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Aspire Masterclass: Sháka Rasheed

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This content is a personal narrative and motivational talk by Shaka Rasheed, a finance and technology leader, who shares his journey from a challenging upbringing to significant professional success, emphasizing the importance of aspiration, resilience, and seeking opportunities.

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Everybody, it is my pleasure and honor

to introduce our guest faculty speaker

today, Shaka Rasheed. Shaka Rasheed is a

distinguished leader at the intersection

of finance and technology who serves as

general partner at Open Opportunity Fund

where he leads capital development and

portfolio value creation while also

serving on the investment committee.

Open Opportunity Fund is a technology

venture capital firm focused on

investing in the exceptional

entrepreneurs and software companies

that traditional VC firms have

overlooked. Before joining Open

Opportunity Fund, Shaka's career

included nearly half a decade of

leadership stints with SAS sorry SAS

technology companies and over 25 years

on Wall Street. In technology, he served

as senior vice president of strategic

banking and wealth management at

Salesforce, where he scaled a

billion-doll sales organization and

managed to complex enterprise transactions.

transactions.

Prior to that, he was managing director

and general manager at Microsoft,

leading digital digital transformation

initiatives across global financial

institutions and serving as an adviser

for M12, Microsoft's venture capital

fund. His leadership helped fintex,

investment banks, asset managers,

payment companies, exchanges, and

regulators modernize through

technologydriven solutions. Everyone,

it's my pleasure and honor to introduce

Shaka Rasheed.

>> Thank you so much, man. I am so pleased

to be here. And uh it's funny because

you see the scroll of people and where

folks are calling in from or dialing in

from across the globe. I mean, such an

impressive group. Um, this is my second

time actually being able to present to

this body and it really is an honor for

me. Uh so I'm really thankful that

everyone is able to participate and call

in and um this session is designed for

your benefit and so I am hopeful and

prayerful that my comments are something

that would be of benefit to you and that

it um inspires and it encourages you to

pursue your path. I figure the best way

for me to do that is perhaps to share a

bit about my own story in a way that I

think could help others u gain a sense

of the path that I've pursued uh some of

the challenges that I've encumbered and

some of the the effort some of the some

of the solutions that I found to to be

additive in in my way. So uh it's my

ambition to share some of that and then

to entertain questions at the end. Uh so

again thanks everyone uh for

participating and um I begin by just

sharing the fact that I I'm Shaka

Rasheed and there's a whole lot baked

into that uh being uh born and raised in

Miami Florida. The particular

neighborhood that I grew up in, it's

called Liberty City. Liberty City is a

classic inner city neighborhood u for

the the US is one where I found myself

being born into a world where in the

very earliest days of my life I found

myself figuring out and uh being in

community of love from my uh parents and

and from the broader community but also

one of struggle. Um, so Liberty City,

uh, at the time was certainly a

neighborhood of challenge, uh, socioeconomically.

socioeconomically.

Uh, very early on, I found my mother was

single-handedly raising me and I had

three sisters, an older sister and two

younger. And so I found that very early

on um you know it was very real dynamic

to face the fact that um sometimes I

mean we would have scenarios where the

electricity wasn't on or sometimes we

found the fact that there were

challenges uh things that we needed that

weren't readily available. So very early

on I found myself faced with the

scenario of saying that I've needed to

either be a participant in my own

socialization and development uh and

economic uh well-being or I was not

going to have and I'm saying this

because since I was about 8 years old I

can recall doing something to contribute

to the well-being of my family. Uh so I

remember bagging groceries and washing

cars and mowing lawns. I remember uh

being a runner in the uh the arena. So

think about where football or where

where uh state uh concerts are performed

and things like that. Um because it was

I remember realizing early on that if I

did things to change my particular

circumstance then that could contribute

to the well-being of my family. And I

I'll tell you a couple of things about

it which is um many of us on this call

have faced similar circumstances some

even worse right and when you're in

those scenarios it often seems like the

path of what's possible is so far away

or so hard and I wanted to just say that

I was also raised in an environment rich

of faith rich in the belief of

possibility ilities greater than my

immediate circumstance. And I would say

that that rooting that orientation um

the belief in things greater than myself

that it created a pathway for me uh to

to certainly find ascendance from that

uh community but beyond I think to

really feel and be a part of running a

race to being my best self over time. Uh

so when when I start I say things like I

remember uh you know one also observing

in um that circumstance a model I began

observing a model in my my own mother

who had dropped out of college uh when

she first entered. So my mother was

first in her family and they grew up in

this in a segregated environment in the

United States in in uh Miami. Um but I

remember her actually you know going off

to college with the scholarship but

sadly returning home. She was pregnant

with my from my father with my elder

sister and I remember uh you know her

describing stories of that challenge

right and this the realizing early that

she uh had this awesome responsibility.

Uh I remember my father stories from

him, a really decent person, but whom I

also believe was first in his family to

go off to college. And um I think it was

a dynamic of not living uh the life and

aspirational view that he had for

himself to lead to a a a life of uh

subsequently incarceration and and drug

abuse uh for much of the duration of his

adult life. Um and the fact that that

caused my mother to be faced with a

scenario that she was going to have to

raise uh four children by herself. Um

and I I remember just the the challenges

of that the circum what that

circumstance meant. Um I remember uh

observing though in my mother a woman

who went back to college by taking

courses at a community college, right? a

a 2-year associates program and then

going on to do a 4-year degree and

ultimately graduating um with the BA uh

in the US, but observing that toil,

observing her take courses at night,

observing her take courses on the

weekend while working throughout to try

to provide a way for our family. And I

remember observing just how critical and

just how important uh education was in

that model that she was defining and

just how it open and could open

possibilities for myself. Now saying

this, this wasn't all instantaneous. So

I wanted to be clear. So, it's funny

because in my circumstance among me and

my three sisters, um I wasn't always

running my fastest race. I wasn't always

striving to be excellent in the things

that I did. So I recall times when I was

I think um modeling the behaviors that I

also saw in terms of lower expectations

for me uh as a person of color in in

Miami and in from my neighborhood. I

remember observing a dynamic where in

elementary school, the foundational part

of school, um I would do um you know

just enough, right? Like it was about

the social for me. I was kind of wired

and rooted in uh just kind of getting by

so to speak. So I remember my grades and

performance were that you know C's and

occasionally not as good grades but just

kind of satisfactory performance uh on

that grading standard. Um, and I I also

remember seeing the consequences of this

play out with a number of friends and a

number of of associates in my

neighborhood. Uh, in my neighborhood,

young men uh, as we grew older, it

became more likely, more of a

probability, in fact, that uh, young men

would go to juvenile hall, so begin to

interact with the criminal justice

system. I remember observing dynamics of

seeing people begin to figure out other

ways to make money for themselves and

sometimes that would involve illegal

activities, selling drugs and doing

things. I'm saying this I'm trying to

paint a picture that it wasn't just a

clear path of of ascendance and being

excellent for me. Um but I also remember

uh having other uh models uh people that

I worked for um giving me uh discipline

and standards of saying it's important

to be early not just to be on time. Um

giving me standards and models of saying

the honor of working hard right um that

if you worked hard that the reward for

that was direct. Um, I remember

observing models of those things. The

sport that I grew up in, um, atypical

for many, uh, in inner city Miami, many

in, um, inner city communities across

the US, but my sport was mixed martial

arts. So I remember observing a a a

discipline from my sensei my teacher in

that dojo in that school um uh that

there was a uh expectation uh to perform

more. So I want to foundationally set

the things that I talk about today. The

saying that that uh you know I come from

struggle and and some of the most

excellent attributes that I think I

possess today were rooted from that

struggle. And as you consider and take

inventory of your life and your

struggles and by the way irrespect of

your being from an environment of

socioeconomic challenge and struggle or

high affluence

all humans actually endure some type of

struggle. So there's an importance to

anchor your thinking around uh that

struggle. So I I'll speed up here just

on highlighting a couple things. I

initially was not performing at my my

best academically. I remember striving

uh you know and going to school and

things like that but also recognizing

that um you know I I wasn't doing my

best and and one thing came to bear was

when I was in middle school so call it

uh I'm entering what is it 13 14 uh

years old 15 years old like in that zip

in that zone I remember

uh observing and you know I would I come

from a tough neighborhood and there

would be times when I had to fight to

defend myself. And I remember getting

into an altercation at school and the

assistant principal saying, "Hey, you

know, listen, you get in one more of

these altercations.

One more. Um, you you know, you're kind

of not performing well here at school,

but you get in one more of these and

we're going to send you to the

opportunity school." uh at the time it

was called MacArthur and this was where

uh students who actually wasn't

performing well often students coming

out of the criminal justice system um

juvenile hall would be sent and I knew

how dire that was and also I began to

really understand that I was

participating in a cycle of low

expectations for me right like and that

would be the path of my father and that

would be the path I observed in others.

Um, but I also remember I also remember

sitting in a physical science class that

a Mr. Johnson taught. Mr. Johnson was my

seventh grade physical science teacher.

