Creating Change: My Contribution to Supporting Black Women in Business #SalutingOurSisters.

4 min readOct 17, 2023

Hi, I am Dan Sodergren keynote speaker around AI and the future of work. And occasional media spokesperson all about the positive change technology can bring.

This Black History Month, which is over October in the UK, I am excited to announce an opportunity that I hope will push for positive change in our society. To support the #BlackAwareness #BlackHistoryMonth2023 and #SalutingOurSisters initiatives.

I am offering my leading AI Marketing Course to four deserving black women — entirely for free. Worth more than £2000 representing more than 3% of my turnover.

Why Is This Initiative Necessary?

Historically, black women’s contributions to societal breakthroughs and advancements have been overlooked. Their valuable insights and ideas have often been appropriated, their voices silenced. And yet, black women continue to be a potent force in businesses and entrepreneurial endeavours.

Particularly in the tech domain, GTA Women in Tech are testament to this fact. Yet, they and many others need support to make their voices heard and businesses seen on a wider scale. The playing field in entrepreneurship is not level, especially when it comes to funding. As reported by Startups.co.uk, women receive a significantly smaller portion of available funding. For black women, the gap is even more extensive, as explored by the World Economic Forum.

There’s no denying it — we must do better. Forbes rightly pointed out how investing in black women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs benefits us all. This gap in funding is no longer just a problem but an opportunity for us — a chance to make a difference, promote diversity, and trigger economic growth.

And did you know that research has shown that businesses with Black female founders have $24,000 in annual revenue — about six times less than women-owned businesses overall.

And shockingly, In 2021, Black woman start-up founders received just 0.34% percent of the total venture capital spent in the US. I do wonder what the percent is in the UK. The latest figures might be even worse…

Emerging Positives

But let us not forget: this is not a story of despair but of resilience and determination. The world is slowly recognizing the formidable force that black women are, as showcased by PitchBook’s listing of 82 Black founders and investors to watch in 2023.

In this vein, programs like Roadmap to Billions (RTB) 2023 are leading the way, offering opportunities for black women entrepreneurs to strive and thrive.

In the spirit of fostering change and promoting inclusivity, I am extending a part of what I do best. Four black women will get free access to my newest AI Marketing Course cohort at www.aimarketingcourse.co.uk.

Through this course, they can arm themselves with up-to-date marketing strategies to give their businesses the best chances for success. By offering this small contribution, I hope to help even the odds, create opportunities, and show that #WEMATTER.

Looking Ahead

This is more than a gesture; it is an investment in the potential of black women. As we celebrate this Black History Month 2023, I hope this initiative will inspire others to take similar actions. To all the black women making moves, raising voices, and breaking barriers, I salute you and stand with you.

Change begins with us, with the actions we make today. So let’s come together, seize this moment, and create a fairer, more inclusive world.

And if you feel you qualify for a FREE place in October on the AI Marketing Course — drop me an email or DM me on Linkedin.

Find out more at www.aimarketingcourse.co.uk

General references for the piece:

Sodergren, D. (n.d). LinkedIn Profile. Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dan-sodergren-futureofwork
GTA Women in Tech (n.d). Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://www.theblackwomenintech.com
The State of the Gender Funding Gap 2023. (2023). Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://www.startups.co.uk
Belle, J. (2023). Here’s how we can improve Black women’s access to VC funding. World Economic Forum. Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://www.weforum.org
Streete, R. (2023). Investing In The Future: How Supporting Black Women-Owned Businesses And Entrepreneurs Benefits Us All. Forbes. Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com
Black founders and investors to watch in 2023. (2023). PitchBook. Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://www.pitchbook.com
Roadmap to Billions — RTB 2023. (2023). Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://www.techrunch.com
AIMarketing Course. (n.d). Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https://www.aimarketingcourse.co.uk

Precise references for the stats in the piece:

This blog was written by AI.