Morgan DeBaun: Your Startup Survival Kit, from VC Funding to Leadership | E263

When 18-year-old Michael Brown was killed in his home state of Missouri in 2014, Morgan DeBaun was working at a technology company in Silicon Valley. Unhappy with her job and dismayed about the media coverage of the story, she decided to change course. She co-founded Blavity, which became a leading digital media company for Black culture and millennials. Morgan has succeeded despite steep odds to forge an incredibly successful portfolio of companies. In today’s episode, she is going to share with us how she built an influential media empire and give us some pointers on how to navigate some of the most challenging parts of founding a company.
 
Morgan DeBaun is a serial entrepreneur, executive, and corporate advisor. She is the founder, CEO, and Chairman of Blavity Inc., a leading digital media company for Black culture and millennials. Morgan also acts as an advisor to influential global brands and companies including PepsiCo., American Airlines, CES, and other businesses.
 
In this episode, Hala and Morgan will discuss:
- Why hard work is not enough
- Being an outsider in Silicon Valley
- How to pitch a VC firm
- How to enlist your donors for help
- The right amount of equity to give away in a startup
- Talent acquisition and diversity in the tech space
- Advising Pepsi and American Airlines
- The virtues of anonymous employee surveys
- Balancing entrepreneurship with personal relationships
- And other topics…
 
Morgan DeBaun is a serial entrepreneur, executive, and corporate advisor. She is the founder, CEO and Chairman of Blavity Inc., a leading digital media company for Black culture and millennials. Through her work at Blavity, Morgan has grown the company into a market leader for Black media, reaching millions of readers through a growing brand portfolio that includes: Blavity News, 21Ninety, AfroTech, Travel Noire, Shadow & Act, and Blavity TV. Morgan also acts as an advisor to influential global brands and companies including PepsiCo., American Airlines, CES, and other businesses. She also hosts The Journey podcast, a weekly podcast that delves into the captivating stories of purpose-driven achievers on their quest to live their best lives and has her own newsletter, The Journey Newsletter, which gives advice on building a sustainable and scalable career and life.
 
Resources Mentioned:
Morgan’s Website: https://www.morgandebaun.com/
Morgan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgandebaun/
Morgan’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgandebaun
Morgan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorganDeBaun
Morgan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgandebaun/
Morgan’s Podcast, The Journey: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-journey-with-morgan-debaun/id1687058364
Morgan’s Company, Blavity: https://blavity.com/
 
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