with Derek Major
March 5, 2022
A group of Blacks businessmen filming Tulsa, Oklahoma, his location Tulsa Race Massacre in a technology hub for digital creators and developers.
According to ABC News, Tulsa-based digital founders have an array of fresh and diverse tech talent, a quality support system, and a cost of living that's a fraction of the cost of living in New York to the Bay Area in California.
Those involved in the effort weren't alive when the original Black Wall Street burned to the ground, but they feel a sense of duty to rebuild it.
“The Tulsa Race Massacre is not for us a footnote in a history book. We live with it every day and the thought of what Greenwood was and could have been,” massacre survivor and World War II veteran Hughes Van Ellis. he told lawmakers last year.
Here are some of the tech entrepreneurs who are changing the narrative on Black Wall Street.
Chandler Malone, CEO, Start
Malone, who has lived in Tulsa since 2019, started Bootup late last year. The website and app help companies fill their talent gaps with non-traditionally trained talent. Malone told ABC that he has placed more than 320 people in their first tech jobs since starting Bootup.
“The racial wealth gap has not improved,” Malone said. “And there's really no industry where someone can start a company and have a multibillion-dollar business in just a few years outside of tech.”
Edna Martinson, Co-Founder, Boddle
The COVID-19 pandemic is no secret are affected the education of millions of black children across the country. Martinson is trying to get black students back on track with Boddle, an educational gaming platform that addresses educational gaps in elementary classrooms.
Martinson moved to Tulsa in August 2020, saying she was inspired by the people she met during her visits to the city and was fascinated not only by Tulsa's history but also by the rebuilding happening right now.
Chantelle Lott, CEO, No bouncing
Lott has lived in Tulsa for two decades, and her company has created proprietary activewear and sports bras for fuller-bodied women, who she believes are often overlooked by the activewear community.
The activewear founder added that rebuilding the Greenwood community in Tulsa has been a passion of hers since moving to the city. He also believes that Black representation in technology is vital for young Black boys and girls.
Chris Davis, Founder and CEO, Fansub
Davis played football at Duke University for four years before co-founding FanSub, a platform that allows fans to engage with creators, entertainers and athletes with fans through live streams, marketing campaigns and other high-tech avenues.
Former football player and partner Cameron Williams and Michael Lombardi were looking for a network to help grow their business when they learned about the Startup Tulsa Accelerator Program.
Other successful startups in the Tulsa area include the CEO of Bodify Carlanda McKinney; Founder of Fresh Fabrics Ambrose Midget and founders of Cadenzo Marc LaManque, Troy Blacksmith, Andres Gonzales.
