WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:05.160 Welcome everyone to the Blacks and Technology Big Tech Talk podcast, a shore where 2 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:09.480 we talk to black people who are engineers, innovators, educators, inventors, 3 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:14.800 change makers and entrepreneurs doing amazing things in the world of technology. The Big 4 00:00:14.839 --> 00:00:18.320 Tech Talk podcast is where they show how they are stumping the divide by sharing 5 00:00:18.359 --> 00:00:22.679 their stories, experiences, ideas, knowledge and perspective on tech with the big 6 00:00:22.679 --> 00:00:30.679 community. Welcome everybody to the Blacks and Technology Bit Tech Talk Podcasts on your 7 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:37.320 holds Gray Greenley and Today our guest is Marlena Love. Malena is the Twin 8 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:46.759 Cities Chapter President of the Blacks and Technology Other Chapter President of Twin Cities in 9 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:51.240 Blacks and Technology Foundation. I'm messing out all up. But she is also 10 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:54.479 the founder of the CEO of pipe Dream Ventures. It's a Web three venture 11 00:00:54.520 --> 00:01:02.159 studio committed to helping visionaries transform innovative concepts into fundable, scalable market solutions. 12 00:01:02.359 --> 00:01:07.879 She has over seven years of corporate leadership experience with a reputation for strategic leadership 13 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:12.719 and effectively guiding high profile global cross functional software experience. She's also at the 14 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:17.280 forefront of the digital revolution, which we're going to get into, and her 15 00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:21.560 presence is felt in the web three, blockchain and XR ecosystem, which she's 16 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:26.840 known for immersive storytelling through digital arts, technology, and culture. Welcome to 17 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:29.760 the show, Malena. How are you doing? Pretty good? Pretty good? 18 00:01:29.799 --> 00:01:32.920 And hoping I can live up to all of that. I'm pretty sure 19 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:36.840 you can pretty pretty dope. So yeah, so let's let's get into it. 20 00:01:36.920 --> 00:01:38.359 Tell us a little bit about yourself, like, you know, kind 21 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:42.000 of where you're from, you know, what your background is, your education. 22 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:48.359 Yeah, absolutely, so thank you for that opportunity to speak today into 23 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:52.200 the podcast. Very excited. I feel like it's been a while since I've 24 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:56.200 been on any platform, so I'm excited to just get back into it. 25 00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:00.480 So I would say that I'm originally from Memphis, Tennessee. How I got 26 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:05.760 up north is a story for the books. Most of it was job related. 27 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:10.159 So I've been in Minnesota since twenty eighteen, July of twenty eighteen, 28 00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:15.520 after I was expecting the career change at that point, and it's been a 29 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:19.960 journey. I've been working in project management for the past seventeen years, like 30 00:02:20.039 --> 00:02:24.719 you said. But the interesting part, I've always been passionate about entrepreneurship and 31 00:02:24.759 --> 00:02:31.439 innovation and so What's unique about my career is that I'm always in a new 32 00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:37.639 role, a new company, trying to find that it. Like, what's 33 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:43.199 my place? Was my spot And about two years ago, I out of 34 00:02:43.240 --> 00:02:47.240 curiosity, I picked up a headset b Acalus Too, and that's where I 35 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:53.639 kind of found my calling. I've been a virtual reality creator in a metaverse 36 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:59.280 where I built immersive worlds and environments. I started it for my startup. 37 00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:06.000 I found a community that allowed me to just tap back into my artistry as 38 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:09.680 a creator and to go back on that path as an entrepreneurs. So since 39 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:15.439 then, I've been I think for a whole year. I've just been in 40 00:03:15.479 --> 00:03:22.240 the metaverse, just growing my brand, my community, and revamped my business 41 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:27.960 pipe ding Ventures, my Web three community, the Diamond Resilience, and I 42 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:31.840 think I now have a following of four hundred people. And I've also made 43 00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:38.199 my first income through my venture in the metaverse. And I've just been meeting 44 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:43.120 a lot of amazing people that allow me to really found my place, which 45 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:46.840 is immersive storytelling through digital art, tech and culture. So when I'm not 46 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:53.400 looking at a project plan all day, I just put on my headset and 47 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:59.800 I'm literally my character boss Leo, and I feel like I'm changing the world 48 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:03.719 Metaversey and doing a lot of work in that area. That's pretty very and 49 00:04:03.879 --> 00:04:08.319 we're gon we're going to dive into that a little bit more later because I 50 00:04:08.360 --> 00:04:12.120 want to know more about it. Like it's funny, you know, I'm 51 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:15.360 an engineer, uh, so I deal with more with kind of like the 52 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:20.800 building of infrastructure for you know, software, uh to run on and things 53 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:26.759 like that, and not so much I guess on the cutting edge kind of 54 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:30.120 other things, right, Like so like we have three metaverse like all that 55 00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:35.120 stuff, Like I'm I don't know a lot about So I'm really really interested 56 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:40.959 in hearing more about what that is and how you are interacting with it and 57 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:44.560 how you're building a business from it. But first, let's let's talk about 58 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:48.319 like your career journey. You say you've been like in a project management space 59 00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:51.680 for quite a number of years. Tell us about how you how you got 60 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:56.879 started in that. Yeah, absolutely so, I would have to say it 61 00:04:56.920 --> 00:05:00.959 goes down to your network. I feel like the saying your network is your 62 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:05.800 network, and that is true for me. I had a friend that I 63 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:12.120 met in college who just recommended me for an internship and they said, Hey, 64 00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:15.240 I think it'd be a good opportunity for you. You're out here in 65 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:18.319 Memphis. I think you need to go out travel and expand your herot sense. 