This summer Fiverr announced The Future Collective, an initiative to support Black entrepreneurs by maximizing their opportunities with the ultimate goal of enabling a more diverse, equitable workforce. After carefully reviewing more than 1,400 applicants, the following five businesses were selected for our inaugural fellowship program.
Appdrop is a software company created by Adrian Abrams, cofounder and CMO, that harnesses the power of no code software to enable non-technical teams to build mobile apps.
Founded by Ebonique Boyd and Anya Ellis, Budget Collector is an app that makes art collection accessible to the masses through artificially intelligent art advising.
Kayisha Thompson launched her five-star catering business De L’or Cakery out of her passion for food art and the effects of culinary masterpieces on the human mind.
Sisters Seanice and Sharina Clarke created the card game Hey Girl Hey as a means of strengthening connections that had been strained by the COVID pandemic restrictions.
Keya Martin founded luxury footwear brand, Keeyahri and is rewriting the rules of shoe design with her use of architectural concepts and innovative styles.
Read more about the winners here.
Funding
The five participants have each received $24,000—$18,000 in cash and $6,000 in Fiverr credit. The $18,000 will be used however the entrepreneurs and their mentors see fit. The $6,000 has been applied to professional services offered on Fiverr’s platform.
Mentorship
All mentorship is overseen by Fiverr and 1863 Ventures, a DC-based business working to accelerate Black entrepreneurs from high potential to high growth. 1863 Ventures has worked with over 2,500 founders, representing nearly $300M and thousands of jobs. Mentorship includes general business best practice coaching as well as individualized coaching relevant to each entrepreneur.
Resources
Each entrepreneur has been assigned a dedicated Fiverr Success Manager responsible for recommending the best Fiverr freelancers based on the entrepreneurs’ respective needs and expectations. This will help participants maximize their usage of the $6,000 in Fiverr credits. Additionally, the entrepreneurs have opportunities to network with one another throughout the program and beyond.
Why now?
The past 18 months have seen drastic change across economic, social, and political spectrums with a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, multiple historical elections, and market volatility—bringing to light global issues that deserve our attention. The US, in particular, has seen millions of people speaking out to protest racial injustice and economic inequality. The message is clear: now is the time for action.
Research shows that Black-owned businesses tend to earn lower revenues in most industries largely due to a lack of capital investment. The lack of capital inhibits their abilities to tell their stories through branding, website design, and digital marketing or scale their businesses through infrastructure improvements, like increased capacity with e-commerce platforms. Often, the absence of resources is accompanied by a lack of meaningful advice and mentorship.
Founded on our responsibility and desire to use our privileged position in the corporate world, this program aims to enable a more diverse, equitable workforce. Basically, we’ve committed to our core values by putting our money—and resources—where our mouth is.
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