He was from Queens, New York. He he uh

was wound up teaching this science class

at my middle school

in uh Miami. And I remember one day he

asked me to stay after class and I was

just you know all the swag and and sass

of you know middle schooler you know

it's like a god what do you want right

and this man arrested my attention on my

recall he actually grabbed me right like

then I was like shocked right because

all the fake braggadocious attitude and

behavior that I had he just saw right

through it and he said You're the only

one of those knuckleheads in the back of

my class that you hang out with that is

making a good grade in spite of yourself.

yourself.

You're the only one that your mother

continually comes out to the school

every time you get in trouble, which is often,

often,

and uh continue to to to perform and and

make that bad and continue to to kind

of, you know, have this kind of bad

behavior in my class and I'm not going

to let you do it anymore. I'm not going

to let you do it. I remember it was

shocking to me because in that class I

was fascinated by the sciences in that

class. I I felt compelled to contribute

uh in and and do the work because I was

interested in the subject matter though

it wasn't cool with my friend group at

the time. Right. I remember just being

stimulated by what I was hearing. And

even though I sat in the back of the

class with the the knuckleheads, so to

speak, from my neighborhood, I could not

help myself but to be uh engaged. And so

he rest me, my attention, and and saw in

me a higher potential. So one of the

things that I share with you which is

often around us even when we're not

performing at our best there are signals

and signs sometimes they're just

internal right they're things that we

understand about ourselves and we we

know but sometimes it is from some

stimulus outside of us around us a

teacher professor uh a friend a relative

uh a sibling and when we hear those

things, they actually speak to our

innermost self. And on hearing that, I

it was the convergence of that. At the

same time, these things were playing

out. I got into the altercation, Mr.

Johnson, kind of grabbing my attention,

so to speak. And I also remember uh

having a cousin of mine who was shot and

killed in uh an incident that was

shocking to me. So I began to realize

and begin to perceive like these

outcomes, me not performing my best are

not excellent outcomes. And I remember

thinking like I wanted to do better.

Just the desire. So one of the things I

wanted to convey was just the importance

of intention. So I began to declare

I want to do better. I didn't know how.

I didn't know I didn't directly

translate from that point that I'm going

to college or that I'm going to aspire

to be a Wall Street veteran or or be a

partner as I am now in a technology

venture capital firm. But I be begin to

say like I want to do better. And one of

the things that I want to share on the

call that was critical for me at that

time was I begin to ask for help. Now

sometimes help is outside and some of

those people we were talking about

before it's teachers or counselors or

others but for me um what I found was I

actually had help pretty nearby in a

sibling. So my older sister had always

been a strong student a high performing

student A's in virtually every subject

all the time.

So in fact, people at school would find

it difficult to believe that we were in

fact siblings because she was on a great

and excellent pathway and many times I

wasn't. But I remember asking her, "Hey,

how how do you get into all of those

honors courses?

How hard is it?

What do what do I need to do? How can I

find a pathway of doing that?

And I remember in earnest asking her,

"Do you think that I can do that?" Now,

in this scenario, my sister said, "Shaka,

"Shaka,

uh, it's easy to get into these honors

classes." She said, "You've got high

stain, so you have to take these

standardized courses uh, in order to

attend." So, you got high staininess.

You just haven't been applying yourself.

And she says, "The coursework is easy.

We go on all these great field trips and

we have these great books to read and

great teachers and we don't do a lot of

that busy work I see you doing." Right?

She was like, "Come on in. The water's

warm." Effectively, come to the side.

And she says, "All you have to do is to

get mom to advocate and say she wants

you in those courses and that now it'll

be a start." And that happened. My

mother conveyed, "Hey, my son is

interested in these courses." And they

said, "Well, he's gota he's not

performing well. He's gota he's got to

perform." And I begin to do that. I

remember physically changing where I sat

in the classroom from the back to the

front. And I remember physically

changing actually what I wore, what I d

how I showed up, the uniform I put on to

go to school. And by uniform, I had all

the accretments of what everybody was

wearing in my neighborhood. And I looked

street ready, but I didn't look

scholarly ready, right? I didn't And I

remember saying, well, what are the kind

of smart kids wearing? and thinking I

remember saying well they're wearing

hard bottom shoes and they weren't at

the time and not sneakers and they're

wearing you know kind of you know khakis

and not the the casual jeans that I was

wearing at the time and they're wearing

college shirts and not the kind of

t-shirts that I was wearing things like

that right as simple as changing the

uniform that I showed up with began to

be a catalyst to articulate to the world

that I was showing up to be a scholar.

Now, I want to make no mistake. Who you

are, how you think is not is not

captured in the robe that you wear exclusively.

exclusively.

But often it can be in a self-affirming

dynamic to dress in a manner that says

I'm here for excellence to uh to to robe

yourself in a manner that says I'm here

to engage. I'm here to question or one

that doesn't exclude you by how you show

up in that way. So for me it began to be

a important part to actually have how I

showed up the robe if you will that I

put on to also signal to the world the

aspirational objectives that I had for

myself. Uh so those are a couple of

themes right declaring the intent of

what you're seeking to do in an

excellent way. um realizing and to ask

and asking for help after you've heard

the signs that are promoting for you to

do something different or to have a

different course. Uh and then actually

uh changing the robe or firming the robe

that actually celebrates the things that

you are aspirationally seeking to solve

for before you're even there. Um those

are some foundational things that I I

begin with. Um, another dynamic that

played out and I wanted to share this

and then uh I'll I'll speed up past this

phase of life but it was so foundational

to me um was a couple of things. One um

there was in fact

uh a a a change or a a critical point I

began to perform well. I be began to do

well at school. Um and one dynamic that

played out was that I had had the

experience of being in an environment um

where I was in the minority. So I

attended uh a school that I would get up

very early in the morning for and was

being bust out to. Uh and then I remember

remember

uh having a different experience. Uh I

remember in that environment at the time

um it was almost almost whimsical and

people were a bit puzzled when it would

appear that I was actually the best

student at something. Maybe that was

because of the start of where I came

from that I wasn't a good student and

then I begin to perform. But it was

almost like against myself. I found

myself facing um uh you know a a an

environment of lower expectations of

kind of what I was to be. Now saying

that even though I can say hey I thought

it was attributed to me there were also

a dynamic just from my neighborhood

right we were coming from this very

tough inner city neighborhood where

there were sadly a a a pattern in some

cases of of bad performance and

outcomes. uh there was lower

soioeconomic resources. There was an

environment where people did have these

extraordinarily bad outcomes. There were

great outcomes, but there there were

some of that as well. So people began to

kind of have this broader grouping about

what was possible for me, what was

possible for us. I actually at the time

it was uh after my sophomore year in

pardon me after my freshman year in high

school. So now I'm on the pathway. I'm

an emerging scholar. I'm realizing I

have capabilities to contribute to uh

student organizations and things like

that. But I remember uh going to this

inner city school for the summer. It was

a science and math magnet. So they were

recruiting students from all over the

county, all over the city if you will,

to participate in this rigorous science

and math program. It happened to be u

related to oceanography. So this was

kind of studying of the ocean and marine

life and whatnot. and I was intrigued by

science in that during that summer uh we

had the opportunity of taking courses

and lectures at the University of Miami.

We had the opportunity of learning to

scuba dive and doing these really

interesting experiences and and

experiments and things like that. I

remember at the end of that summer those

teachers who challenged me to physically

in the things that we're doing scuba

diving and whatnot but also academically

and they said you know you're a really

excellent student. We wondered if you

would consider coming to the school.

And I tell you, I did realize that when

I was in an environment of heightened

expectations, I performed better. I

performed. You think about programs like

Aspire, right? That expect great things

in you. You humans kind of grow to the

and and tilt to that light, if you will,

right? like we got a shift in the

direction when people have heightened

expectations and it was the start and I

attended that inner city program. It was

majority people of color and I realized

that um the things in my head I was told

oh there'll be lots of fighting and

there'll be lots of drugs and there'll

be lots of problem and and it wouldn't

be conducive for learning. But I found

in that environment I thrived and

actually I saw less fighting. I saw less

drugs. I saw less of the things that

were uh kind of challenging um for

students and I began to really find my

stride in learning the person that I

would be for the duration of life. I

remember um performing well academically

but also having teachers to say like no

you can do better, you can do more. Um

challenging my writing, challenging my

thinking, right? And I remember

recognizing that there was something

special about being in environments and

you can find this in many places. I I

found this there where

when the the the level of expectation is

greater than your head. Um my co my

college later went to Morehouse. Howard

Thurman uh was a a past president. And I

remember hearing this quote where Howard

Thurman says above the heads of her

students Morehouse holds a crown which

she challenges them to grow tall enough

to wear. So, growing tall enough to wear

a crown of some sort, right? Um, uh,

emerging in your regalness as a king or

queen of your destiny, um, was something

that kind of matched that experience

that I had in in high school. I also

remember because it was foundational to

my decision to go to Morehouse, the fact

that uh there was a Morehouse alum,

Kermit White, who wound up actually

being someone who was speaking at a

career fair. So, this guy was a

Morehouse alum. He had gone to the

United States Air Force Academy. He

transferred into Morehouse and was a

star quarterback there. and he had

graduated and was working for IBM, the

technology company in Miami. And he was

at a career fair. And I remember

he began to describe his experience at

Morehouse. And he he did so by uh

quoting as winning Morehouse men do uh

quoting Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays. And I

remember him saying he describing

experience of saying that there was

quote an era of expectancy at Morehouse.