66 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:21.319 And I'm like, okay, sure, And they said Minnesota. I'm 67 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:27.519 like, what's in Minnesota? That was my first reaction. Yeah, I 68 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:30.560 know, right, So I'm like I had the most cliche question ever, 69 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:34.879 like is there actually black people there? Like I don't never really hear about 70 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:41.279 people up north, So it was new for me. So I would say 71 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:46.839 that just that network, that connection really changed the game for me. It 72 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:51.279 allowed me to I took an internship in the summer of twenty fourteen and that's 73 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:57.120 when I got paid to come out to Minnesota work as a business analyst. 74 00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:00.360 And I really liked it. I liked the opportunity, so I came back 75 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:09.519 another summertime. And fun fact, despite of like all of my involvement and 76 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:15.399 accomplishments and internships I had, I did not get one offer job offer in 77 00:06:15.480 --> 00:06:19.279 my home city. So I really had no choice but to relocate. And 78 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:25.720 that offer came from my internship, except that it was in Columbus, Indiana, 79 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:29.399 and it was as a project manager, which I had no idea what 80 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:32.519 that was at the time, but I found out very quickly what that was. 81 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:41.279 So I think the first four years of my career I've been letting others 82 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:46.879 decided for me, my managers deciding my path. I said that, hey, 83 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:49.439 if they say that you're a project manager, then that's what I was 84 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:53.920 going to do. They when I look for roles, they said, you're 85 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:57.759 a coordinator, you're a project manager. And I've been doing that and there's 86 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:02.360 always been a disconnect for me into that role. I just never seemed to 87 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:06.800 find the right fit and the right culture, and so it kind of started 88 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:13.680 a journey for me where I've just been going from different companies, different cultures, 89 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:16.519 just trying to figure out that career path for me. And only just 90 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:20.759 now, like two years ago, I really would say last year, I 91 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:26.879 just finally found my spot in my niche where I excel it excellent, excellent 92 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:31.240 and tell us kind of where what is that spot now for you? Absolutely 93 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:34.959 so for me, it's going back into my rooms as been an artist. 94 00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:40.879 Although I worked as a project manager for the past eight years, for the 95 00:07:40.920 --> 00:07:45.879 past fifteen years, even in high school, I've always been a designer. 96 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:51.439 I think I did my first side gig as a website designer graphic designer for 97 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:58.439 local businesses in Memphis, and I never deviated from that. And so I 98 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:03.240 would say when I start in the metaverse, just learning how to build worlds 99 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:07.319 with shape, it just allowed me to expand what all I could do with 100 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:13.000 this technology, that I could build an environment for people to enjoy and to 101 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:16.759 see it come to life and interact with it. And I just wanted to 102 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:22.920 pursue that. I would say that being doing the work in Blacks and Tech, 103 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:31.600 I realized that we're natural artists, we're creatives in general, but some 104 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:35.200 of the things that we struggle with in the workplace is culture. So after 105 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:41.639 having some few conversations and seeing that huge gap when it comes to technology, 106 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:46.240 it just clicked for me and said, that's it. We're controlling narratives, 107 00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:50.720 you're telling stories, and you're doing that through art, tech and culture. 108 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:56.320 And I just so happened to stumble across virtual reality that has allowed me to 109 00:08:56.480 --> 00:09:03.240 just open doors for myself. Will you typically be hard in a real world 110 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:09.320 because of what money, access to people, opportunities, where in the metaverse, 111 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:13.440 I have no limitations. I just literally create a world, set a 112 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:16.960 goal, and I just put it out in the world, so it gave 113 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:20.120 me that booster to say, like, this is that people like this, 114 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:24.120 people want this, Let's continue to do it. That's interesting. Let's let's 115 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:28.759 dive into that a little bit more. Your CEO of pipe Dreams pipe dream 116 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:33.440 Ventures, I should say, sorry about that. What is Web three, 117 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:39.840 right and trying to tell us a little bit about what your company does within 118 00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:45.399 that Web three technology? Yeah? Absolutely, So you want to think of 119 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:50.919 Web three is the next generation of the Internet. It's mostly focused on blockchain 120 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:56.759 technology, but the key way here is decentralization, where we as the people 121 00:09:56.919 --> 00:10:05.080 have more control, more ownership over our data, identity, content, acid 122 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:09.600 like we have more visibility to that. And beyond that, I'm still learning 123 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:13.600 about Web three. There's so many parts of that. I just found an 124 00:10:13.639 --> 00:10:20.440 area, which is extended reality that takes it to the next level because I 125 00:10:20.440 --> 00:10:24.679 think there's this big debate going on between whether we're in a bear market or 126 