Friends & Family with Aurora James Fifteen Percent Pledge

In this episode, we chat with the serial entrepreneur Julia Collins, whom you may know as the very first Black female “unicorn” founder. Most recently, Julia founded Planet FWD, a company with a platform working with climate-friendly businesses to reduce their carbon footprint. To date, Julia has raised more than $550 million across multiple businesses and rounds. Tune in to hear everything you need to know to navigate the world of venture capital and private equity. Then, stay tuned for our call with Everette Taylor, CEO of Kickstarter, to hear his fundraising and business advice on crowdfunding small dollar amounts.

We’re cooking up a storm with the inimitable Jon Gray, CEO and co-founder of Ghetto Gastro. Alongside chefs Pierre Serrao and Lester Walker, Jon founded the food collective with a mission to build "community through cuisine." Hear how Jon channeled his passion for food into a business that has catered dinners for clients like Microsoft, published a bestselling recipe book (Ghetto Gastro), and launched a line of dry goods including the delicious Ghetto Gastro Pancake and Waffle Mix. Then, it’s time to phone-a-friend for some advice. Aurora calls Nancy Twine, CEO and founder of the clean hair care company Briogeo to hear her take on how we can all take more risks and find our industry niche.

On our very first episode of Friends & Family we welcome Emma Grede, serial entrepreneur, CEO, investor and chair of the Fifteen Percent Pledge. Tune in to hear how Emma got her first clients, how she approaches business partnerships, plus her advice for all aspiring entrepreneurs! Then, it’s time to phone-a-friend for advice. For this episode, Aurora calls Eva Chen, head of fashion partnerships at Instagram, to share tips on how brands can optimize their social presence.

Have you ever heard of entrepreneurs powering their fundraising with a "friends and family round" before seeking out loans or investment? Well the truth is, most founders don’t have access to a network of deep-pocketed friends and family, or to resources to find alternative funding.

This brand new podcast is here to help. Whether you're fundraising or bootstrapping your business, join Aurora James, founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge, alongside some of the most inspiring Black founders of the moment, as they share wisdom and act as your support system for building your business and scaling for success. On “Friends & Family with Aurora James,” we're here to be YOUR friends and family in business.

This podcast is brought to you by Fifteen Percent Pledge and Citi. Citi Financial Pathways has resources to help you meet your goals.