As we head into a second weekend of protests in Austin and cities around the globe, the local startup scene is banding together on several fronts with new initiatives aimed at stopping the cycle of police brutality and racial injustice.
And it's extraordinary in that simultaneously there are dozens of efforts in the local startup community to help slow the spread of coronavirus through contact tracing, mask production, temperature sensing cameras, online education and more.
It's obvious that we have a long way to go -- and that startups are only one part of the solutions to our global and societal crises. But it's also true that there's significant hope and inspiration to be found in the hustle, collaboration and ingenuity of Austin's startup ecosystem.
"We all have a responsibility to do better as a society and positively affect change, first starting in our immediate sphere of influence." - Naji H. Kelley, BLNDED Media
Here's a look at some of the early efforts to combat racial inequities and police violence in Austin. We know there's much more going on -- so please stay in touch and let us know what we're missing by emailing bwistrom@americaninno.com.
What's already in motion
DivInc, a nonprofit startup accelerator for diverse founders, on Friday announced the launch of its new Social Justice Innovation Accelerator. The move is a continuation and evolution of the organization's work toward increasing diversity and inclusion in tech since it launched in 2016.
“We’re going to help entrepreneurs all over the country apply their skills to creating systems-level change,” Preston James, co-founder and CEO of DivInc, said in a statement. “This is a new, issue-specific program 100% focused on finding the most innovative companies and organizations across the US that address inequities and disparities caused by institutionalized bias and racism.”
The program seeks entrepreneurs with plans to help eliminate racism in criminal justice systems, health care, education, voting and housing. The application process to join the program will open June 12, and the program for selected startups will run Aug. 24 to Nov. 13.
And it has ties to a broad array of local tech leaders, nonprofits, civic leaders and startup mentors. Its selection and steering committees include Chas Moore, founder and CEO of Austin Justice Coalition; Mindy Gulati, Diversity, a Equity and Inclusion consultant with Fundamental Advisory; Marcus Carey, founder of Threatcare and enterprise architect at ReliaQuest; Bob Bridge, founder and executive director of SWAN (Southwest Angel Network) , Kelli Newman-Mason, a partner at Notley Ventures; Amos Schwartzfarb, the managing director at Techstars Austin and this year’s co-winner of the Champions of Change Investor of the Year Award; and Thomas Miranda, founder of Sparkovation Advisors and interim CEO of Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The program has also teamed up with another new initiative -- Notley Tide, a new branch of Austin social good VC firm Notley, which is helping fundraise for local nonprofits fighting injustice and discrimination. And DivInc is also looking for volunteers with expertise in criminal justice reform, health care, education, housing, policing and related fields.
Notley, meanwhile, was founded by Dan and Lisa Graham in 2016 to provide venture-style funding for social good startups and nonprofits. Under its new Notley Tide brand, the organization is raising money through monthly donations to support racial justice partners, including Austin Justice Coalition, University of Texas Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, Grassroots Leadership, Texas Civil Rights Project and MOVE Texas.
It landed 45-plus donations, which can be matched by employers, in the first day or so after launching this week. The list includes several local founders. Check it out.
Coming up next Wednesday, the Austin Technology Council will host a Zoom call that will include panelists Lauren Washington, co-founder of Black Women Talk Tech and Fundr; Phil Walker, managing partner at Career Partners International; and DivInc's Preston James.
The Austin Black Chamber of Commerce urged everyone to register to vote and take the census, in addition to listing local, black-owned businesses to support.
Meanwhile, local startups are also expanding their services to help black-owned businesses as well as those adjusting to the distancing measures recommended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Austin mobile app platform Sandbox Commerce, for example, quickly developed a curbside ordering feature, which it's offering as a free new feature to customers who use its no-code app development for mobile ordering.
The startup, founded by Sterling Smith, who shared his perspectives on being black founder with Inno several years ago, said its app development platform, which starts at $99, can help retailers boost conversions to sales 3.5% compared to typical responsive web sites -- in addition to giving them a quick and easy way to add curbside options for mobile shoppers.
Smith told Inno his team halted development on some of its other forthcoming features to focus exclusively on things that could help retailers continue to draw sales despite physical store closures and social distancing practices. It's already working with League of Rebels, a black-owned mens suit shop in downtown Austin.
"The whole point of building out this business has been about democratizing access to tech," Smith said. "Since day one, our pricing and ease of use of building apps has been target at underserved retailers and brands."
Meanwhile, many other founders have used social media, blog and news sites to help amplify their voices and advocate for improved diversity in hiring and better access to venture capital for black founders, in addition to combating police violence and systematic racism.
BLNDED Media, which co-founded the Austin Mosaic Awards and has partnered with Inno in the past to increase diversity in local startup coverage, issued a call to action.
“We all have a responsibility to do better as a society and positively affect change, first starting in our immediate sphere of influence,” said BLNDED Media CEO Naji Kelley.
"This is America. This incredibly sad. It's wrong. It's embarrassing." - Threatcare founder Marcus J. Carey tweeted.
"Fam- As black professionals in tech, we have to fight battles on so many fronts. It’s exhausting at times. #blacktechtwitter" -- Sandbox Commerce founder Sterling Smith tweeted.
"We are angry, we are pained, we are in tears, we are protesting, we are working, we are voting, we are partnering, we are leading, we are never giving up. #BlackLivesMatter #DivIncFamily" -- Austin accelerator DivInc tweeted.
"Empty platitudes by non-Black VCs, Executives, and Brands are really my least favorite thing during times like this. They normally happen on the weekends (check the timestamps) because come Monday morning, it's back to business as usual. Absent action, your words mean nothing." -- Harold Hughes, founder of Bandwagon, tweeted.
@CapitalFactory stands with the Black community and condemns racial injustice. What happened to George Floyd was not new or uncommon, it was just caught on camera. We need to stand up. We need to speak up. If not us, who? If not now, when? #BlackLivesMatter -- Joshua Baer, founder of Capital Factory, tweeted.
"The long history of systemic racism in America has claimed many Black lives. In light of recent local and national events, Austin Tech Alliance stands in solidarity with those protesting worldwide and supports the Black Lives Matter movement." -- Austin Tech Alliance tweeted.
"As the voice for the #ATX tech community, ATC condemns the outrageous and unfair treatment of black citizens throughout the nation, most recently, that of #GeorgeFloyd. We stand with the oppressed and support the non-violent protests that occurred this weekend." -- Austin Technology Council tweeted.
Meanwhile, local founders have been sharing their insights and stories. Joah Spearman, co-founder and CEO of travel recommendations startup Localeur, has written about his experience and insights on LinkedIn, in addition to interviews with Crunchbase News and Inc. And James, who leads DivInc, discussed race, venture capital and next steps with Crunchbase News.
We know there's a lot more in the works -- and many new initiatives we may have missed here. Let us know what we're missing and what's next by emailing bwistrom@americaninno.com.