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:31.639 a ball market when it comes to Web three, blockchain and crypto which owns 127 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:37.200 things that we're still early and that's what makes us pioneers in a space like 128 00:10:37.320 --> 00:10:43.200 we have the power to really shape where the next generation of this Internet to 129 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:50.200 go. I just so happen to find virtual reality as that first step for 130 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:54.600 me. And so when we think about pipe dream ventures, we help businesses 131 00:10:54.799 --> 00:11:01.440 and brands typically on board into Web three because it's still so new and people 132 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:07.240 are still figuring out like where can I even start a career in this space, 133 00:11:07.879 --> 00:11:11.000 or how can I start a business? Or what can I do? 134 00:11:11.559 --> 00:11:16.039 And we're in that part where people need to first get educated about it and 135 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:20.440 feel safe because the last thing we want, which you're probably already seeing, 136 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:26.279 is that all the issues that we're currently seeing in Web two Web one social 137 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:30.480 media is just going to continue to carry over into Web three. And so 138 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:37.240 I like to leverate my brand and my business to build a culture and environment 139 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:43.159 to Web three that really sets the blueprint of how you do business and how 140 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:48.080 you created here and creating that opportunity for others. So let's let's let's talk 141 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:52.360 about that a little bit more. So. I'm a business and I want 142 00:11:52.399 --> 00:12:00.440 to, you know, expand my business into the Web three. I guess 143 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:05.480 what's that process look like? Yeah? Absolutely, So you're either looking to 144 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:09.799 do one or two things, right, You're either looking to expand a brand 145 00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:15.639 or business. You already have, or you're just looking to build in a 146 00:12:15.720 --> 00:12:20.360 space which I have clients on both sides, And most importantly, we're in 147 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:24.399 a whole digital creator economy where it's more like how do I build a brand? 148 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:28.559 So when I think of this, not just web three, I just 149 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:31.360 talk from the area where I'm most dumb it in, which is just the 150 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:39.080 immersive technology extended reality. I'd like to look at this as social media, 151 00:12:39.159 --> 00:12:45.000 almost like the social like Instagram, Facebook, except that you have a virtual 152 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:50.960 environment that allows you to connect with your audience on a different level. So 153 00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:56.240 let's say you have this podcast. This is a really great example here, 154 00:12:56.919 --> 00:13:03.240 although you and I are talking on this website, we could do this exact 155 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:09.879 same conversation within a virtual world environment with a cool design which I have called 156 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:16.200 the Diamond Lounge, the same audio. We have a live audience looking at 157 00:13:16.279 --> 00:13:20.679 us. It's almost like you're at a talk show in real life, but 158 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:26.159 you get to connect with people and ask questions and the audio is just clear. 159 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:31.120 So it's really taking like how can you connect and communicate in a way 160 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:35.559 with other people that bring you together? And that's what I like about it 161 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:41.759 here is that I have met people from all over the where, from Dubai, 162 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:46.480 from the UK, from Atlanta. And it's not just meeting. These 163 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:54.039 are people that I've actually collaborated, partner with, made sustatial income with, 164 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:58.720 and some of them are my clients, people that I probably would see outside 165 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:03.679 with ever talk to a day of my life. But we were able to 166 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:09.080 work together to our common goal. So that's what allows you to do. 167 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:15.799 I've seen some commercial business they were able to expand their stores. So if 168 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:20.200 you have like a hair salon and you're just looking to just have a representation 169 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:24.440 or a digital clone of that in the metaverse, you can do that and 170 00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:31.399 you have a global network of people who come and see your store versus your 171 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:37.279 pain probably like what anywhere between twenty to one hundred K to get the real 172 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:41.679 estate for it, to get the loan and all of that. When you 173 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:45.679 can literally just say, hey, I want to sell my products, let 174 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:48.879 me build a store in a week, let me have a lunch party, 175 00:14:48.279 --> 00:14:50.480 and this thing. You know, I have like twenty people buy on a 176 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:56.759 product on the week your first week. So that's what's possible in this space. 177 00:14:58.279 --> 00:15:03.879 Bit is all He's focused on forming new partnerships and opportunities to assist the 178 00:15:03.879 --> 00:15:09.519 community and our members with their continued professional growth and development. If you'd like 179 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:15.919 to partner with us, send an email in queries at blacks and Technology dot 180 00:15:16.039 --> 00:15:28.240 net. So that's what's considered like extended reality. Uh your your example of 181 00:15:28.279 --> 00:15:33.559 like this podcast and and kind of having like an in studio type feeling with 182 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:39.200 an audience and I'm doing it live and I'm doing it real here. Uh. 183 00:15:39.240 --> 00:15:43.879 And then the metaverse it's just it's it's it's still live, it's still 184 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:46.639 everything, but it's within the metaverse and it's you know, now I have 185 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:52.600 eyes on it from you know, all across the world could be uh, 186 00:15:52.679 --> 00:15:58.600 and it's done within this environment that's a lot more I guess glamorous than the 187 00:15:58.679 --> 00:16:06.000 my my launch right. Yeah, yeah, that's really what it is. 188 00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:08.399 It gets to be a space that you get to create. I know, 189 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:15.559 like right now I'm working with a client who is a community tech cub right 190 