It is expected that the student who

enters here will do well. But it is also

expected that once a man in Morehouse is

an allmale institution that once a man

bears the insignia of a Morehouse

graduate he will do exceptionally well.

We expect nothing less. May you perform

so well that when a man is needed for a

job in your chosen field, the committee

of selection will be compelled to

examine your credentials. May you

forever stand for something noble,

something high.

By the time he got to the end of that

quote, I definitively knew that there

was no other place for me to go to

college but to Morehouse. Because of

that air of expectancy, because of the

juxtaposition from the environment that

I grew up in and experiencing low

expectations and how the tax that that

weighs on a human and this more uh

fulfilling one of higher expectation to

run your fastest race. And I committed

then that that's what I would do. And so

I graduated in the top of my class. I

was president of my class. And the place

that I committed to very early was

Morehouse College. And that's the path

that I went. So in describing some of

these life stories, I'm hoping that I

could sprinkle a little bit of some of

the lessons learned along the way and

some of the things that were

foundational to me.

I did enter Morehouse uh and I entered a

place where I was overwhelmed by just

the tremendous diversity

of what appeared to be the same. And let

me explain, excuse me, what I meant by

that. Uh you know, Morehouse is

historically black college for men based

in Atlanta. some notable alumni Martin

Luther King and Mayor Jackson and uh on

the entertainment side Spike Lee and Sam

Jackson but it's known and its roots

started from producing preachers and

teachers and then emerged to producing

scientists and lawyers and it's a

tremendous place but at in this place I

was sworn by this overwhelming diversity

of people who look just like me. So

there were people of the highest

soioeconomic background uh who were

coming from all over the world. Uh there

were people from the continent of Africa

and in the Caribbean and there are

others and there were people who were

from tougher soio economic environments

than mine right who said oh you thought

you had it hard [laughter]

you know let me tell you about my

experience and with great humility I was

like yeah that that's tougher than mine

but there was also this diversity of of

ideas people had uh various perspectives

some ultra-conservative some ultra liberal

liberal

um some um were from very different

parts and regions of the United States.

But out of that sameness, right, which

appeared to be this uh group of that,

you know, we're kind of all the same, I

learned a lot much more, a lot more

rather about me. Um, so it's interesting

that in a in an environment that seemed

to be similar, right, where, you know,

everyone was of the same gender,

everyone by and large was of a similar

or same race, that I experienced this

overwhelming diversity of thinking, and

it actually enabled me to hone in on

some really excellent characteristics of

how I selected people that I performed

well with, people that I would be on

teams with or that I would lead student

organizations with. And that selection

of who my friends or who my best

colleagues, if you will, of performing

wasn't based on race nor gender, but

these other human characteristics. And

so one of the things that I would tell

you that from the conditioning of those

four years in that environment that that

attribute of being able to decipher

characteristics of people and to hone in

on uh these variables of human characteristics

characteristics

um was was uh developed and honed in in

in that environment. So a couple of

things I'll say which is just the

importance of that the importance of

that type of reflection that experience

was excellent for me there. Um one of

the things that you'd miss and I want to

share this before moving on was the fact

that I entered Morehouse and though I

had uh you know great grades and was a

student leader and all that. I entered

Morehouse with some money from uh local

uh scholarships and whatnot. But

Morehouse did not have a lot of

resources and I did not have enough

money to pay. I performed well at

Morehouse. I remember having uh you know

a strong GPA coming out the first year.

In fact, my second term I had a full

straight A on my report card. Uh but I

could not even get my grades

from my uh finishing my first year

because I had a balance. Just think

about it. You've here you've done earned

the race. You've worked hard. You've

performed. I couldn't even get the

transcript because they would not give

you transcript in the absence of having

uh of satisfying the the the bill. And I

remember leaving Morehouse not clear if

I would be able to return. And I

wondered and worried. I remember uh

thinking like what can I do? What do I

have the power to influence in order to

potentially uh get through this? I

remember writing every single member of

the board of trustees. I remember

writing notable alum. I remember writing

and this was actually at a time the

internet wasn't around. It gives you a

little bit of data point on me. [snorts]

But I remember writing leaders at home

saying I'm a strong student. I'm a

student leader. I've learned so much and

I'm I'm I'm clear that this is the place

that will meaningfully impact my

background. Um, and I remember asking

for help.

I remember getting sometimes small

checks that would come in and they would

send it to the school to pay uh down my

my bill. I remember uh advocating for

administrators and them saying, you

know, we don't have anything now, but

keep checking in. we're going to

continue to try to find uh some money

for you cuz you you work you earned

this. You deserve this. I remember

[clears throat] experiencing

um just a lump in my throat on hearing

Dean Sterling Hudson to place a call at

my internship. So, I was working doing

my internship back in Miami that summer.

The summer was coming to an end. I was

beginning to think that I was going to

have to myself drop out and attend the

community college. I was going to go

back to Morehouse, but it just was going

to be longer. I was going to have to

take some courses in a community college

and then go back and maybe, you know, do

this while I was working. I was trying

to figure out the pathway. But Dean

Hudson called me and he said, "Son,

we've been able to find some money for

you. I don't know all the details yet,

but I want you to be sure to come back

to Atlanta to attend your sophomore year

at Morehouse because you're going to get

a scholarship.

And I remember sobbing like you would

not believe.

Like, oh, oh, nasty sobb, mucus running

down my nose, you know, tears pouring on

hearing the word that I was going to be

able to get the education that I thought

I most critically needed. Now, it just

so happened that when I went home

without being able to get my transcript

uh for the summer after my freshman year

that the commencement speaker at

Morehouse for the graduates was a woman

who had great promise and possibility

and she was taking a tour around the

campus. She had met these graduates. She

was having discussion. She said, "This

is amazing." She said,"I want to be a

part of educating these young men." And

she spontaneously

said, "I'm going to endow a scholarship

here and I want to educate 10 students."

She wrote a check and I became one of

those students that started in the Oprah

Winfrey scholar program. So Oprah

Winfrey wrote the check that endowed the

scholarship that launched and made it

possible for me to be able to attend

Morehouse tuition free. Just to say

these things like we sometimes, and I'm

just trying to spark points of lesson,

we sometimes land on moments in our life

when the pathway forward is not clear.

We sometimes experience moments of doubt

or uncertainty.

But there is something that I learned

from that experience.

One that I should exhaust whatever

action that I could take in order to

change my circumstance. And in that case

is I wrote letters while I was working

part-time. While I was saving the little

bit of money that I could, I was also uh

engaging um with this this action of

whatever I could do and I was being

creative in it, right? Then just like

saying waiting for it to come to me. The

second I I I remembered from that was

just how critically important it was to

have the faith that there could be some

resolve that that that if I worked at

it, if I asked for help, that there was

a possibility for me and I ran that race

until the end. And the fact that um

that's happened has caused for me to be

tremendously uh grateful for that. Dela

Winfrey. I've supported and contributed

to that scholarship and others, but just

how important it is uh in education and

and I thrived at Morehouse. Um I've got

about uh 7 8 minutes more in the time

allotted to speak and I wanted to go

slow during that period of of my

experience of some anchoring things and

lessons that I learned that I thought

could be helpful for this group. But

then I want to also in a very efficient

way hone some other things. So I went to

Morehouse and had a tremendously great

experience. I ultimately left Atlanta

and when I graduated for a career on

Wall Street in New York. At the time it

was not uh well at the time and perhaps

even now it was not the place that's so

uh uh welcoming for people of of diverse

and different backgrounds. Um though

it's changed through time. it's

improved, but I remember at the time

there was a bit of segregation almost

like the year that I entered working in

investment banking at my firm at the

time um was actually one of the first

years that that firm had recruited at at

my school at Morehouse. There was very

few uh people of color that was in those

roles in just the the years prior. And

so I remember going to New York to uh

challenge myself in this ambitious thing

uh and finding the some of those same

principles from my community, from my

neighborhood. Some of the same lessons

that I learned around like, you know,

showing up um being early, not late. um

um being uh someone who actually saw

possibilities when others did not see it

in myself or were foundational to my

charting a path. Um I remember also

asking for help and being open to when

it came. I remember leveraging those

experiences, how I learned to evaluate

humans on human characteristics beyond

color, beyond gender, and how that

afforded me opportunity for a diverse

universe of mentors and friends in this

new world that I had entered. Um I uh

had a a successful career for 26 years

in that space and then I remember

pivoting into technology. So going to um

you know in that space uh so in the Wall

Street period that was classic

investment banking. I wound up finding

an environment that I thrived in in JP

Morgan. I spent 16 years at that firm

from analyst to managing directorhood.

