From Tuesday to Thursday, you can participate in panel discussions on various topics in the business world.
Innovators come together to discuss the future of business, health equity, black entrepreneurship, the power of education, diversity and implicit bias, innovation—everything.
Digital journalist Sam Schaffer found some panelists and asked them to summarize advice for those who are starting to have their dreams. They say so.
Rachel Alden
Senior Product Marketing Manager, Head of Google Tech Equity Collective
Shaffer: What is a typical day’s work for you and what does it mean?
old: Busy. A typical day job for me is that I have the opportunity to work with a great team of other marketers and other project managers, and I either work with outside partners outside of Google (usually black and tech-savvy) focused organizations) to discuss opportunities for collaboration, or to get an update on what they are doing.
I also work with a lot of other teams inside Google that are focused on racial equality or economic empowerment, so we’re having conversations and I’m planning an opportunity to come to Mighty Dream, or I’m thinking about programming, or review copying our site, or consider us social media assets. There are many different things.
Shaffer: what is Do you have two or three pieces of advice for entrepreneurs in Hampton Roads?
old: Always understand that they create their own possibilities. So don’t stop, be incredibly resilient and don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo.
Another suggestion: build a community. Build a community of other people doing similar work because you can exchange ideas, you can exchange resources, you can give each other candid feedback, and you can build a larger network than yourself. It really comes down to relationships in the industry.
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Melissa Bradley
1863 Ventures General Partner
Shaffer: What is a typical day at work for you?
Bradley: Talked to 100+ entrepreneurs, read tons of business plans, held tons of committee meetings to decide who we would invest in.
Shaffer: What are two pieces of advice for 757 locals to start a business
Bradley: One thing is to know your numbers because if you want to make money you have to make sure you can track the money. The second thing is, make sure you have a team that knows exactly what industry or sector you’re in and they can actually help you get customers because that’s the most important thing.
almost eliot
JPMorgan Chase Advances Head of Black Path
Shaffer: What does a typical day’s work look like?
Elliott: I looked at data on how we’re making progress on the $30 billion racial equality pledge. I’ll also look at information about how we’re making progress in lending and investing, and how we’re engaging with black communities, and think about strategies and approaches — whether it’s new products, services, or tools that we can use to help make progress around race The gap between rich and poor.
Shaffer: Any advice for local entrepreneurs at 757?
Elliott: A lot of great information was shared in this session about getting funding and the tools at your disposal, business entrepreneurship training – put it to good use. This is where you start to really get involved and get into the community around the ecosystem to build your business. Whether you’re looking for a venture capital fund, or a direct traditional loan for your small business, this is the tool you can use to get started on that trajectory.
Shaffer: Okay, what’s a good place to start for someone not going to the event?
Elliott: I would say do some internet research, whether it’s a small business development tech center or even just google “get funding” or “how do I get funding for my business” and you’ll find great projects and then you can be yourself Investigate what’s right for your company
Related: Here’s what people are saying about the Mighty Dream forum