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:23.840 and right now we're local where we have students that come in person to the 191 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:29.799 tech cup to uh to learn about all the amazing resources that we have, 192 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:34.799 and we're able to like bring that into the metaverse where you get to access 193 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:41.639 all students from all around the world. Most of them are from the UK, 194 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:45.480 so I say UK a lot or Australia. But you get to expand 195 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:51.080 your reach to a broader audience because they're liking what you have. So I 196 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:57.679 like to tell people think virtual reality, mixed reality almost like a website for 197 00:16:57.720 --> 00:17:02.799 yourself of Hey, I know you see this cute website that I've done, 198 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:07.279 but come inside any emmers inside of it. Now I've seen more than just 199 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:17.400 business too. What I really love for this Web three environment is the support 200 00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:22.759 for the artists. For years, we always said that we have the starving 201 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:26.880 artists. You don't get paid, Like I've seen people come here change the 202 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:33.000 game for musicians who was able to create their own merch store, build their 203 00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:37.200 fan base. I've seen artists who are so talented, like I don't know 204 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:44.200 to this day how they're able to take a big square and a cube, 205 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:49.039 a cube and like a circle and just build a nice statue that tells the 206 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:56.319 story and a lot of people get to come into that art piece and experience 207 00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:00.359 it. So it's like another way of experiencing emotions of a person art work, 208 00:18:00.759 --> 00:18:04.359 and they actually get paid for it and they monetize on that. So 209 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:11.000 it's a really way to connect with your audience and tell your story for people 210 00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:18.359 to feel that you have you seen record companies like labels kind of embracing this 211 00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:26.599 technology more because typically in that industry you kind of have like the gatekeepers, 212 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:33.839 right and being doing things like with extended reality in the multiverse. It does 213 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:41.519 allow that decentralization of essentially power, right, So now you don't have these 214 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:47.680 you know, your your large record labels and things like that gatekeeping and keeping 215 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:52.440 artists from not only getting paid, but doing the actual art that they really 216 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:56.279 want to do. Right. You know, record labels are good at like 217 00:18:56.920 --> 00:19:02.240 controlling and directing what they want you to put out, and they don't like 218 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:06.720 it, you know it's not going. But when you start decentralizing that and 219 00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:11.319 you give more power back to the artists, right then you then than the 220 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:15.519 artists are free and able to be themselves. But I'm wondering is how are 221 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:22.799 these record companies or if you've seen record companies utilize Web three and embrace this 222 00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:27.559 new technology. I haven't seen companies yet, but this not to say that 223 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:33.279 they're not probably already doing it and figuring out there's always that because we're early, 224 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:37.759 right, it's I like to think of this like snapchat. It was 225 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:41.720 all cool and fun until they start adding in all this advertisement and companies, 226 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:45.200 and there's no doubt this it's going to go that same way here too. 227 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:48.799 But I want to go back to that key word, like the power of 228 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:55.000 the people. The whole thing of decentralization and where companies will continue to fail 229 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:59.920 is that a lot of people come into the metaverse, and myself included when 230 00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:03.400 I first started out, they come in here and they're like, how can 231 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:07.279 I make a quick book? How can I be transactional? And a lot 232 00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:12.119 of people who come to the metaverse don't come here to be solo to they 233 00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:18.960 come to connect. They come to escape their reality because it is a challenge. 234 00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:25.240 But what we all say is that we came here to escape, but 235 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:30.039 we didn't really know how powerful the community is. And that is a big 236 00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:33.400 word in Web three, is that it's power in the community. Like you 237 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:38.160 have to nurture your community, you have to give value to your community, 238 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:42.960 because when you're here just transactional and trying to make money or not going to 239 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:48.960 succeed. Because although companies can be labels, to be quite honest, and 240 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:52.839 we're seeing it with AI there's really no need for pretty much Hollywood. It's 241 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:57.319 going to be non existence, like there's no really true celebrities. They're competing 242 00:20:57.720 --> 00:21:03.759 with regular people like you and I. In fact, i've seen successful indie 243 00:21:04.599 --> 00:21:11.039 studios like I have this crazy video that I shared on Instagram of a local 244 00:21:11.079 --> 00:21:17.160 girl. I think she was from Illinois, and I just came in on 245 00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:22.160 a whole out of rap scene. I felt like I was on MTV and 246 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:26.160 everything, and these are artists I don't better up, but they were. 247 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:32.000 But I felt like I was a part of MTV just watching it front action 248 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:38.720 as she's on the mic, you know. And the person behind that world 249 00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:45.039 was actually a producer in the studio. So I see more opportunity for those 250 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:51.400 who produce music. I've seen opportunities for those who are