She Matters Inc is where the intersectionality of Wellness and Tech meet!

Who is Jade Kearney? (Give us some background information on you, your education, experience, and other fun facts) 

Jade Kearney is the Co-Founder and CEO of She Matters, a digital health platform designed to improve postpartum comorbidities for Black women through community, culturally competent health care providers, and culturally relevant resources. Jade is the author of “Lean: A Guide to Black Entrepreneurship.” and the creator of “Black Girl’s Tech Day.” She has a background in diversity and inclusion and a Master’s degree in Digital Media Design from NYU. As a Black Female Founder and mother. Her goal is to inspire other women of color to experience their power through entrepreneurship.

Where did the idea for Techstars Seattle Accelerator come from? 

After completing an accelerator at NYU, I wanted to continue the push for Black maternal health care so my Co-founder and I applied for Techstars, but it wasn’t until our second attempt we were accepted. Techstars Seattle Accelerator is one of the best accelerator programs and we were ecstatic to be a part of a cohort of founders. 

Where did your love for technology and entrepreneurship come from? 

My love for technology and entrepreneurship come from working for others and not experiencing the things that are most important to me due hurdles and obstacles such as inflexible schedules, and personal and financial limitations.

You advocate for the challenges facing black female entrepreneurs? (Please tell us what are some of those, how you are combating them, and how others can do to help the issue)

Some of the challenges black female entrepreneurs face are finding mentorship. Female entrepreneurs in the tech space are few and far between, and getting white or asian men to mentor black women can be difficult; people typically mentor others who look like them. Resources can also be a challenge in terms of  knowing which accelerator to apply to and available grants. The biggest challenge is funding, finding VC’s and angels who back great companies and not just women or minorities let companies. 

Teaching and sharing this information through a conference helps combat the challenges black female entrepreneurs face by creating a space where resources are provided and shared. Black Girl Tech Day was created for black women looking for mentorship, resources and capital. 

People can support by funding Black female founders, it takes more than mentorship. “People think taking a Black female founder for lunch and sharing information is enough, but if that device doesn’t lead to a check did you actually help?” You can’t run a successful business without capital.

What has your journey in entrepreneurship taught you? 

I’ve learned that nothing happens when it’s supposed to happen, you have to have a thick skin, and can not get big headed off the wins, because just as fast as they come they go. Everyday is up and down so you must have an even mindset with a win or a loss because both are temporary.

You love the lean model when it comes to startups; how can black entrepreneurs scale? 

Black entrepreneurs can scale by leveraging mentorship, resources and capital, without scaling is next to impossible.

Founders can apply the lean model methodology to their business and see results, but I do think it is important to take into consideration when thinking about the next phase of your business. 

Raising capital is hard especially for people of color, what are ways they can raise capital?

People of color can raise capital by looking for VC’s that are in line with their mission. “If you have a hair product don’t apply for a VC that specializes in digital health, you have to do your homework”.