Two major companies in the tech and startup space have announced collaborations and support of Black-owned startups in Atlanta.
Google announced an Atlanta startup is one of 12 businesses out of hundreds of applicants to join the company's new accelerator for Black founders. Meanwhile, coworking giant WeWork announced it had selected 26 Black-owned businesses to support with grants as part of its Black-owned Business Grant program.
Jewel Burks Solomon, the head of Google for Startups in the U.S., announced on Thursday that TQIntelligence would join the accelerator. The startup uses voice recognition technology and AI to measure toxic stress and transform trauma care.
“Google has been active in the Atlanta community for over a decade, and during that time, we’ve watched as the city has become a hub for diverse founders to succeed," Jason Scott, head of developer ecosystem in the U.S., said in a statement. "As a Georgia native, I am extremely proud of Google for Startups’s ties to Atlanta, and we’re so excited to have TQIntelligence and their founder Dr. Yared Alemu as a part of our first Google for Startups Accelerator: Black Founders cohort.”
Over the next month, the 12 founders will receive training and support from Google with help from other industry experts on challenges, business growth and outside investment opportunities.
"The class includes entrepreneurs like Guy Assad, founder of Clerkie, a business designed to help Americans get out of debt," Solomon wrote in a blog post announcing the inaugural class. "It also includes Melvin Hines, founder of Upswing, which is dedicated to improving the online education system, and Ashley Edwards, founder of MindRight Health which provides digital mental health services for young people."
In addition to releasing the names of the class, Google announced it would roll out a feature for merchants in the U.S. with a verified business profile on Google to signify they are a Black-owned business. The company also announced plans to expand digital training programs to Black business owners to include founders in Birmingham, Alabama, Memphis, Tennessee and Cleveland. The hope is to train more than 50,000 Black-owned small businesses.
As part of a mission to support Black founders, WeWork announced in June the launch of its Black-owned Business Grant program, a grant program that is awarding a total of $2 million in funding to Black small business owners who operate out of WeWork locations around the country.
WeWork partnered with Ureeka to launch this initiative and reviewed the hundreds of applications. Out of 200 recipients, 26 Atlanta-based Black-owned businesses were chosen. The grant awards $10,000 to each recipient, along with resources for networking and growth from WeWork Labs.
See the full list of Atlanta grant recipients, with descriptions written by WeWork, below:
Aquagenuity (also a WeWork Labs member): Selected for their mission to help everyday people monitor water quality in real-time (without a degree in chemistry). Aquagenuity™ aggregates hard-to-access, publicly available water quality data for all 42,000+ zip codes in all 50 states. This is the only database listing all test results, EPA violations, and known toxins - all in one place.
The Boss Architect LLC: Kendra J. Lewis is on a mission to help business owners unlock the capital they need to launch, grow, and scale their business without using their personal credit. As a result, businesses both small and large (including Fortune 500) have dramatically increased their revenue, launched new offers, and scaled their business as a result of working with The Boss Architect.
Cxmmunity (also a WeWork Labs member): Selected for its mission to increase the participation of minorities within the esports and video game industry so that there is an equal opportunity as new jobs and professions are being created.
2kb Energy Services: 2KB Energy Services is a trusted source for sound, unbiased consulting and project management solutions for environmental initiatives, serving clients in the government, industrial, and commercial sectors.
Aquagenuity: The Aquagenuity™ App lets you know what’s in your water and what that means for your health. The app can be personalized to provide real-time water quality monitoring and access to historical water quality data, not just in your general area, but all the way down to your tap.
Book Ambition, Inc.: We ghostwrite books that turn thinkers into thought-leaders. Using a compelling narrative, we press forward our client’s unique approach to their business/industry. For tech start-ups, we write, coach, and design their investment pitches.
Caffey Investment Group, Inc.: Smart Eye Technology has created a brand new sector in Technology that blocks your entire screen of your mobile, laptop, and desktop computer through facial recognition when and an unauthorized person looks at your screen.
Conserte, LLC: At Conserte, helping our clients successfully navigate change by providing them with consulting, facilitation, and coaching services.
Countalytics: Countalytics is an inventory management company that uses computer vision and machine learning to streamline inventory processes and improve manual inventory counting inefficiencies.
Creative Juice LLC: We are a full-service marketing firm disrupting our industry the millennial way. We provide branding, marketing, and web services to businesses from solopreneurs to Fortune 500s.
CRUE Consulting: CRUE Consulting was founded by Ashley Keeler (CPA) with the goal of helping small and mid-sized businesses unlock the power of finance and accounting for economic viability. CRUE focuses on helping black-owned and woman-owned businesses reach sustainability and success.
Decatur Road Capital: Decatur Road Capital is an investment firm dedicated to identifying, acquiring, and managing a small to medium-size business.
Cxmmunity: cxmmunity is a nonprofit committed to increasing participation in minority esports through STEAM development.
Hawque: Founded in 2017, Hawque, LLC is a socially-focused start-up technology company that is headquartered in Atlanta and is focused on the security guard and personal protection market.
Kevin N. Golden Esq., LLC: Kevin N. Golden Esq., LLC is a boutique injury and entertainment law firm based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Law Offices of Evita G. Kaigler: Evita serves as a lawyer in the music space advocating for musical integrity and the protection of those who create it.
Levanter LLC: Team of Accountants and Technologists bridging the gap between finance and technology from the focal point where they intersect; your business.
LVNGbook: We help people living with chronic disease eat to manage their health and create lasting lifestyle change.
Music Tech Works: Connecting rights holders and music supervisors to streamline music sync licensing.
Ompri Capital: Ompri Capital, LLC (“Ompri Capital”) is an owner-operated partnership launched in 2016 that specializes in Corporate Advisory, Consulting, and Principal investing.
Push Through Innovation, Inc.: Deepr® is a music discovery tool that works with your Apple Music, Spotify, and/or YouTube accounts.
SOIL Inc.: SOIL has created a scalable product line centered at the intersection of hardware and software that combines energy harvesting and IoT to aid developing countries, emerging markets, disaster and incident recovery along with powering and connecting smart cities.
Surthrive: Surthrive is a human-centered marketing agency that specializes in communications for forward-thinking brands. Their mission is to create an inclusive ecosystem that generates new ideas and experiences to push society forward.
Tat Tot Sweet Spot: Tat Tot Sweet Spot is a Boutique Bakery and Catering company based in Atlanta, GA.
The Boss Architect LLC: Kendra J. Lewis is on a mission to help business owners unlock the capital you need to launch, grow, and scale your business without using your personal credit.
Thinksmart Software: Thinksmart Whiteboard is a Windows App that turns your Tablet PC into a shared whiteboard. It allows you to create a whiteboard on your computer screen, then allows other people to write onto your whiteboard, even if they are in another location!
THRSHLD: THRSHLD is a people-centered branding + marketing agency dedicated to helping REAL people reach their goals. THRSHLD helps develop the overall look and feel of their client’s brand and reach the people who matter most to their brand.
Women Do Everything LLC: Women Do Everything educates, trains, and supports women in male-dominated industries.
WRINKLE FREE LAUNDRY: Wrinkle Free Delivery Is A Premium Mobile DryCleaning & Laundry Delivery Service. Services Include Dry Cleaning, Wash & Fold, Alterations and Shoe Repair.
YayFinder: YayFinder partners with people and organizations to provides young people with the opportunity to use their passion for change to develop new skills and create meaningful change through short challenges.