artists, Like we 251 00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:56.680 even had a fourteen year fourteen year old just in the wrapping flowing in that 252 00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:02.200 community was encouraging and I keep going spit the b and a lot of people 253 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:07.319 were getting representation. In fact, I think this was two weeks ago. 254 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:14.799 It was this guy's first day and in his headset and he was just still 255 00:22:14.799 --> 00:22:17.640 trying to figure out how to move around. And I said, hey, 256 00:22:17.640 --> 00:22:21.640 how are you doing who always had like a virtual networking party, and he 257 00:22:21.799 --> 00:22:26.119 was like yeah, like I'm like an artist. I forgot what he said 258 00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:26.839 he was from, but he like, yeah, I'm an artist. I'm 259 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:30.680 signed artists and just trying to see what we can do. And I'm like, 260 00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:34.119 oh, I think I can connect you with some people. I brought 261 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:38.920 him into the whole studio with like twenty other musical artists where he was just 262 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:42.960 able to come in and just start doing what he did best. Got connected 263 00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:48.680 to people from LA to Atlanta and was like rapping with them, connecting with 264 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:53.880 them like planning, planning, like gates together. And I have one girl, 265 00:22:55.400 --> 00:23:00.519 he's a musician, and she's building her whole team of artists and she's 266 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:07.960 bringing them from all around the world as a part of her whole like artist 267 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:11.599 community, and she changing the game for them, like she's showing them like 268 00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:15.119 you can really make money here, like you don't have to be signed, 269 00:23:15.160 --> 00:23:21.480 Like you can grow community and have people experience your music and your artistry. 270 00:23:21.559 --> 00:23:26.400 So it definitely changed the game. And I see for producers, if you 271 00:23:26.519 --> 00:23:30.759 have beats, you're trying to get yourself out there, you can build a 272 00:23:30.839 --> 00:23:34.119 world with all of your beats on it and people just like to sing and 273 00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:41.960 rap to it. What's up everyone? We hope that you're enjoying this episode 274 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:47.440 of the Blacks and Technology Big Tech Talk podcasts. Do you or someone you 275 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:49.759 know have a dope story that they want to share with our big audience. 276 00:23:51.319 --> 00:23:55.680 Locks and Technology is seeking guests to be on our podcast. We're looking to 277 00:23:55.759 --> 00:23:59.839 highlight the journeys and experiences of black women and men in the tech industry. 278 00:24:00.200 --> 00:24:03.000 So if you know of someone, send them our way. Shoot us an 279 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:08.079 email to contact us at Blacks and Technology dot net, or click on the 280 00:24:08.119 --> 00:24:11.839 link in the show notes and fill out our form. We're looking to hear 281 00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:25.240 from you. I've seen in the music industry how it's gone from you know, 282 00:24:25.319 --> 00:24:33.200 this state of early on, you had to be huge or even within 283 00:24:33.240 --> 00:24:36.079 the local scene. Let's start there. In the local scene. You had 284 00:24:36.119 --> 00:24:38.839 to find if you let's just say, you're not a producer, a music 285 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:41.559 producer, so you had to go and you had to find somebody. Then 286 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:45.839 you have to have them believe in, you know, kind of what you 287 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:48.319 were doing as far as you know, lyrics and music and things like that 288 00:24:48.400 --> 00:24:52.960 and your vision. Then you have to connect and then you have to find 289 00:24:52.039 --> 00:24:56.720 time to go in the studio, and the studio is always owned by somebody 290 00:24:56.720 --> 00:25:00.519 else in time just booked up and blah blah blah. That's and then I 291 00:25:00.599 --> 00:25:03.240 start. And then you know, in order for your music to be distributed, 292 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:07.519 unless you're out like hand in hand selling mixtapes or a mix CDs or 293 00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:12.279 whatever, you know, you had to go that route of a record label, 294 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:17.279 and then you have to deal with them and shady contracts and distribution deals 295 00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:21.240 and all this stuff that those are the gatekeepers. And then all of a 296 00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:26.160 sudden there was this transition where you had places like CD baby, and you 297 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:32.400 had these other ways that you can distribute your music right that you can, 298 00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:37.200 uh, these online distribution outlets, right, CD baby is one of them. 299 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:40.440 There's a few other ones out there, can't you remember their names. 300 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:45.279 Then you went from that to streaming. Right then that kind of cut a 301 00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:51.559 lot of that nonsense out right, like so not totally, but some of 302 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:55.240 it, like gatekeepers and things like that, and people get access to your 303 00:25:55.279 --> 00:26:00.000 music because even with CD baby they would they would press up your CDs and 304 00:26:00.039 --> 00:26:03.359 things like that, you still have to, you know, get them in 305 00:26:03.400 --> 00:26:07.359 their record stores and all that stuff is. This is when record stores are 306 00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:10.640 really popping. I don't even know if there's record stores anymore besides ones that 307 00:26:11.119 --> 00:26:18.920 sell like vintage vinyl, and now you've got streaming and even even they're gatekeepers 308 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:22.119 there, you know, and you know, no you know, offence to 309 00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:26.279 any of the one but you you know, the YouTube, music, Spotify, 310 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:30.039 all those like Apple, like all those. You still there's still a 311 00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:37.039 level of gatekeeping happens there. Now the evolution of technology and everything like that, 312 00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:42.440 you have the metaverse. Now that gatekeeping stuff is kind of you know, 313 00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:45.359 kind of fall to the wayside. So you can get yourself in the 314 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:48.839 right to people. You can connect with people from all over now you don't 315 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:52.839 have to you know, scour your your your local area just to find you 316 00:26:52.839 --> 00:26:56.680 know, beat makers now as you know, people that have virtual studios that 317 00:26:56.799 --> 00:27:00.319 you can like. That stuff is really really cool and it really shows like 318 00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:07.240 the evolution of technology as a whole. Yeah, it's pretty cool, pretty 319 00:27:07.240 --> 00:27:10.759 cool, Yeah, I definitely agree, tell me so, yeah, yeah, 320 00:27:10.799 --> 00:27:14.720 So what other interesting like besides like this, you know the music, 321 00:27:15.799 --> 00:27:18.759 you know, some of the what other ideas and concepts that you have you 322 00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:23.640 seen like within that that space that or that you feel is really transformative. 