There is a tremendous amount of money in Tech! Along with it is a huge drive to identify and support via investments, the next generation of leading tech companies!
There is a movement underway to add diversity into the Tech communities! Yet Blacks and in particular Black women, have not jumped at the opportunity.
It’s time to start “Talking Tech” as an economic driver.
Partners Bonnie Sandy and Antonio Mark have challenged a group of their peers to accept responsibility and lead.
As a partner in Tibiae Tech, Inc and Brooklyn community liaison for the Newme commune, Sandy accepted another challenge to pull together a Brooklyn Business Conference/Expo with a tech focus to coincide with the influx of Caribbean nationals visiting NewYork City during the West Indian Labor Day celebrations! Her focus is to ensure our community is not left behind in the digital revolution! Educating and informing on the current state of development is a vital part of that process!
To ratchet up the effort, a call is being made for sponsors/partnets, others vested in the economic development of our community to participate in this event!
Sandy, a Black female, has been in the New York Tech room since 2005/6. In the past seven years she has taken what she learned and shared it with the community. Now, together with co-has been has been founders she is starting a tech startup, Tibiae Tech Inc, in Brooklyn with plans to expand into the Global Diaspora community.
Growth is natural for Sandy. At the beginning of this year, she agreed to partner and become lead architect of Tibiae Tech Solutions Inc., a New York-based tech startup that is in the business of change management; addressing the glaring problem of the lack of minority-owned businesses in today’s tech sector and the adoption of technology in today’s business culture.
For her, it meant putting aside her design work so that she could reconfigure an approach that was culturally relevant! Seven months into the process they understand the gargantuan task they have undertaken but are frequently reminded that there is no other solution! “It is overwhelming, but we are focused on a legacy of change!” Sandy opined.
Ten cofounders and partnering sponsors later, brings them to the next phase – securing space! Each cofounder is an expert in their field with experience working with, consulting or servicing local entrepreneurs. The first order of business was to bring them up to date with the technology, where it currently is and where it is headed, and strategizing on cultural adaptation. Ten co-founders and partnering sponsors later, brings them to the next phase – securing space!
Tibiae Tech Solutions Inc. will provide technology, funding, mentorship, incubation, marketing and distribution to enable experts in niche local micro sectors who answer the question “What would you do with technology if you could?” to access and develop technologies, focused on scalable next generation concepts.
There is a lot of talk about “Changing the Ratio “ and increasing the numbers of minorities and women on the start-up scene! Tibiae Tech’s goal is to increase the number of minority, especially Black-owned startups within the New York tech landscape. Few know of The New York Tech Meetup, a non-profit organization with over 25,000 members supporting the New York technology community, which is the lead organization.
In a population estimated in 2011 at 8,244,910 that is a mere dent. Yet that sector is thriving. Of the more than 350 startups on the Tech Made in NY about 85-90 percent is hiring!
Starters, many do not know exactly what is the “Difference between a Startup and a Small Business?”
One google search defines the Difference Between a Startup and a Small Business. Both are exactly the same, except how the owner thinks about their business. A small business owner is focused on doing it tough for a number of years and hoping they can make it as a business. However a startup thinks big, they dream of their application/product or service being used by millions around the world and funded by VC’s and that is how they direct their business. Small business owners think about doing things slowly and building their business over time.
According to Sandy, “It takes 50-58 hrs to plan a new business”. While some startups are designing that blueprint in as little as three days, small businesses may take six months to a year or more — often at a huge financial cost, that eventually causest heir demise!
Then there is the challenge of execution. Having an idea is one thing successfully bringing an idea to market is another!
Thus, far many local businesses are unable to take advantage of new and emerging technology to address issues in their sector. Few understand the scope and capabilities and as such they are unable to innovate, cut cost and increase turnover and revenue. On the other hand few tech developers and even investors understand the challenges within the sectors. Local mom and pop businesses require the same resources and must execute at the same level to ensure success.
Earlier this month Tibiae Tech began leading a select group on a self-guided online series that will bring to light where current technology is at and how small businesses can leverage their experience and eventually create startups that will not only “address needs in their niche but by adapting early, garner valuable market share!”
Participants were asked to set aside a minimum of 28 hours to research and educate themselves. Free to the first users (few spots left) this version would be followed by workshops and tech talks during August!
http://tuberiam.tibiaetech.com
About Bonnie Sandy
Bonnie Sandy is a Fashion designer, and Media Strategist and also one of the co-founders of Tibiae Tech. She has been introducing local businesses to technology for the past seven years!
About Tibiae Tech
As opposed to the usual one-level approach, Tibiae Tech is a new startup that will employ a multi-pronged strategy utilizing the comprehensive resources to develop, nurture and support a successful small business. By providing space and pools of accessible resources set into ‘divisions,’ each with its own mandate, management team and capital, they plan to be better able to help local businesses successfully access global audiences, gain market share and become viable entities.
About Image
Graphical representation all that a business will need to undertake- Many choose to go it alone, some simply ignore certain areas, each business still has to handle: all aspects to thrive… how do you measure up register to be informed of future seminars and opportunities!
Photo credit: Tibia Tech, Inc.