had some tremendous mentors and some

tremendous colleagues um that worked in

New York and London. I went to Harvard

Business School full-time but worked

part-time for JP Morgan those in those

years and JP Morgan paid for my business

school uh education. Uh I worked in in

aspects from investment banking to

private wealth to institutional asset

management which was foundational to

other aspects of my career. But also

remember spending a decade in hedge

funds at firms like Citadel and Chicago

based hedge fund at the time and Lazard

Asset Management before Bridgewater

Associates at the time the largest hedge

fund in the world um before pivoting

into my career in technology. Now,

interesting things I want to say which

is it wasn't like there was just an open

door like hey come you don't have the

experiences that most people have in

technology come be a senior leader of a

business of ours. So sometimes a lesson

I want to highlight which is just having

the audacity

the audacity that I think I can maybe I

can right just the possibility of it and

that was led me into uh entertaining a

career possibility on Wall Street. It

led to my consideration uh in uh further

going down a pathway into uh hedge

funds. Um it led to my entertaining and

making a pivot in technology and it

leads the pivot uh of where I am now. Um

which is I'm general partner at the open

opportunity fund. We uh $100 million

fund one 100 million fund one that fully

invested across 75 companies where we

seek to invest in companies that are

outside the traditional Silicon Valley

ecosystem. So they're in different

geographies. We're US- ccentric right

now, but they're in states and cities

and environments where you're not

typically, you know, someone just uh

graduating from Stanford or dropping out

actually from Stanford to start a

company. And we find that when you're in

different environments. So I'm in

Birmingham, Alabama today, um actually

to participate in a pitch competition,

right, where you seek to uncover new

ideas. So I'm I'm involved in in doing

that work. It is truly um the the most

entrepreneurial thing I've done, but I

brings me so much joy to be able to be a

part of that. So um we are in market

raising a $200 million fund too, right?

Even that the notion the notion that we

can build as and sustain a dynamic and

viable uh company that can identify

entrepreneurs that come from different

backgrounds and sometimes they have

accents and sometimes u they've not come

out of the traditional educational

pathway that's expected for technology

companies in in in the US. Um, but being

able to hone in and say, "No, no, no.

I'm actually hearing a really good idea

and let's work on it together, um, is is

an outstanding and um, you know, best

gig of my career right now." Uh so as we

come to an end I I did want to end with

another Benjamin Mays quote as many

Morehouse men are known to share because

it it really captured something about

this um expectation and and striving for

greater things. It was when Dr. May said

it must be borne in mind that the

tragedy of life does not lie in not

reaching your goal. He says the tragedy

lies in having no goal to reach. It's

not a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled.

unfulfilled.

But it is a calamity not to dream. It

isn't a disgrace not to reach the stars,

but it's a disgrace to have no stars to

reach for.

Not failure,

but low aim is sin. When you think about

that, not failure but low aim is sin.

And I I ask you this group and I

challenge this group regardless of your

circumstances to make sure that you're

anchored in that spirit. It's not not

reaching your goal. It's not not

obtaining the success that you may have

or a particular goal that you have, but

it's aiming low. So aim high, aspire.

What an awesome name. um to pursue the

things that are are good and decent in

this world and I think you'll be

rewarded for it. That's what I got for

today. Thanks for for the time.

>> Wonderful. Thank you so much, Shaka, for

a lovely session. A very open um and

I'll even say a bit vulnerable session

to just hear more about your journey.

It's very rare that we do get to hear

just about the faculty's journey along

and how they got to where they are. Um,

so yeah, I will now turn it over to my

colleague Morgan who will be leading Q&A.

Q&A.

>> All right. Hello everybody. I echo

exactly as Sha said. We were very

fortunate to be have a front row seat to

your story and um sharing a little bit

about your journey and I know we have a

lot of people who are eager to ask

questions. Um so the process for that is

if you've raised your hand and been

invited as a panelist um we'll

prioritize people with their cameras on

in order to ask a question. uh we'll ask

you to come on up, unmute, um share

where you're coming from and your

question in a succinct way so we can get

to as many people as possible. Um and

we'll see how many we have time for. So

Samuel, why don't you come on up and you

can share your question and where you're

>> Hello. Is can you hear me? >> Yep.

>> Yep.

Yeah, [snorts] thank you so much for the

opportunity and thank you so much for

the presentation. Uh I wish the

presentation would have gone on and on

but uh I guess we are restricted by

time. So I'm actually very motivated and

inspired and I really appreciate being

here and um my question is that um

Rashid your maybe in your case um you

had a solution close to you. You you had

a sister that you could ask for help.

You could ask for direction. What is

your advice to someone who is going

through a similar situation but feels

that help is um kind of very far away

and uh there's no one close there's no

connection available like immediate

connection available to him or her what

what would be your advice to such a

person so that the person will come out

of um such a confinement yes

>> so I Thank you for your kind words and

thank you for this question because I do

think it's important. In my particular

case, my sister was readily available.

But guess what? It could be the same

scenario. Maybe we would not have had a

good relationship or maybe she was like,

"Oh, you know, you're not you're not

serious, right? So, it just turned out

that she was supporting the effort." The

first and most important aspect I think

was required was me declaring my intent.

I want to be a scholar. I want to be a

me a meaningful contributor in the

classroom and being and saying like I

don't know how to do it. So there was a

bit of declaration and a bit of self

assessment. I'm gapped out. I don't even

understand how do I get into courses. So

first I think even before the external

support was the internal reflection

right and that's important. there is

[clears throat] something I earnestly

believe right so there's this notion we

talk about faith all the time and

regardless of your um of your religious

orientation or spiritual inclin

inclination this notion of believing in

something that you cannot see even the

most uh adept of scientists right uh

would would have the orientation that

there is there I believe I can find a

solution or the the belief that and for

me I find that every time so in that

case it was my sister my sister wasn't

on Wall Street I actually had to find

new support and mentors to give advice

and perspective to navigate life in my

career um and on uh I had to find uh uh

help in different corners. So for me I

think it's by putting it out there. So,

one, I'd say have that declared intent

after self-reflection and assessment and

then broadly communicating that. Now,

these are educated guesses of people

that we think who could help us um and

we make assessments like I think I need

that. I think this person would have

some acumen or intelligence about a

situation or a discipline and and I

think having the courage to ask I've

always found and I'm mean this in

earnest every single time that I've put

myself out there for some help, some

guidance, some insight,

I've been overwhelmed with the response.

Now I say that you're actually in a community

community

of aspire. There are communities like

these where the pathway is actually been

mitigated for you and many of us have

been now in universities and are either

in universities or just uh recent

graduates of universities. There's a

whole ecosystem of support that could

emerge out of those environments. So

what I would say declare the intent then

set the action. You'll be surprised once

you cast that type of net what you

ultimately re in uh as support in in

your effort. That's my view.

>> Wonderful. Thank you very much. It can

be kind of um some unsuspecting places

where you might find support and I think

asking genuinely is a great place to

start. So thank you Samuel for your

question and for the response. Um, how

about we ask Moren to come on up and

>> Thank you very much. I don't know if you

can hear me.

>> I can.

>> Okay. My name is Marin. I'm um attending

a class from Nigeria and I have two

questions that are related. So what the

first one is um I'm in a situation

whereby um I'm a I'm a student I'm a

student of medicine and surgery but then

um I want to ask when you have the

situation where you cannot um get enough

money and then during the session of

like school session you get distracted

although you have to cover a lot of

things you know to pass your exams very

well but because you don't have money

for some things you get distracted and

you need to get find your way to get

some money and then at the end of the

day you do not come out with um expected

grade like I can give an instance I just

recently wrote my exams my second MBBS

and I didn't come out very well although

I have I have a second chance to write

the exam so I'm asking how can you you

know you know those situation where you

don't have people around to really help

you and you're just left on your own,

how can you do it and still stand um

your feet and do well in your academics?

And then the second one is um the case

whereby you leave under someone you're

guiding and they don't really care about

how much time you have to yourself

because they want you to do so many

things for them and they don't even care

if you have quality times for your books

or for yourself to build up yourself or

and they don't care if you retire or

such things like that. And so they get

um they they call you around all the

time and then um you keep working and

you can't even speak up because um you

feel um if you do you they see it as

disrespect. So how do you you know how

do you advise me to in this kind of

situation because when you really know

you don't have any other place to go

you're just under them and well they

trying their best in their own way but

then because you're not their own child

so they they have the kind of control

over you and you just have to please

them until they are satisfied you don't

have your way. So how do you advise me

to in this kind of condition how to

speak up and how in the best way and

also how to manage

still you sometimes you don't even when

you try but you want to get your book

you want to do something but they still

call you around and at the end of the

day you get so tired you don't have you

don't have enough time for yourself to

do something or work so how do you

advise me in this kind of situation to

put myself together and able to achieve

and um when it needs to when I need to

speak up to speak up in a more

respectful way. Thank you. Moren, I

appreciate your question because many of

us who come from uh circumstances that

are a challenge don't come from this

kind of engine of like you're in college

so focus on on school work or you know

there there's actually a the greater

prioritization may be even the economic

need right I I will say like there's a

sociological framework Manslow's

hierarchy of needs right and it

describes lives like the greatest of

those is self-actualization,

right? But you have these earlier needs,

right? That are, you know, just kind of

more survival oriented before you get to

the self-actualization.

