Morgan DeBaun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Morgan DeBaun
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
DeBaun in 2016
|
|
| Born | 1990 (age 34–35) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Washington University in St. Louis |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
Morgan DeBaun (born in 1990) is a successful African American entrepreneur. She starts and advises many businesses. She is best known as the founder and CEO of Blavity Inc. This is a digital media company. It focuses on Black culture and young adults.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Morgan DeBaun was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She grew up in a neighborhood that was mostly white. However, her family made sure she had many positive Black role models. They sent her to a special public school called a magnet school. This helped her be around more kids who were like her.
Morgan showed an interest in business from a young age. In middle school, she sold snacks to her classmates. Her school did not have vending machines. When she was 14, her father taught her about investing money.
The idea for Blavity Inc. came to her while she was at Washington University in St. Louis. Black students at her university would often gather for lunch. They would talk for hours about many topics. She called these gatherings "Black Gravity," which later became "Blavity."
Building a Business: Morgan DeBaun's Career
Morgan DeBaun started her career working at a company called Intuit. She worked in product management and business development. While she had her full-time job, she spent all her nights and weekends building Blavity.
She decided to leave Intuit and work on Blavity full-time. She felt that the news media was not fairly covering important events affecting the Black community. She wanted to create a better platform.
Starting Blavity Inc.
Morgan co-founded Blavity with Aaron Samuels and Jeff Nelson in 2014. They began with a video newsletter. Then they built a website. This was just the start of their journey.
The website shares content made by and for young Black Americans. This includes topics like the Black Lives Matter movement. It also covers protests, like those about the National Anthem.
Growing Blavity's Reach
Blavity has grown into a large digital network. It reaches over 100 million people each month. They also work with more than 100 companies every year.
Blavity Inc. has several brands. These include Blavity News, AfroTech, and Travel Noire. Other brands are Shadow and Act, 21Ninety, and Lunchtable.
They also host big events. Summit21 is a conference for Black women creators. AfroTech is a huge tech conference. It connects over 20,000 Black tech innovators. These events happen both online and in person.
Helping Others Succeed
Blavity Inc. recently started Blavity.org. This is a non-profit organization. Its goal is to help Black people succeed in business. They offer programs for entrepreneurs. These programs include money grants, education, and mentorship.
Morgan DeBaun is one of the few Black female founders. She has raised more than $1 million from investors. In fact, she has raised $12 million for Blavity, Inc.
Morgan also advises big companies. These include Disney, American Airlines, and CES. She helps them connect with Black audiences in a real way.
She also created WorkSmart. This is a business podcast and advising program. She also founded M Roze Essentials and Growth Notebook. Morgan helps many new entrepreneurs through her WorkSmart Program.
Awards and Recognition
Morgan DeBaun has received many awards for her work:
- 2016 – Named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. This list recognizes young people changing media.
- 2016 – Included in The Root 100 list. This lists the 100 most influential African Americans.
- 2016 – Recognized as one of MVMT50's Top 10 Innovators of the Year.
- 2018 – Featured on Forbes' America's Top 50 Women In Tech list.
- 2019 – Received the Culture Creators Innovators & Leaders Technology Award.
- 2020 – Named Dot.LA Rising Entrepreneur.
