Angela Benton facts for kids

Angela Benton (born May 22, 1981) is an American businesswoman. She is known for helping people from diverse backgrounds succeed in the technology world.

In 2011, Angela started NewME. This was the first startup accelerator in the world for minority entrepreneurs. A startup accelerator helps new companies grow quickly. She is a leader in making the tech industry more diverse. She has helped many tech companies led by minorities get over $47 million in venture capital. This is money invested in new businesses.

Angela Benton has won many awards for her work. She was named one of Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs. Fast Company called her one of the Most Influential Women In Technology. Business Insider also listed her among the 25 Most Influential African-Americans in Technology. She has been featured in many news stories. These include CNN's documentary Black in America: The New Promised Land: Silicon Valley. She has also appeared on MSNBC, Bloomberg Television, and in Inc, Forbes, and Good Morning America. The Wall Street Journal even asked her to write an essay for their 125th Anniversary.

Angela Benton's Career

Starting Black Web 2.0

Angela Benton launched Black Web 2.0 in August 2007. She started it because she couldn't find much information online. She wanted to know what Black people were doing in technology. This included both new companies and big corporations.

The website quickly became popular. It was a place for Black tech enthusiasts to share their ideas. Markus Robinson joined as a partner and helped the site grow. Angela and Markus wrote articles and discussed important topics. They looked at how Black culture and technology connected. They also reviewed products and digital plans of African-American media businesses. They became leading experts in this area.

NewME Accelerator Program

In June 2011, Angela Benton started the first NewME accelerator group. This program was in Silicon Valley, a famous tech hub. Many important people in the tech industry helped out. These included Mitch Kapor, Ben Horowitz, and people from Google and Twitter.

The NewME program played a big role. It helped start important discussions about diversity in tech. This meant including more ethnic minorities and women. Some people who went through NewME later became venture capital investors themselves. Under Angela's leadership, NewME helped hundreds of minority-led companies. They raised over $47 million in funding. Angela sold NewME in December 2018.

CNN's Black in America Documentary

The first group of companies in the NewME Accelerator was featured on CNN. This was part of the documentary series Black in America. The show was reported by Soledad O'Brien. Angela Benton was one of the main people featured in the documentary.

The documentary followed eight NewME participants. They traveled to Silicon Valley to work on their new companies. This show brought the NewME Accelerator to national attention. It also started a big debate in the tech industry. People began talking about the lack of minorities in technology.

Streamlytics and Data Ownership

In 2018, Angela Benton founded a new company called Streamlytics. This company focuses on a new way to collect data. It's called a "next generation data ecosystem." Streamlytics aims to make data collection fair for everyone. It gives people more control over their own data.

The company is a leader in "community driven data." This means that the people who create data get to own it. Streamlytics especially focuses on data from people of color. It also pays users who choose to share their data. Famous investors like Issa Rae support Streamlytics.

Other Work

Angela Benton is a breast cancer survivor. She is also a strong supporter of health and wellness. She believes this is very important for entrepreneurs. In 2017, after her cancer diagnosis, she wrote a book called REVIVAL.

Awards and Achievements

• Fast Company Magazine’s Most Influential Women in Technology, 2010
• Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) Hall of Fame, 2010
• National Urban League Woman of Power honoree, 2010
• Ebony Magazine’s Power 150; 2011, 2012
• 40 Women of Power under 40, Black Enterprise, 2012
• TheRoot 100: 2010, 2011, 2012
• TheGrio100, 2012
• Digital Vanguard Award, Women Interactive at Spelman University
• Frost & Sullivan Innovator honoree, 2012
• 25 Most Influential African-Americans in Technology, Business Insider, 2013
• “100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs”, Goldman Sachs, 2013
• The New Guard: 50 Women Who Rule, Marie Claire, November 2013
• Business Insiders’ 46 Most Important African Americans In Technology, April 2014
• Marie Claire’s 20 Women Changing The Ratio, September 2014
• BET, Tech Maven Award, July 2018
• Adweek, 2018 Power 100
• Adweek, 2020 Women Trailblazers, July 2020
• Fast Company, Most Creative People in Business, August 2020
• Inc, Female Founders 100, October 2020

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

In 2017, Angela Benton traveled to Malawi, a country in Africa. She helped local villages get solar-powered electricity. She did this through a special fund and partnership with Kuyere! This project helps bring solar power to poor rural homes in Africa. Angela's investment helped power 10 villages in Malawi. She also made a documentary series about her trip called Venture.

Film and TV Appearances