One of the things I I find in in in your

question and potential response that,

you know, one and I I was pleased that

you know, my mother was showing a model

and she was going back to school and

taking a class at a time and it took

decade. My mother graduated from college

when I finished high school. So that was

a scenario where I had a supportive

person in terms of her desire for me to

be a scholar. But it wasn't like the

pathway that I went and going off to

college that she actually had, meaning

she didn't do it four years. She wasn't

away from home. She she didn't have that

same experience. And as I made a career

pathway to go to Wall Street, she

certainly did have that. It was a it was

like going to Mars. she she could not be

supportive. Uh so I can relate in some

sense but not exactly in the same way.

The first thing I I'll say which is I

talk a lot about faith and faith to me

is not some blind trust and you just go

along like oh it's going to happen but

it's an actionable state. It's it's

faith married with work. So, one thing

I'll say because you're saying, "Hey,

someone or or you know, someone's

pulling on my time and they're not

respecting the fact that I have this

schoolwork to do and it encumbers my

academic performance." Um, one of the

things I will tell you and there there

are these awesome and and rich polls is

that we have to set the goal in our mind

and write it down even the clarity of

what we're solving for and we have to

take inventory I believe of the things

that are supporting us and helping us to

realize it and the things that are

detracting us from it. doesn't mean that

we're we h we're able to do everything

that we want to realize the academic

goal. Doesn't mean that we can we can do

that and that we're not pulled from

having worked. But it does mean we can

at least acknowledge when we recognize

that we are not able to realize that

goal or or that we're doing something

that's distracting us from that goal.

You know what I mean? So, hey, okay. I

I'm I'm doing this but this is not

aligned with the the bigger goal that I

have for myself.

When you're studying and when you're

going through college, you're doing

these step, you're studying, you're take

you're going showing up to class, you're

taking quizzes, you're doing research

reports, that's not the direct way,

that's not the the fastest pathway to

say economic opportunity for yourself

and your family. Like people say, "Oh,

go get a job." if you get this job right

around the corner from where you live,

you can make money and I can contribute.

Well, I could do that, but also I miss

the bigger possibility for myself. One, using my mind in a way that I feel is

using my mind in a way that I feel is compelling, but also in perhaps a more

compelling, but also in perhaps a more significant economic yield over the not

significant economic yield over the not tooistant future and longer run. So, one

tooistant future and longer run. So, one of the things I say is you have to

of the things I say is you have to always have clarity of the goal that

always have clarity of the goal that you're solving for. When we have to do

you're solving for. When we have to do things and sometimes we do things that

things and sometimes we do things that we find are distracting from that

we find are distracting from that objective, we call it out if nothing but

objective, we call it out if nothing but to ourselves.

to ourselves. So, I'm Muslim and there's this hadith

So, I'm Muslim and there's this hadith which is like a saying of of Prophet

which is like a saying of of Prophet Muhammad. There's peace of bless be upon

Muhammad. There's peace of bless be upon him but there's this saying that says if

him but there's this saying that says if you see something wrong first change it

you see something wrong first change it with your hand. I mean physically try to

with your hand. I mean physically try to change it. If you're unable to do so,

change it. If you're unable to do so, change it with your tongue. Speak out

change it with your tongue. Speak out against it. If you're unable to do so,

against it. If you're unable to do so, change it with your heart. But that is

change it with your heart. But that is the weakest of faith. And I I think

the weakest of faith. And I I think about that framework in the context of

about that framework in the context of some times when I'm faced with some

some times when I'm faced with some challenges if I'm able to change it

challenges if I'm able to change it like, hey, no. So there are some times I

like, hey, no. So there are some times I had to be and communicate to some of my

had to be and communicate to some of my friends when I was trying to be a

friends when I was trying to be a scholar and they weren't. I said, "Hey,

scholar and they weren't. I said, "Hey, I can't I we can't be friends anymore."

I can't I we can't be friends anymore." Some respected that and they supported

Some respected that and they supported me and they encouraged me. Others were

me and they encouraged me. Others were always going to detract me from it so I

always going to detract me from it so I could physically I could change it with

could physically I could change it with my hand. some I wasn't able to kind of

my hand. some I wasn't able to kind of physical change but I could articulate

physical change but I could articulate this is not this not going to help me to

this is not this not going to help me to what I want to do for my big goal I

what I want to do for my big goal I spoke out against it and that when you

spoke out against it and that when you unable to do so in your heart right say

unable to do so in your heart right say man sometimes you're not able to but

man sometimes you're not able to but that's the weakest of faith I I share

that's the weakest of faith I I share that framework for you that it may be

that framework for you that it may be helpful try to actively change the

helpful try to actively change the things that you can for those that you

things that you can for those that you can't speak out against them for those

can't speak out against them for those that you can't just hold it in your

that you can't just hold it in your heart till you can but know that that

heart till you can but know that that and for me I found that when I was clear

and for me I found that when I was clear in the understanding that something was

in the understanding that something was not supporting my goal I wanted to turn

not supporting my goal I wanted to turn away from it and when I could not do so

away from it and when I could not do so and sometimes you you are not able to

and sometimes you you are not able to when you're not able to do so then uh

when you're not able to do so then uh use it in in other ways but actively in

use it in in other ways but actively in your mind and your heart be aware that

your mind and your heart be aware that it's not something that's supporting

it's not something that's supporting your goal and then regarding support I

your goal and then regarding support I generally I generally find that when you

generally I generally find that when you articulate this is related to the

articulate this is related to the question before when you're clear on

question before when you're clear on those goals and those objectives I just

those goals and those objectives I just believe in forces greater than humans

believe in forces greater than humans right I believe in a creator greater

right I believe in a creator greater than humans that make possibilities

than humans that make possibilities happen uh and I would encourage you to

happen uh and I would encourage you to test that I think you'll find the same

test that I think you'll find the same to test that that faith that orientation

to test that that faith that orientation about making things possible. Um, that's

about making things possible. Um, that's that's what I have to your question and

that's what I have to your question and I wish you luck.

I wish you luck. >> Thank you very much. Yeah, thanks for

>> Thank you very much. Yeah, thanks for that really honest question and honest

that really honest question and honest response. Um, I know we had some people

response. Um, I know we had some people wondering what that framework was that

wondering what that framework was that you mentioned. It was Maslo's hierarchy

you mentioned. It was Maslo's hierarchy of needs and being able to prioritize

of needs and being able to prioritize who's around you and um, supporting you.

who's around you and um, supporting you. So, thank you very much. Um, how about

So, thank you very much. Um, how about we hop over to Isa. Why don't you come

we hop over to Isa. Why don't you come on up um and share where you're coming

on up um and share where you're coming from and um your question please?

from and um your question please? >> Uh thank you so much. Uh I am very

>> Uh thank you so much. Uh I am very excited and I it felt wonderful to be

excited and I it felt wonderful to be here. I have two question. Uh what else?

here. I have two question. Uh what else? First question uh what strategics do you

First question uh what strategics do you uh recommend recommend for uh validating

uh recommend recommend for uh validating on uh early uh stage uh idea before uh

on uh early uh stage uh idea before uh investing a significant

investing a significant uh time and uh resources uh into it. Uh

uh time and uh resources uh into it. Uh this my first question. Uh I have second

this my first question. Uh I have second question. Um what advice uh do you uh

question. Um what advice uh do you uh have for uh someone uh aiming uh to

have for uh someone uh aiming uh to uh merge in entrepreneurship with uh

uh merge in entrepreneurship with uh publish policy particularly uh for

publish policy particularly uh for creating u solutions uh in immigration

creating u solutions uh in immigration education uh in inequality and uh

education uh in inequality and uh development.

development. >> Oh, excellent. Uh so really appreciate

>> Oh, excellent. Uh so really appreciate your question. Thank you. So I'm

your question. Thank you. So I'm spending my days uh at open opportunity

spending my days uh at open opportunity fund.

fund. >> Our smallest check, so what we invest in

>> Our smallest check, so what we invest in emerging uh technology companies, B2B

emerging uh technology companies, B2B SAS uh companies is $125,000.

