🎄 HOLIDAY REWIND // Megan Holston-Alexander is a partner at Andreessen Horowitz where she leads the Cultural Leadership Fund (CLF), Silicon Valley’s first venture capital fund consisting exclusively of Black cultural leaders and organizations committed to Black wealth generation. Megan oversees CLF’s dual missions of connecting the world’s greatest cultural leaders including athletes, entertainers, musicians and C-level executives, to the best new technology companies and engaging and elevating African Americans in the technology industry.

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Follow Black Tech Green Money: @blacktechgreenmoney, @btgmpodcast

Learn more at AfroTech.com
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🎄 HOLIDAY REWIND //&nbsp;Megan Holston-Alexander is a partner at Andreessen Horowitz where she leads the Cultural Leadership Fund (CLF), Silicon Valley&rsquo;s first venture capital fund consisting exclusively of Black cultural leaders and organizations committed to Black wealth generation. Megan oversees CLF&rsquo;s dual missions of connecting the world&rsquo;s greatest cultural leaders including athletes, entertainers, musicians and C-level executives, to the best new technology companies and engaging and elevating African Americans in the technology industry.
Follow Will Lucas on Instagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/willlucas">@willlucas</a>
Follow Black Tech Green Money: @blacktechgreenmoney, @btgmpodcast
Learn more at AfroTech.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Black Tech Green Money presents the stories of successful Black entrepreneurs and technologists, as well as actionable advice and wealth-building strategies from a Black perspective. Hosted by Will Lucas (@willlucas), an entrepreneur, content creator, and Brand Manager at AfroTech, the world's largest Black tech digital platform and conference, Black Tech Green Money is THE podcast for Black entrepreneurs and moguls in the making.

Technology and business from a Black perspective.

Black Tech Green Money

Black Tech Green Money presents the stories of successful Black entrepreneurs and technologists, as well as actionable advice and wealth-building strategies from a Black perspective. Hosted by Will Lucas (<a href="https://instagram.com/willlucas">@willlucas</a>), an entrepreneur, content creator, and Brand Manager at AfroTech, the world's largest Black tech digital platform and conference, Black Tech Green Money is THE podcast for Black entrepreneurs and moguls in the making.

Megan Holston-Alexander, Head of CLF at a16z

🎄 HOLIDAY REWIND // Megan Holston-Alexander, Cultural Leadership Fund at a16z

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/03d9a915-cffe-48a0-b9c8-b3bc0030689a/transcript

On this episode of Black Tech Green Money, we strip away the packaging to reveal the hard science and high-stakes finance powering the Black hair revolution. The days of "kitchen chemists" are evolving into an era of AI-driven diagnostics and nine-figure exits. Will Lucas sits down with the architects of this shift to answer the trillion-dollar question: Can you scale a culturally rooted brand without losing its soul?

We hear from industry titans Courtney Adeleye (The Mane Choice) and Monique Rodriguez (Mielle Organics) on navigating the controversial waters of acquisition and what it really takes to transition from a community favorite to a global powerhouse. Meanwhile, a new guard of tech-founders—Candace Mitchell (Myavana) and Dr. Tiffany St. Bernard (HairDays)—explain how they are training algorithms to diagnose scalp health and personalize care. And, Ciara Imani May (Rebundle) breaks down the chemistry of comfort, revealing how banana fiber is disrupting the toxic synthetic hair market. This is the business of beauty, engineered.

Follow Will Lucas on Instagram at @willlucas

Learn more at AfroTech.com https://instagram.com/afro.tech

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

On this episode of Black Tech Green Money, we strip away the packaging to reveal the hard science and high-stakes finance powering the Black hair revolution. The days of "kitchen chemists" are evolving into an era of AI-driven diagnostics and nine-figure exits. Will Lucas sits down with the architects of this shift to answer the trillion-dollar question: Can you scale a culturally rooted brand without losing its soul?
We hear from industry titans Courtney Adeleye (The Mane Choice) and Monique Rodriguez (Mielle Organics) on navigating the controversial waters of acquisition and what it really takes to transition from a community favorite to a global powerhouse. Meanwhile, a new guard of tech-founders&mdash;Candace Mitchell (Myavana) and Dr. Tiffany St. Bernard (HairDays)&mdash;explain how they are training algorithms to diagnose scalp health and personalize care. And,&nbsp;Ciara Imani May (Rebundle) breaks down the chemistry of comfort, revealing how banana fiber is disrupting the toxic synthetic hair market. This is the business of beauty, engineered.
Follow Will Lucas on Instagram at <a href="https://instagram.com/willlucas">@willlucas</a>
Learn more at AfroTech.com https://instagram.com/afro.tech
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The hard science and high-stakes finance powering the Black hair revolution

