A lot has changed since I started my first DTC business in 2016. Back then, I was usually the only POC/WOC in any startup room. And while I’m often still the only Muslim chick wearing a hijab in these spaces, I love that in so many other ways, I’m no longer so noticeable.
Earlier this week, I went to a Female Founders & Funders Meetup hosted by Love x Money Ventures(an early-stage VC fund) and Marlow(a clean & sustainable period brand that is absolutely *killing it*), and I was so pleasantly surprised that both co-founders sharing the stage with the investor were brown girls paving the way for the generation of WOC founders.
(Left to Right) Jess Hunichen of Love & Money Ventures, Nadya Ladak and Harit Sohal, Co-Founders of Marlow
I'd say at least one-third of the room was AAPI & Black female founders and funders. And I couldn't help but think to myself...Mama, we made it.
For the first time in years, I left a space like this feeling absolutely no imposter syndrome. It was surreal to see how far women like me have come in the startup world. And I thought to myself: maybe I was lucky to be part of an early wave of WOC founders that helped start the conversation around our place as dreamers & builders.
Even though it didn't all go as planned for me (my first business went under during Covid in 2020)...it's a cool, full-circle moment for me to be networking AND real-working with early-stage founders that remind me of myself, every day.
Walking out of that event, I felt proud, inspired, and excited to connect with women like this, build partnerships, and amplify their work.
Sneak peek at a few core cool brands & founders I met there and loved: Groove Proteins(gel protein for women) and AudaB (sunscreen for acne-prone skin). Keep an eye on these founders & brands...and remember, you heard it here first 😊
What are some spaces like this that used to make you feel like an outsider, but don't anymore?
🐘 In The Room
I haven’t been sure how to add anything of value to the conversation around this week’s election. Like many of you, I’ve been feeling a mix of frustration, anger, and disappointment. But as a leadership & business coach who advocates for strategically undervalued leaders, I know many of us are dealing with big emotions. Perhaps the most impactful thing I can do here is to share some perspective on how people like you and me might be feeling in this moment.
For those who may be new here, one of my projects is Joyful Building, a program that supports underrepresented founders and small business owners in creating value-driven, resilient ventures. This week, one of our members, Ayesha Bakali, captured these feelings perfectly in a piece she wrote. Her perspective may resonate with you as we process what this election means.
😔 Election Blues: The Morning After
Written by Ayesha Bakali, Guest Contributor
Small Business Owner & Joyful Building Cohort Member
I don’t know if I expected to feel any different this morning. I went to sleep unbothered, wasn’t incessantly checking election results, and knew the next day would bring about what it would. This last year has shown the true colors of what we’ve always known about America: it's a colonial empire.
But it’s had the most damaging and irreversible impacts on our people - Arab, Muslim, black and brown. For people like me, a woman of color and visible hijab-wearing Muslim, who has been tuning into an expanding genocide, didn’t we already know that this election wouldn’t change a thing? The horrendous images I've seen over social media are forever seared to my memory.
Yet, I had a little bit of hope that our votes and voices matter. And of course, I know that they absolutely do. But in this moment, when our fellow Americans have re-elected the worse possible human for president AGAIN – a man of no moral character, a convicted criminal with 88 offenses to his name, a loyal fascist, a sexual abuser, someone who’s incited an armed insurrection and gotten away with it, was impeached twice, called for a Muslim ban, made fun of people with disabilities...the list goes on - it’s hard not to feel another blow to the stomach.
Heartbroken. Betrayed. Disappointed. Enraged. Let down. Numb, even? Sadly, I'm not surprised, though. I expected The Morning After to look like this. In fact, I know many of us did, despite wholeheartedly wanting to believe otherwise.
I don’t know where we immediately go from here. Our community's calls for unity and action, getting involved in local politics, and working together for a better collective future are rightfully needed. But right now, some folks (including myself) just need to grieve.
I'd like to believe that there is some version of the future that could still be bright. In this week's Joyful Building session, I was reminded that by creating from a place of my unique identity and values, there's a chance for change. This cohort of joyful builders & dreamers reminds me that we have an opportunity - and maybe even a moral obligation - to create a brighter, more value-aligned world through our ventures, espcially given what today brought us.
🥨 Snacks
Here's what's been keeping me interested, entertained, and & informed this week:
📺 Binged Season 2 of THIS SHOW instead of watching election results, and I have zero regrets.
💕 My friends at CCEJare hosting a *FREE* post-election Community Care & Connection Circle tonight, November 6th at 5:30pm PST via Zoom - I'll be there.
Book A FREE Leadership Strategy Call to explore how we can work together through 1:1 coaching, workshops, or the next Joyful Building cohort.