SAS uh companies is $125,000. Our largest check is a $10 million check

Our largest check is a $10 million check and we invest in growth equity

and we invest in growth equity companies. So that's a broad range of

companies. So that's a broad range of possibilities. But I wanted to go back

possibilities. But I wanted to go back to something fundamental. you said in

to something fundamental. you said in investing like you know what advice

investing like you know what advice would you have and someone seeking to

would you have and someone seeking to kind of hone the ideas what I heard out

kind of hone the ideas what I heard out out of your question. I remember a

out of your question. I remember a framework from Harvard Business School

framework from Harvard Business School that described in an entrepreneurial

that described in an entrepreneurial finance course that I had that says that

finance course that I had that says that in assessing or cultivating

in assessing or cultivating entrepreneurial ventures um there is a

entrepreneurial ventures um there is a framework of people,

framework of people, opportunity,

opportunity, context

context and deal. that those are are the

and deal. that those are are the variables to evaluate and consider with

variables to evaluate and consider with people being the most significant and

people being the most significant and important part of it.

important part of it. So when I think about uh you know

So when I think about uh you know entrepreneurial assessing an

entrepreneurial assessing an entrepreneurial venture it kind of

entrepreneurial venture it kind of emerges who's coming together right to

emerges who's coming together right to frame this idea and to execute on it.

frame this idea and to execute on it. What are how do they think how do they

What are how do they think how do they or how if if it's just my idea like how

or how if if it's just my idea like how have I navigate the spaces I've been in

have I navigate the spaces I've been in people opportunity having a rich

people opportunity having a rich intelligence of how broad the span is

intelligence of how broad the span is what is that I'm solving why is it

what is that I'm solving why is it relevant who who would want to utilize

relevant who who would want to utilize this and why and having a deep

this and why and having a deep understanding of that context is a kind

understanding of that context is a kind of a related point but it frames it

of a related point but it frames it right in that do I have the relative

right in that do I have the relative sense of this versus other things that

sense of this versus other things that are in the broader space that are trying

are in the broader space that are trying to address that maybe there are relevant

to address that maybe there are relevant solutions do I know them well uh and

solutions do I know them well uh and then the deal right that's many

then the deal right that's many components that is what is what are the

components that is what is what are the variables that are come together that

variables that are come together that motivate me as an individual to be a

motivate me as an individual to be a part of this or a team of people to come

part of this or a team of people to come together to do it what aligns one the

together to do it what aligns one the other uh it could be in what is the

other uh it could be in what is the shake hand with those clients or those

shake hand with those clients or those customers of the solution that I'm

customers of the solution that I'm giving how relevant is it how much of a

giving how relevant is it how much of a burning uh resolution does it provide

burning uh resolution does it provide things like that so that people

things like that so that people opportunity context and deal are

opportunity context and deal are framework that I' I've learned to kind

framework that I' I've learned to kind of lean on and then you're asking a more

of lean on and then you're asking a more particular question uh I'm not per se an

particular question uh I'm not per se an expert in entrepreneurship to some

expert in entrepreneurship to some education

education uh some of the se sector deliverables

uh some of the se sector deliverables that you define but I will say knowing

that you define but I will say knowing the end customer knowing the end

the end customer knowing the end recipient knowing that very well so that

recipient knowing that very well so that you're the solution that you're con

you're the solution that you're con you're uh creating is something that

you're uh creating is something that really uh uh addresses a need in a way

really uh uh addresses a need in a way that someone is willing to sacrifice

that someone is willing to sacrifice that. So often people in the vacuum of

that. So often people in the vacuum of their own thinking construct an idea and

their own thinking construct an idea and say, "Hey, I've got a product."

say, "Hey, I've got a product." But when you ask them how they tested

But when you ask them how they tested that, how do they know that's relevant?

that, how do they know that's relevant? The information is weak. So spending the

The information is weak. So spending the time to actually socialize the idea of

time to actually socialize the idea of that potential solution or product or

that potential solution or product or service in a way that you get rich

service in a way that you get rich information that you've sand it down

information that you've sand it down right based on information and

right based on information and perspective that you've gained to make

perspective that you've gained to make it that much better is a is a critical

it that much better is a is a critical step. So I I'd offer that for you now.

step. So I I'd offer that for you now. >> Great. Thank you for that targeted uh

>> Great. Thank you for that targeted uh response to some of those specific

response to some of those specific industry questions. Um we'll ask uh

industry questions. Um we'll ask uh Allah Ismile, why don't you come on up

Allah Ismile, why don't you come on up um and share where you're coming from

um and share where you're coming from and your question, please.

>> Okay. Um can you hear me well? >> I can.

>> I can. >> Okay. Okay. Um I'm married. I'm a new

>> Okay. Okay. Um I'm married. I'm a new psychiatric resident.

psychiatric resident. >> Not now though. you just went you went

>> Not now though. you just went you went from hearing you a bit better to not

from hearing you a bit better to not well.

well. >> Uh so I was just introducing myself

>> Uh so I was just introducing myself saying um I'm Alah is um I'm from Egypt

saying um I'm Alah is um I'm from Egypt and I really like to thank you for this

and I really like to thank you for this wonderful session. Um however I really

wonderful session. Um however I really like to share with you uh um my

like to share with you uh um my situation right now and I really uh need

situation right now and I really uh need your advice and I feel that it maybe you

your advice and I feel that it maybe you could inspire some uh solution. Um

could inspire some uh solution. Um currently I'm I'm really interested in

currently I'm I'm really interested in helping patients with uh tremorous

helping patients with uh tremorous disorders like those with Parkinson

disorders like those with Parkinson disease and other you know um tremor

disease and other you know um tremor disorders and I I really have an idea to

disorders and I I really have an idea to develop um to develop an app to monitor

develop um to develop an app to monitor the tremors in those patients since

the tremors in those patients since monitoring the tremors of those patients

monitoring the tremors of those patients some some sort of vital thing in the

some some sort of vital thing in the follow-ups in the doctors and the

follow-ups in the doctors and the outpatient clinic. However, right now I

outpatient clinic. However, right now I I don't feel that I'm I'm I'm well

I don't feel that I'm I'm I'm well connected

connected um to uh mentors in this field and I

um to uh mentors in this field and I feel like I'm I'm just starting. I I do

feel like I'm I'm just starting. I I do have the idea and I do have some uh

have the idea and I do have some uh already presented programs that are

already presented programs that are present in the app store. However, there

present in the app store. However, there are very very there are very limited

are very very there are very limited apps doing uh the similar idea and I

apps doing uh the similar idea and I really don't know how to how to work on

really don't know how to how to work on my idea and how to implement the idea in

my idea and how to implement the idea in a in an efficient way.

a in an efficient way. >> Excellent. Um so one of the things that

>> Excellent. Um so one of the things that I I hear you say which is I have this

I I hear you say which is I have this great idea but I feel disconnected from

great idea but I feel disconnected from a broader ecosystem of support. Right.

a broader ecosystem of support. Right. And

And >> how do I plug into that? So, I mentioned

>> how do I plug into that? So, I mentioned during the the talk that I'm actually in

during the the talk that I'm actually in Birmingham, Alabama right now. And part

Birmingham, Alabama right now. And part of that is the same thing, right? Like

of that is the same thing, right? Like this is not a traditional technology

this is not a traditional technology ecosystem

ecosystem um that people go to to make

um that people go to to make investments, but I'm here to hear from

investments, but I'm here to hear from founders to share some perspective to

founders to share some perspective to learn uh and to tap into that as a

learn uh and to tap into that as a potential source of investment. What I

potential source of investment. What I will say is that

will say is that you uh create a really good idea and the

you uh create a really good idea and the world will make a path to your door.

world will make a path to your door. Part of it is just figuring out the

Part of it is just figuring out the bridge to get that idea and the

bridge to get that idea and the awareness known. I mentioned that when I

awareness known. I mentioned that when I was in college, I didn't have the money

was in college, I didn't have the money to fund it, but I began to write letters

to fund it, but I began to write letters and notes and I started kind of local,

and notes and I started kind of local, right? And then I was broadening that

right? And then I was broadening that out, but I started to administrators and

out, but I started to administrators and I reached out to trustees on the board

I reached out to trustees on the board and those people were living in

and those people were living in different geographies and whatnot. Um,

different geographies and whatnot. Um, okay. I I think the power to communicate

okay. I I think the power to communicate is is so exceptional, right? and is so

is is so exceptional, right? and is so needed and with the AI and with um uh

needed and with the AI and with um uh the internet, right, the pathway of

the internet, right, the pathway of getting some pretty rich targets of who

getting some pretty rich targets of who would find what I've got interesting and

would find what I've got interesting and I would be a c a campaigning machine if

I would be a c a campaigning machine if you will of trying to articulate what

you will of trying to articulate what you're working on in those ordinance. I

you're working on in those ordinance. I don't know your space well enough to

don't know your space well enough to give specific advice, right? it's just

give specific advice, right? it's just not a a space that I focus on. But I

not a a space that I focus on. But I know like that that that outreach right

know like that that that outreach right can land and uh some of the foundational

can land and uh some of the foundational things that I started with right just

things that I started with right just having the faith that you can change

having the faith that you can change your circumstance that you can in fact

your circumstance that you can in fact likely reach someone that may find it a

likely reach someone that may find it a value and that you can collaborate with

value and that you can collaborate with that um you can actually um you know in

that um you can actually um you know in in your communications ultimately land

in your communications ultimately land with a partner or sometimes um So the

with a partner or sometimes um So the things that I think to do are just that,

things that I think to do are just that, right? Like you want to make sure that

right? Like you want to make sure that you've assessed the goodness of what

you've assessed the goodness of what you've got. Um that you've got a

you've got. Um that you've got a reasonable framework of describing it.