Beyond 4C: How AI is Rewriting the Hair Typing System

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6031709f-a486-4085-a582-b3b500f3635f/transcript

The Black Effect Presents... Black Tech Green Money!

Ep. 239 Baratunde Thurston is a storyteller, Emmy nominated host, writer, public speaker and most recently his work explores AI, nature, and humanity.

Follow Will Lucas on Instagram: @willlucas

Follow Black Tech Green Money: @blacktechgreenmoney, @btgmpodcast

Learn more at AfroTech.com

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The Black Effect Presents... Black Tech Green Money!
Ep. 239 Baratunde Thurston is a storyteller, Emmy nominated host, writer, public speaker and most recently his work explores AI, nature, and humanity.
Follow Will Lucas on Instagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/willlucas">@willlucas</a>
Follow Black Tech Green Money: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blacktechgreenmoney/">@blacktechgreenmoney</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/BTGMPodcast">@btgmpodcast</a>
Learn more at <a href="AfroTech.com">AfroTech.com</a>
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Baratunde Thurston is a storyteller, Emmy nominated host, writer, and public speaker

Black Tech Green Money: Baratunde Thurston of Life With Machines

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f80412a7-b1ca-4068-8570-b399010705cf/transcript

On this episode, we explore the collision of sports culture, high-stakes finance, and the digital frontier. We move past the scoreboard to look at the business of being an athlete in the modern era—from the "identity economy" where virtual skins hold as much weight as vintage sneakers, to the brutal reality of the "Jock Tax" and the pressure to save everyone back home. This conversation redefines what it means to build a legacy, shifting the focus from simply making money to mastering the systems that preserve it.

Features: Kai Bond (Courtside VC) explains the billion-dollar shift in how Gen Z defines ownership; NFL linebacker Jaylon Smith and business manager Michael Edo get real about financial literacy and overcoming the "Savior Complex"; Tyrre Burks (Player's Health) shares how he leveraged athletic resilience to disrupt the insurance industry; and NBA star Terance Mann joins Julian Aikens (W3 Sports) to discuss navigating the volatility of Web3. Tune in for a masterclass on how the discipline of sport translates into the language of equity and innovation.

Follow Will Lucas on Instagram at @willlucas

Learn more at AfroTech.com https://instagram.com/afro.tech

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

On this episode, we explore the collision of sports culture, high-stakes finance, and the digital frontier. We move past the scoreboard to look at the business of being an athlete in the modern era&mdash;from the "identity economy" where virtual skins hold as much weight as vintage sneakers, to the brutal reality of the "Jock Tax" and the pressure to save everyone back home. This conversation redefines what it means to build a legacy, shifting the focus from simply making money to mastering the systems that preserve it.
Features: Kai Bond (Courtside VC) explains the billion-dollar shift in how Gen Z defines ownership; NFL linebacker Jaylon Smith and business manager Michael Edo get real about financial literacy and overcoming the "Savior Complex"; Tyrre Burks (Player's Health) shares how he leveraged athletic resilience to disrupt the insurance industry; and NBA star Terance Mann joins Julian Aikens (W3 Sports) to discuss navigating the volatility of Web3. Tune in for a masterclass on how the discipline of sport translates into the language of equity and innovation.
Follow Will Lucas on Instagram at <a href="https://instagram.com/willlucas">@willlucas</a>
Learn more at AfroTech.com https://instagram.com/afro.tech
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The collision of sports culture, high-stakes finance, and the digital frontier.

The Business of Play: eSports, Betting, and Infrastructure

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/93dbf581-9b6b-45e8-b64e-b3ad01807c0e/transcript

🎄 HOLIDAY REWIND // Megan Holston-Alexander, Cultural Leadership Fund at a16z

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