323 00:27:25.640 --> 00:27:30.279 Yeah, so I definitely want to revisit that gatekeeping because even here, you 324 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:33.559 know, in a metaverse, you still have people that like to geatekeep. 325 00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:40.440 But I think what's really valuable is going back to the community piece, especially 326 00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:47.640 with creators like myself. So that's something I do with Pipe Dain Ventures, 327 00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:53.319 and I launch an initiative called the Exchange. And this is a platform, 328 00:27:53.440 --> 00:27:59.200 a world that I created in a platform where I bring creators, usually four 329 00:27:59.200 --> 00:28:03.440 to five creators together every month. This month we'll be doing blockchain and crypto, 330 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:11.119 and it's a program where for four weeks I get to work with those 331 00:28:11.160 --> 00:28:15.680 creators and we get to four months. Four weeks I work with those creators 332 00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:21.799 and we try to tap in and see what can they do with their current 333 00:28:21.960 --> 00:28:26.720 passion, their hobbies, how can we turn it into like a brand, 334 00:28:26.839 --> 00:28:32.200 a service offering. And the four Friday of that month, they have an 335 00:28:32.200 --> 00:28:36.720 opportunity to tell their story to the world. So we have a tagline that 336 00:28:36.759 --> 00:28:44.599 we use called transforming Stories of Resilience into Impactful Ventures. And through this Exchange, 337 00:28:44.680 --> 00:28:48.640 I call it more of a value exchange. Each of these creators within 338 00:28:48.680 --> 00:28:52.720 the same industry, they have to exchange it with each other, like a 339 00:28:52.759 --> 00:28:57.039 white Elephant party actually, because that's where it really came from, a white 340 00:28:57.039 --> 00:29:02.799 elephant party, where we exchange gifts with each other. Because a lot of 341 00:29:02.839 --> 00:29:06.480 the artists, the creators in the space, we're so new, and you 342 00:29:06.599 --> 00:29:11.079 have a lot of people that really won't show you the way or they try 343 00:29:11.119 --> 00:29:15.599 to gatekeep, and so being a part of my community in exchange really breaks 344 00:29:15.640 --> 00:29:21.319 that for them where they're able to say, hey, I'm developer, I'm 345 00:29:21.319 --> 00:29:26.240 a scriptor, or I'm into blockchain and I do courses. You get to 346 00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:33.400 take that to someone who actually looking for that service for you, and so 347 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:37.119 you've got a chance to connect that way there. So I would say that 348 00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:44.039 those are kind of the opportunities there is to connect with people to help grow 349 00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:48.680 what you're doing and really get exposure. And that's how we break the ice 350 00:29:48.759 --> 00:29:52.119 there with the boarding there. But what I really love the most for other 351 00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:56.519 opportunities, I say it all the time is the ease of access and the 352 00:29:56.559 --> 00:30:03.960 time to market. It's online, Like you have an idea on Monday, 353 00:30:03.119 --> 00:30:07.799 when you lunch on Friday and I have to met It freaked me out. 354 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:11.119 I think I was freaked out for like three to six months because I'm one 355 00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:15.680 of those people that I have New Year resolutions. And then the end of 356 00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:17.279 the year, I was like, yeah, I didn't do none of that. 357 00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:21.720 I didn't hit out one goal. But what treated me out a little 358 00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:26.279 bit was that everything I said I wanted to do it somehow happened that I 359 00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:30.480 was doing it. And my friend and remind me, like, we're actually 360 00:30:30.519 --> 00:30:33.279 doing everything we said we wanted to do here, and I was like, 361 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:37.319 you're actually right, like I'm doing it, and I'm not used to. 362 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:41.200 I'm always used to saying like I need to do this, I haven't done 363 00:30:41.240 --> 00:30:44.880 that. It's like you have an idea, you act on it. Time 364 00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:51.720 is fast. In fact, last year I did an entire two day Metaverse 365 00:30:51.720 --> 00:30:56.319 summit out on my own there, like I brought in I think over twenty 366 00:30:56.400 --> 00:31:03.519 speakers, creators, the two thousand dollars patch competition, and I did that 367 00:31:03.559 --> 00:31:07.160 in less than three months, no funding and nothing. And we're coming back 368 00:31:07.240 --> 00:31:11.400 doing it again and we got some even amazing creators and now we're launching a 369 00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:15.119 hakathon. It's no longer like Okay, we need to plan this out twelve 370 00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:19.160 months, six months out. It's more like, Hey, I have an 371 00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:25.279 idea. I want to collaborate with you. Let's market three weeks out, 372 00:31:25.480 --> 00:31:30.200 let's do it, let's split profits. And that's how it goes here. 373 00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:36.960 So it's a space that whatever ideas that you have, whatever that you think 374 00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:40.839 you want to do, you can do it. And if it doesn't work 375 00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:45.079 out, it just didn't work out because you have already tested it and you 376 00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:49.319 validated it. And it's metaverse. And that is what I'm doing with Pyderine 377 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:53.960 Ventures. I just give people like an opportunity, like let's see what you 378 00:31:55.039 --> 00:31:57.640 can do, Like what are your passionate about, and let's just see if 379 00:31:57.680 --> 00:32:01.759 it works and if it doesn't work out the four weeks, let's try it 380 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:07.119 again. So I actually have one person who's more like you. Actually you 381 00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:12.599 just ran you reminded me of him. He have his own he's a developer. 