Morgan DeBaun on Leadership and the Future of Black News | How I Built This | NPR

Transcript

hello and welcome to how I built this resilience edition this is the place where we hear about how businesses and founders are building resilience and my guest today is Morgan Devon she's the co-founder of blabbetty blabbetty is a media company and website created by and for black Millennials last month Laverty had more than 38 million unique viewe... Read More

Summary

In this video, host Guy Raz interviews Morgan DeBaun, the co-founder of Blavity, a media company and website for black Millennials. DeBaun shares her experiences in running a business during the pandemic, dealing with social unrest, and managing limited resources. She also discusses the founding story of Blavity and the importance of creating spaces for young black people to tell their own stories. DeBaun explains the challenges of raising money for a media company and the impact of the current economic crisis on revenue generation. She also talks about the resilience of black entrepreneurship and the need to support small business owners. Throughout the interview, DeBaun emphasizes the importance of maintaining a strong company culture, building connections with the audience, and finding motivation in success stories.

Questions & Answers

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your experience during the pandemic?

DeBaun explains that running a business during the pandemic has been a traumatic experience, requiring tough decisions and significant pivots. She mentions the challenges of managing anxieties and uncertainties among her team and dealing with limited resources due to the pandemic. Despite these difficulties, DeBaun is proud of what her company has accomplished.

Q: Can you provide more details about Blavity and its mission?

DeBaun describes Blavity as a media company and platform that aims to build community and share stories of black experiences. The website covers various verticals such as news, travel, food, music, art, and culture. Blavity also organizes conferences and supports black entrepreneurs.

Q: How did your personal experiences shape the founding of Blavity?

DeBaun shares that the idea for Blavity came from her feeling of loneliness as a young black woman working in Silicon Valley. She wanted to create more spaces for young black people to connect, share their stories, and challenge societal norms. DeBaun's experiences in Silicon Valley and witnessing the discrepancy in mainstream media coverage during social unrest further fueled her mission.

Q: How did you transition from working in tech to starting your own media company?

DeBaun explains that the genesis of Blavity came from her experiences at Washington University and the strong sense of community she felt with a group of black students. She wanted to recreate that feeling online and build connections between black communities. DeBaun's time in Silicon Valley exposed her to new technologies and innovation, which she used to bring the feeling of community back to black lives through Blavity.

Q: How did your experiences as a young entrepreneur influence your decision to start Blavity?

DeBaun recalls her entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, from selling homemade fun dip to starting various ventures. She never had a label for it until she started Blavity. Her desire to challenge the rules and create spaces for others motivated her to take the leap and start a business.

Q: How have you managed to build resilience and navigate the economic crisis during the pandemic?

DeBaun explains that Blavity has a diversified business model, generating revenue through display advertising, conferences, and partnerships with enterprise clients and advertising agencies. This diversification has helped them weather the storm of the economic crisis. DeBaun also highlights the importance of focusing on revenue generation and maintaining multiple revenue streams.

Q: How do you maintain communication, team-building, and culture within a distributed team?

DeBaun emphasizes the importance of increased communication and transparency within the team, even before the pandemic. She holds regular meetings with different teams and provides a space for feedback and information sharing. DeBaun strives to ensure that the team hears directly from her about what is happening in the company. She also utilizes various technologies to facilitate team collaboration.

Q: How has the recent social justice movement affected your team and yourself emotionally?

DeBaun acknowledges the emotional toll the social justice movement has had on her team and herself. She mentions that it has been mentally draining, but the success stories they have had, such as uplifting small businesses and empowering entrepreneurs, bring hope and motivation to keep going.

Q: How do you reach black communities on a national scale and not just in your local area?

DeBaun suggests using the internet as a powerful tool to reach different sub-communities within the black community. This can be done through social media platforms, niche groups, and analyzing data from sources like Google Analytics. Understanding the demographics and interests of the audience helps to tailor content and expand the reach.

Q: How do you see the future of black entrepreneurship in America?

DeBaun sees a positive future for black entrepreneurship, particularly in the venture capital space. She mentions that there has never been a better time to raise funds as a black founder, with more funds created to support minority entrepreneurs. However, DeBaun expresses concern for small business owners, as they may face greater challenges accessing capital during economic crises. She stresses the need to focus on financing options for small businesses.

Q: Where do you want Blavity to be in five years and how has this moment changed your leadership outlook?

DeBaun envisions Blavity continuing to grow and develop its community and impact. As a leader, she wants to continue listening more and challenging her assumptions about leadership. DeBaun also wants to be less apologetic about what Blavity has accomplished and focus on bringing others along the journey. The current moment has taught her the importance of reflection and growth as an individual and as a company.

Takeaways

In this interview with Morgan DeBaun, the co-founder of Blavity, several key points are highlighted. DeBaun shares her experiences in running a business during the pandemic and the importance of resilience. She emphasizes the need to create spaces for marginalized communities to share their stories and challenges. DeBaun discusses the challenges of raising money for a media company and the impact of the economic crisis on revenue generation. She also emphasizes the importance of maintaining company culture and building connections with the audience. DeBaun expresses hope for the future of black entrepreneurship while also recognizing the need to support small business owners.