reasonable framework of describing it. You want to keep sanding down and

You want to keep sanding down and improving on how you articulate the

improving on how you articulate the features, benefits, the capabilities of

features, benefits, the capabilities of your thing. Sometimes I find it's

your thing. Sometimes I find it's helpful to do that in partnership with

helpful to do that in partnership with others. So maybe you don't know that big

others. So maybe you don't know that big ecosystem of support but there's

ecosystem of support but there's somebody who knows your idea or know you

somebody who knows your idea or know you well enough to be a collaborator in the

well enough to be a collaborator in the effort and sometimes that help fuels um

effort and sometimes that help fuels um the uh your uh pathway forward. Those

the uh your uh pathway forward. Those are things that I think about but it is

are things that I think about but it is possible right the the world is growing

possible right the the world is growing smaller and smaller in terms of our

smaller and smaller in terms of our ability to reach someone around the

ability to reach someone around the planet. um that's an email away that

planet. um that's an email away that that's a text away or WhatsApp away into

that's a text away or WhatsApp away into being able to understanding and and

being able to understanding and and being able to match uh that they could

being able to match uh that they could be a support. So just don't lose faith.

be a support. So just don't lose faith. Like the the pathway of entrepreneurs uh

Like the the pathway of entrepreneurs uh social entrepreneurs, business

social entrepreneurs, business entrepreneurs are are is a pathway of

entrepreneurs are are is a pathway of believing in things that are not very

believing in things that are not very clear or seen and having enough

clear or seen and having enough fortitude to see it through even when

fortitude to see it through even when others don't initially. So uh that's a

others don't initially. So uh that's a spirit I can only encourage you to say

spirit I can only encourage you to say that time after time um the stories of

that time after time um the stories of people who have had that um create

people who have had that um create extraordinary products and ideas and

extraordinary products and ideas and services that ultimately found find

services that ultimately found find their home. So I wish you luck um but

their home. So I wish you luck um but also I I salute you and support you. But

also I I salute you and support you. But that's the pathway of an entrepreneur.

really important tips and I also think it aligns well with kind of where we're

it aligns well with kind of where we're at in our program in terms of creating

at in our program in terms of creating project proposals and how to communicate

project proposals and how to communicate ideas um and a lot of resources in the

ideas um and a lot of resources in the alumni community as well. So thanks very

alumni community as well. So thanks very much for that question and your

much for that question and your response. Um how about we ask and why

response. Um how about we ask and why don't you come on up ask your question

don't you come on up ask your question and share where you're coming from

and share where you're coming from please.

Hi everyone. I hope you can get me from here. Um, okay. So, thank you so much

here. Um, okay. So, thank you so much for your session today. Your story

for your session today. Your story really got to me and your story with

really got to me and your story with your sister, how she inspired you with

your sister, how she inspired you with just a few words. I think I can relate

just a few words. I think I can relate with that with my brother too. I think

with that with my brother too. I think he's the one who pushed me into this my

he's the one who pushed me into this my professional career and all of that. So,

professional career and all of that. So, I'm Joyce Annie from Cameroon. I'm a

I'm Joyce Annie from Cameroon. I'm a computer computer engineering student

computer computer engineering student and I'm working with this classmate of

and I'm working with this classmate of mine where we

mine where we um started this startup. We have startup

um started this startup. We have startup called Deltech Hub. Yeah. Where we our

called Deltech Hub. Yeah. Where we our main goal is to empower young

main goal is to empower young entrepreneurs. Yeah. Through boot camps

entrepreneurs. Yeah. Through boot camps um hackathons like the last hackathon we

um hackathons like the last hackathon we organized the 24hour hackathon. Yeah. It

organized the 24hour hackathon. Yeah. It was massive and all of that. But then I

was massive and all of that. But then I have two pertinent questions which I

have two pertinent questions which I wrote them down that I love to ask. Um

wrote them down that I love to ask. Um okay so mostly what I'm doing right now

okay so mostly what I'm doing right now is graphic designing and I've worked in

is graphic designing and I've worked in let's say I've volunteered in various

let's say I've volunteered in various organizations

organizations um with my graphic designing skills,

um with my graphic designing skills, social media management. have helped

social media management. have helped boost so many social media um pages for

boost so many social media um pages for various brands and organizations

various brands and organizations and but now I feel like I think I need

and but now I feel like I think I need to go professional. I need to get myself

to go professional. I need to get myself paid. I mean even though I'm a student,

paid. I mean even though I'm a student, I know so well that I have gotten a lot

I know so well that I have gotten a lot of skills and experience from all of

of skills and experience from all of these. I need to get paid. I need to

these. I need to get paid. I need to brand my personal self. Yeah. My own

brand my personal self. Yeah. My own personal myself personally. But then I I

personal myself personally. But then I I don't know people don't really get this

don't know people don't really get this aspect when I tell people that I'm sorry

aspect when I tell people that I'm sorry but I'm not available for this anymore.

but I'm not available for this anymore. It feels like I'm breaking off from the

It feels like I'm breaking off from the organization. I don't want to follow

organization. I don't want to follow with the course. But of course I am

with the course. But of course I am still willing. I am still willing to

still willing. I am still willing to volunteer. I'm someone who is passionate

volunteer. I'm someone who is passionate about volunteering and all of that. But

about volunteering and all of that. But then there will always be a time where

then there will always be a time where I'll have to prioritize my own self. So

I'll have to prioritize my own self. So I don't know how to go about telling

I don't know how to go about telling them this so that at least they can

them this so that at least they can actually use this as a means to support

actually use this as a means to support me evenly. to help me grow like for

me evenly. to help me grow like for people to see me. I almost got a

people to see me. I almost got a contract for a John Maxwell program to

contract for a John Maxwell program to to brand the whole lead to lead um

to brand the whole lead to lead um program from one of their um coaches,

program from one of their um coaches, but then I had to decline it just

but then I had to decline it just because of this person volunteering

because of this person volunteering issues. But I'm like, God, this is

issues. But I'm like, God, this is something massive that I can put out for

something massive that I can put out for myself and brand myself and get myself

myself and brand myself and get myself known as a good graphic designer. So

known as a good graphic designer. So that's the first question. How do I how

that's the first question. How do I how do I tell them that okay this is it. I

do I tell them that okay this is it. I need to keep doing things for myself. I

need to keep doing things for myself. I need to start looking at me myself. How

need to start looking at me myself. How to get myself out there. And the next

to get myself out there. And the next thing is so for us young Africans

thing is so for us young Africans entrepreneurs um you talk you spoke

entrepreneurs um you talk you spoke about um leveraging human

about um leveraging human characteristics be it based beyond that

characteristics be it based beyond that their gender or color and everything. So

their gender or color and everything. So given that we are in this tech space, we

given that we are in this tech space, we are this our organization Delta Club. We

are this our organization Delta Club. We have difficulties getting to partners,

have difficulties getting to partners, not just sponsors. I mean um I always

not just sponsors. I mean um I always bring out tips on how we can bring um

bring out tips on how we can bring um resources on how we can get because it

resources on how we can get because it is actually difficult to get money out

is actually difficult to get money out of people's pockets to support your own

of people's pockets to support your own initiative and ideas. So what I do is I

initiative and ideas. So what I do is I try to to leverage on the small

try to to leverage on the small resources we have. But the thing is

resources we have. But the thing is bringing in partners, people to believe

bringing in partners, people to believe in our vision. So, how do you Okay, let

in our vision. So, how do you Okay, let me just read the question directly. How

me just read the question directly. How can we young Africans build networks

can we young Africans build networks that go beyond identity levels like tap

that go beyond identity levels like tap into real and meaningful human

into real and meaningful human connection? How do we build that

connection? How do we build that connection to get people believe in your

connection to get people believe in your vision? Get people believe that okay,

vision? Get people believe that okay, this is what you are doing and you're

this is what you are doing and you're going in for this. Because many people

going in for this. Because many people get to believe in our vision when they

get to believe in our vision when they start seeing the results and that's when

start seeing the results and that's when they start rushing in. But I mean that's

they start rushing in. But I mean that's maybe when you don't even need them.

maybe when you don't even need them. Then they start rushing in and bringing

Then they start rushing in and bringing in their own ideas to and then they want

in their own ideas to and then they want to be at the top and then bring down

to be at the top and then bring down your ideas and you're like but I'm the

your ideas and you're like but I'm the one who has this idea. Just listen to me

one who has this idea. Just listen to me and go with the flow. So that's my

and go with the flow. So that's my question. Thank you.

question. Thank you. >> All right. I really appreciate it and I

>> All right. I really appreciate it and I I think I've got u some some reasonable

I think I've got u some some reasonable responses for them both. So, one is this

responses for them both. So, one is this notion like I'm a budding entrepreneur

notion like I'm a budding entrepreneur and it's hard to pivot from being uh

and it's hard to pivot from being uh somebody who volunteered and perhaps

somebody who volunteered and perhaps gave gave away things that are now

gave gave away things that are now trying to uh pivot and make charge and

trying to uh pivot and make charge and you're a web designer and and doing

you're a web designer and and doing that. One thing I'd say is like people

that. One thing I'd say is like people respect the things that we respect

respect the things that we respect ourselves, right? So if the sanctity of

ourselves, right? So if the sanctity of what we're doing, we're building a

what we're doing, we're building a business and by the way your

business and by the way your intellectual capital, your thinking,

intellectual capital, your thinking, your mind, your skills are what you're

your mind, your skills are what you're using. Um, and there can be a point, by

using. Um, and there can be a point, by the way, continue to, I think, have

the way, continue to, I think, have things that you volunteer for, but have

things that you volunteer for, but have that be a definitive point. Maybe

that be a definitive point. Maybe there's a budget. So if you think about

there's a budget. So if you think about a time budget that's allocated and you

a time budget that's allocated and you say I'm giving X percent to volunteer

say I'm giving X percent to volunteer and when that reaches that capacity,

and when that reaches that capacity, it's something that you can articulate.