382 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:19.000 He built mobile apps and he just so happened and got interested in developing 383 00:32:19.160 --> 00:32:22.920 for virtual reality and makes reality. And so he's like, hey, I'm 384 00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:27.119 trying to tap in, like I see the opportunity, but I don't know 385 00:32:27.160 --> 00:32:30.079 what to do. And so he was a part of the showcase. He 386 00:32:30.200 --> 00:32:35.359 had a chance to speak I think on four shows already. I got him 387 00:32:35.400 --> 00:32:39.920 booked for another important show called Crypto City, and he's getting ready to launch 388 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:46.000 his world and his business through the metaverse in two weeks through a nice fun 389 00:32:46.119 --> 00:32:52.519 game called Exact Madness, where it's like Shark Take and March Madness, but 390 00:32:52.680 --> 00:32:57.440 a chance for the community to see what he's doing. And it's not something 391 00:32:57.519 --> 00:33:00.559 typical like here's an event show up, let me build a world or an 392 00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:05.119 out for you. It's more of like, here's something of value, like 393 00:33:05.559 --> 00:33:09.960 come to this competition. The winner will get a free mixed reality out built 394 00:33:09.960 --> 00:33:14.839 for them. And so these are just one of the many creators that I 395 00:33:14.920 --> 00:33:19.880 work with to just really bring that into reality. That's that's pretty cool. 396 00:33:21.279 --> 00:33:25.079 I need to explore this a little bit more. Uh. I find myself 397 00:33:25.200 --> 00:33:30.799 getting so busy with a lot of stuff, like when new technology comes out, 398 00:33:30.519 --> 00:33:34.559 and I don't know, Web three, Metaverse and things like that have 399 00:33:34.640 --> 00:33:37.119 been out for a while, but it's still really new, right as far 400 00:33:37.160 --> 00:33:42.839 as you know, people utilizing and things like that, and I don't know, 401 00:33:42.920 --> 00:33:45.200 I guess I got some more. Let me let me wait and see 402 00:33:45.200 --> 00:33:49.200 what happens with this first, but I think I want to have to dive 403 00:33:49.240 --> 00:33:52.079 into it. But tell people if they want to get involved, how do 404 00:33:52.119 --> 00:33:58.160 they get started? Yeah? Absolutely, the most simple way to just dive 405 00:33:58.200 --> 00:34:04.119 in, like get ahead that and just tap into the community. See what 406 00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:07.880 other people are doing. They can follow me. Well, my love Marlanta 407 00:34:07.920 --> 00:34:14.199 accounts is not really well very freely. I actually have an avatar called Bosleo 408 00:34:14.400 --> 00:34:20.360 dot io and my web three community the Diamond Resilience, and I take a 409 00:34:20.440 --> 00:34:28.079 journalistic approach to like sharing like what all these amazing things people are doing from 410 00:34:28.119 --> 00:34:36.960 like working with a person. We're producing a metaverse reality series similar to the 411 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:42.920 shows you see in Atlanta, but but creators there. So that's actually getting 412 00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:46.480 ready to come out. Y know, it's gonna be interesting. It's definitely 413 00:34:46.519 --> 00:34:51.400 gonna have some drama in it for sure, because you can't escape drama anywhere. 414 00:34:52.440 --> 00:34:55.159 It's gonna be raw, and we have some really good creators that we're 415 00:34:55.199 --> 00:35:00.719 gonna put on there. It's like, you guys are avatars really arguring physically. 416 00:35:01.079 --> 00:35:06.400 That's true. That's amazing thing. Yeah, that's true. That's true. 417 00:35:06.679 --> 00:35:10.400 So I would say one of the best things to do it Like I 418 00:35:10.599 --> 00:35:15.480 just say I give the same advice a person told me, like just explore 419 00:35:15.559 --> 00:35:20.880 and see where it goes. If you're looking to like do a career in 420 00:35:20.920 --> 00:35:25.320 this space. I always go on LinkedIn and I follow a hashtags like I 421 00:35:25.440 --> 00:35:31.159 always like to say, hashtag virtual reality, hashtag mixed reality, hashtag metaverse. 422 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:34.719 And I like to say, like who are some of the key players, 423 00:35:34.760 --> 00:35:38.440 the key influencers to companies. That's how I stay in form on LinkedIn. 424 00:35:38.480 --> 00:35:42.119 At least I want to know, like what's going on, what jobs 425 00:35:42.159 --> 00:35:47.719 are happening, what conversations are happening. Because although that this technology is really 426 00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:54.000 important, we have to think about it from a safety standpoint, the sustainable 427 00:35:54.159 --> 00:36:02.320 standpoint, like when we're thinking about like our rear, give up our access 428 00:36:02.360 --> 00:36:08.159 and we're saying that we're doing a lot of transparency here, but how much 429 00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:16.719 is too transparent? Transparency here? And monopoly? Who really owns the metaverse 430 00:36:16.800 --> 00:36:21.719 or do you own it? And especially as an artist, how do you 431 00:36:21.760 --> 00:36:27.360 protect yourself in a world where it's so easy to copy, duplicate, Like 432 00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:30.960 how are you protecting yourself? Do you really own that? So there's a 433 00:36:30.039 --> 00:36:36.719 lot of conversations to be had, and I employ people to follow that, 434 00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:43.760 but follow key people who are tapping to the industries into the industry to learn 435 00:36:43.800 --> 00:36:46.199 more about it, and I like to also go to the company, So 436 00:36:46.320 --> 00:36:52.360 I'm always looking at meta seeing what they're doing. Apple has finally entered the 437 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:55.400 chat, so I'm always keeping up to date with them, seeing what they're 438 00:36:55.440 --> 00:37:00.320 doing and what other companies are doing as well, restidents saying how they're going 439 00:37:00.360 --> 00:37:09.159 to solve some of those. I guess kind of fundamental problems of privacy of 440 00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:15.320 security from the standpoint of in a metaverse, and I don't know, I 441 00:37:15.400 --> 00:37:17.440 haven't been in it. It seems to me like it would be more wide 442 00:37:17.480 --> 00:37:22.719 open, right, like you don't and it could be like, you know, 443 00:37:23.039 --> 00:37:27.760 what regulations are going to come with that, if any being decentralized, 444 00:37:27.760 --> 00:37:30.440 Like how do you how do you start to regulate certain things? For instance, 445 00:37:30.440 --> 00:37:35.159 you don't want a fourteen year old coming in there and being able to 446 00:37:35.480 --> 00:37:40.000 like look at stuff that's inappropriate for a fourteen year old things like that, 447 00:37:40.519 --> 00:37:44.760 you know, or are younger, like, so how are they going to 448 00:37:44.880 --> 00:37:50.760 go about putting safeguards in place? And even when it comes to just you 449 00:37:50.760 --> 00:37:54.840 know, standard stuff between women and men, like women can get harassed, 450 00:37:54.880 --> 00:38:00.800 Like how are they going to safeguard against people doing of that. You know, 451 00:38:00.039 --> 00:38:04.159 I don't know what the term is, but I guess it would be 452 00:38:04.199 --> 00:38:08.039 like metaverse talking or or whatever like they So those things that you know, 453 00:38:08.039 --> 00:38:14.280 I'd like to see like ho come forth with how they're going to deal with 454 00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:22.280 some of those issues. So that'll be interesting. Do you have a product 455 00:38:22.360 --> 00:38:25.960 or service that you would like to share with a big audience or maybe you'd 456 00:38:27.000 --> 00:38:30.440 like to support the big community and do your part in helping us with stomping 457 00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:37.239 the divide. Start by sponsoring one of our podcasts. Please email us at 458 00:38:37.280 --> 00:38:50.440 contact us at blacks and Technology dot net. I said, I have stories 459 00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:57.760 on stuff you said about those experiences, and to be honest with you in 460 00:38:57.840 --> 00:39:02.400 here, it's like they're not really prouditizing that unfortunately. And so we can 461 00:39:02.440 --> 00:39:07.480 have the podcasts the conversations, but it's really going to boil down to the 462 00:39:07.519 --> 00:39:13.039 community and themselves and at least the community I'm tapped into it. We had 463 00:39:13.039 --> 00:39:16.559 to take it into our own hands, like we're actually we're I think for 464 00:39:16.679 --> 00:39:22.719 June Team, me and a lot of high value creators who's like really known 465 00:39:22.760 --> 00:39:28.320 in this space. We're coming together to create a creator code of conduct because 466 00:39:28.880 --> 00:39:32.239 we're not getting that from the creators themselves, I mean the makers themselves. 