it's something that you can articulate. It's kind of a policy thing that you can

It's kind of a policy thing that you can set. Um so perhaps communicating this

set. Um so perhaps communicating this orientation around what you're able and

orientation around what you're able and willing to do saying, hey, I got and

willing to do saying, hey, I got and make it a bidding thing, right? I only

make it a bidding thing, right? I only have X hours that I'm allocating for

have X hours that I'm allocating for that. and keeping a discipline around

that. and keeping a discipline around it, right? But you know those are big

it, right? But you know those are big things that I would begin to socialize

things that I would begin to socialize and I do find like success beget

and I do find like success beget success. So as you're an entrepreneur

success. So as you're an entrepreneur and you earn out where people are

and you earn out where people are compensating you for the work that you

compensating you for the work that you do that's your that's your IP that's

do that's your that's your IP that's your intellectual property um that

your intellectual property um that you're generating.

you're generating. um people generally say well people are

um people generally say well people are paying her for that and like you know

paying her for that and like you know once that thread but it does take a

once that thread but it does take a discipline to establish that and create

discipline to establish that and create it um I think that's important and and

it um I think that's important and and so the entrepreneurial pathway I do

so the entrepreneurial pathway I do think how we position ourselves as

think how we position ourselves as professional so if someone comes for

professional so if someone comes for something as volunteer and then you give

something as volunteer and then you give them a contract that's for compensation

them a contract that's for compensation like it becomes very clear like doing

like it becomes very clear like doing things that are more businesslike in the

things that are more businesslike in the processing of things helps to socialize

processing of things helps to socialize the idea that this is actually for pay

the idea that this is actually for pay and and volunteering. Um, I'd encourage

and and volunteering. Um, I'd encourage keep a part that is volunteer because

keep a part that is volunteer because some of your best paying customers could

some of your best paying customers could emerge from something like that, right?

emerge from something like that, right? It's doesn't directly distract. At least

It's doesn't directly distract. At least that's my opinion. And then from a

that's my opinion. And then from a resources perspective,

resources perspective, uh, partners and building networks, you

uh, partners and building networks, you know, look, I I believe in the

know, look, I I believe in the communicated word. So the presentations

communicated word. So the presentations that we organize, the business plan that

that we organize, the business plan that we share, um the uh each of those

we share, um the uh each of those variables and and many others are the

variables and and many others are the types of things that help people to

types of things that help people to understand what you're offering and what

understand what you're offering and what you're about. It's important to nail

you're about. It's important to nail those things down, to put those things

those things down, to put those things down on a screen or on paper and share

down on a screen or on paper and share them and get feedback from them uh from

them and get feedback from them uh from people that you're you're soliciting for

people that you're you're soliciting for whatever purpose. So I I think it's um a

whatever purpose. So I I think it's um a process of just kind of nailing down

process of just kind of nailing down your ideas, sharing those ideas,

your ideas, sharing those ideas, refining them through time um which

refining them through time um which could be helpful from that perspective.

could be helpful from that perspective. I believe that it is often best what's

I believe that it is often best what's the the the saying like if you want to

the the the saying like if you want to go fast go alone if you want to go far

go fast go alone if you want to go far go together um the opportunity of having

go together um the opportunity of having uh and considering partners um it's

uh and considering partners um it's often a helpful self-fulfilling

often a helpful self-fulfilling uh thing when you're able to lean on

uh thing when you're able to lean on others towards realizing an objective

others towards realizing an objective and it could be something to consider

and it could be something to consider that can help you in that space. Um, but

that can help you in that space. Um, but for me, nail it down. Put begin to share

for me, nail it down. Put begin to share things. Begin to widen the audience of

things. Begin to widen the audience of what you share to anybody who'd listen.

what you share to anybody who'd listen. Hey, let me tell you about my business.

Hey, let me tell you about my business. I want to share this idea. Hey, you seem

I want to share this idea. Hey, you seem like share that business plan. Get

like share that business plan. Get feedback on it. You can participate. And

feedback on it. You can participate. And now it's becoming globally. There's all

now it's becoming globally. There's all kind of pitch competitions and things

kind of pitch competitions and things that you say, "Hey, I've got an idea to

that you say, "Hey, I've got an idea to start a business. Looks like this could

start a business. Looks like this could be somewhere completely around the

be somewhere completely around the world." And again in the age of AI

world." And again in the age of AI literally you go to school uh you can

literally you go to school uh you can search you know an AI search for a chat

search you know an AI search for a chat search for a pitch competition or

search for a pitch competition or something and you find forums where

something and you find forums where you'll be submitting your idea and

you'll be submitting your idea and getting feedback and can get feedback to

getting feedback and can get feedback to refine it. But those are things that I'd

refine it. But those are things that I'd consider.

consider. >> Thank you very much. Um I think that

>> Thank you very much. Um I think that entrepreneur spirit is in a lot of us

entrepreneur spirit is in a lot of us especially in this program and again at

especially in this program and again at this time and stage we're thinking about

this time and stage we're thinking about project proposals and how to communicate

project proposals and how to communicate with others about our ideas. Um so

with others about our ideas. Um so really appreciated all of your

really appreciated all of your thoughtful questions. We are coming up

thoughtful questions. We are coming up on time so I know we didn't get a chance

on time so I know we didn't get a chance to get to everyone's questions. We

to get to everyone's questions. We really appreciate your engagement. Um

really appreciate your engagement. Um there is a spot on our feedback form for

there is a spot on our feedback form for you to share additional questions. So um

you to share additional questions. So um we welcome you to do that. And before we

we welcome you to do that. And before we go I want to thank u Mr. Shakroshed for

go I want to thank u Mr. Shakroshed for joining us today. Um we really

joining us today. Um we really appreciate you sharing your story.

appreciate you sharing your story. Again, being vulnerable, sharing

Again, being vulnerable, sharing personal journey steps as well as

personal journey steps as well as entrepreneurial um tips as well. So,

entrepreneurial um tips as well. So, thank you very much for your time. We're

thank you very much for your time. We're just going to wrap up with some

just going to wrap up with some attendance and logistic things. So, feel

attendance and logistic things. So, feel free to log off.

free to log off. >> All right. Thanks everyone. Really

>> All right. Thanks everyone. Really appreciate the time. I'm sorry I didn't

appreciate the time. I'm sorry I didn't get to all the questions, but so

get to all the questions, but so thankful for the ones that I did.

thankful for the ones that I did. Continue to strive, continue to aspire

Continue to strive, continue to aspire to be excellent in the things that you

to be excellent in the things that you do. All right. All the best. Thank you.

do. All right. All the best. Thank you. >> Thank you.

>> Thank you. >> Um all right, so with that, I know we're

>> Um all right, so with that, I know we're coming up on time. Thank you all for

coming up on time. Thank you all for joining today. Um some reminders, your

joining today. Um some reminders, your attendance will take a day or so, a

attendance will take a day or so, a couple days um to be calculated and

couple days um to be calculated and reflect on your engaged portal. It will

reflect on your engaged portal. It will be reflected um where you join this

be reflected um where you join this master class from in the event card. At

master class from in the event card. At the end of week four, you'll see an

the end of week four, you'll see an attended symbol. Again, it won't show up

attended symbol. Again, it won't show up right away. It will take a couple of

right away. It will take a couple of days, but if you were in the session for

days, but if you were in the session for at least 60 minutes, it will end up

at least 60 minutes, it will end up there. Um the feedback form will also be

there. Um the feedback form will also be open now so you can go there and input

open now so you can go there and input your feedback on the session as well. Um

your feedback on the session as well. Um we have one final master class for the

we have one final master class for the uh cohort 5 and that's coming up

uh cohort 5 and that's coming up tomorrow, December 9th at 6:00 p.m.

tomorrow, December 9th at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time. Um so we welcome you to

Eastern time. Um so we welcome you to join there as well for the final live se

join there as well for the final live se um live master class at the program. Um

um live master class at the program. Um and I'll leave it to Shaune if there's

and I'll leave it to Shaune if there's anything that I missed.

anything that I missed. >> Awesome. Thanks so much Morgan. Um no I

>> Awesome. Thanks so much Morgan. Um no I think you guys cover I think you covered

think you guys cover I think you covered everything. Um, thank you everybody for

everything. Um, thank you everybody for joining. Um, and we hope to see you all

joining. Um, and we hope to see you all in another master class. Thank you.

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YouTube Transcript:Aspire Masterclass: Sháka Rasheed