467 00:39:32.320 --> 00:39:36.440 So we're creating a code of conduct, a coalition, if you call it, 468 00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:40.280 of how we can build a safer community for all of us. Yeah, 469 00:39:40.440 --> 00:39:44.800 yeah, that makes sense. That makes sense. Let the community kind 470 00:39:44.840 --> 00:39:50.280 of step forward and handle these issues. So let's let's go from one amazing 471 00:39:51.719 --> 00:39:57.800 journey in your life to another, involving BIT. As I mentioned earlier, 472 00:39:57.840 --> 00:40:01.199 you are the chapter that end up, the Twin Cities chapter of a big 473 00:40:01.239 --> 00:40:06.800 foundation. So I want to talk to you a little bit about about that 474 00:40:06.920 --> 00:40:10.559 and kind of let's start with how did you first hear about BIT, and 475 00:40:10.599 --> 00:40:15.320 then tell us a little bit about how you first became involved. Yeah, 476 00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:21.840 I'm absolutely I think the first time I heard about that is when a friend 477 00:40:21.840 --> 00:40:28.599 from college was telling me about a conference here in Minnesota, and of course, 478 00:40:28.719 --> 00:40:31.039 probably like most people, I thought it was bitcoin and I didn't want 479 00:40:31.039 --> 00:40:34.559 nothing to do with it. I'm like, no, I'm not, I'm 480 00:40:34.599 --> 00:40:37.519 not doing hit like but you you're black and you're inteched. I'm like, 481 00:40:37.960 --> 00:40:43.079 I'm not. I ended up I ended up going like to I think two 482 00:40:43.159 --> 00:40:45.760 weeks before I find out about it, and I'm like, well, you 483 00:40:45.800 --> 00:40:47.719 know what, it's not that expensive, so I go check it out. 484 00:40:49.119 --> 00:40:53.079 It is interesting. It's a conference. You said it was BIGCN and believe 485 00:40:53.079 --> 00:40:58.119 it or not. That was when I met a mentor that I still have 486 00:40:58.280 --> 00:41:02.280 now as my mentor. My name is doctor Elizabeth Adams. She's now in 487 00:41:02.320 --> 00:41:07.039 Atlanta. She's the one that kind of jump started all of this for me. 488 00:41:07.559 --> 00:41:12.519 It started with her really like she was the one who gave me that 489 00:41:12.639 --> 00:41:15.280 permission to just go crazy with it. And I still talk to her. 490 00:41:15.440 --> 00:41:22.960 So that was my first exposure to Ben. And then I think I was 491 00:41:22.000 --> 00:41:25.400 at a period in my life that I felt like I was doing a lot 492 00:41:25.480 --> 00:41:30.079 of Black power movements and I just got tapped out from that. I was 493 00:41:30.719 --> 00:41:37.199 burnt out from always trying to uplift our community and the setbacks, and I 494 00:41:37.280 --> 00:41:44.320 took a break from like black equity movements. And I think it was her 495 00:41:44.440 --> 00:41:50.280 name was doctor Timmant Gebel from Google. She was laid off from Google because 496 00:41:50.320 --> 00:41:54.159 she was challenging their ethics and everything that she was saying in Twitter, you 497 00:41:54.239 --> 00:41:58.960 on LinkedIn doing that period, I was like yes, like I feel it, 498 00:41:59.039 --> 00:42:02.920 Like yes, I go through this and corporate and it just kind of 499 00:42:02.960 --> 00:42:07.480 reignited. That fire decided me to say, you know what, I need 500 00:42:07.480 --> 00:42:10.039 to come out of sleep mold and I need to get back involved because I've 501 00:42:10.079 --> 00:42:15.440 been uninvolved in the community for like four years I believe at the time. 502 00:42:16.320 --> 00:42:22.599 And so I that's when I was looking around Minneapolis to see like what organizations 503 00:42:22.639 --> 00:42:28.599 exist, and I remember I went to Bigcon and that's when I was looking 504 00:42:28.639 --> 00:42:31.400 on the website and I was I just feel it out. So I'm like, 505 00:42:31.440 --> 00:42:36.199 okay, I remember there's a black syntech. Let me reach out. 506 00:42:36.239 --> 00:42:37.679 And Dinner's were like, yeah, we don't have a president, but you 507 00:42:37.840 --> 00:42:43.320 interested. I was like, that is me to always step into a leadership 508 00:42:43.360 --> 00:42:46.480 position. So I was like, so that's how I got involved. I 509 00:42:46.559 --> 00:42:50.199 was like, well, he said it's open. I'm like, okay, 510 00:42:50.280 --> 00:42:53.440 let's do it. So I got I got into then, Okay, shout 511 00:42:53.440 --> 00:42:59.440 out to Dinner Shows. That's our executive director of a big foundation and where 512 00:42:59.480 --> 00:43:04.960 we're happy to have you. Uh, You're you're always super involved and anything 513 00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:08.119 that we're like, we're doing from a from a national standpoint, not just 514 00:43:08.159 --> 00:43:13.440 a local standpoint. So I want to thank you for that definitely. Uh, 515 00:43:13.519 --> 00:43:16.320 but I know you're doing a lot locally as well. Tell us you 516 00:43:16.320 --> 00:43:21.559 know a little bit about uh, if there's other people that are involved in 517 00:43:21.559 --> 00:43:24.079 the Twin Cities chapters that uh, you know, give us their names and 518 00:43:24.119 --> 00:43:30.320 their roles and yeah, yeah, absolutely. So I think with everything else 519 00:43:30.400 --> 00:43:35.920 that we're definitely in a restructuring period. I'm with our chapter, but I 520 00:43:35.960 --> 00:43:38.760 do want to highlight one member that's been really consistent and involved with me. 521 00:43:38.880 --> 00:43:43.360 Her name is Sama, and what I love about her and a lot of 522 00:43:43.360 --> 00:43:51.519 people I have met, She's a connector. She connects with people the community 523 00:43:51.679 --> 00:43:55.000 and bring exposure. We do have a we did have a long term a 524 00:43:55.039 --> 00:44:05.840 long term advisor, Steve Buchanan from macrom Microsoft. He done amazing work for 525 00:44:05.920 --> 00:44:12.000 our I chapter bringing that awareness and also extending that partnership with Microsoft when we 526 00:44:12.039 --> 00:44:16.079 needed just a space to have our meetings in. And we do work in 527 00:44:16.119 --> 00:44:22.280 the community with a tech hub and just really creating career pathways for non traditional 528 00:44:22.280 --> 00:44:27.559 talent. And so we both are sitting on the board representing blacks and tech 529 00:44:27.679 --> 00:44:31.679 and really creating that career pathways here in the Twin Cities. That's that's dope 530 00:44:31.840 --> 00:44:37.519 and shout out to Steve has been involved with big uh, and and I 531 00:44:37.559 --> 00:44:42.719 say involved. He's you know, been involved in the community for quite a 532 00:44:42.719 --> 00:44:46.840 while now. And every time the first two times we had a bit com 533 00:44:47.000 --> 00:44:51.679 up and up in the Twin Cities, you know, he came both times. 534 00:44:52.280 --> 00:44:54.760 We hung out a little bit. Uh. And he's a you know, 535 00:44:55.199 --> 00:44:59.599 he just hit me up on slat the other day just to say what's 536 00:44:59.639 --> 00:45:02.079 up and things going and things like that. He's a he's a really really 537 00:45:02.119 --> 00:45:07.760 genuine guy, super smart. Uh and uh, you know, he's he's 538 00:45:07.760 --> 00:45:13.239 climbed the ranks of in technology as well. I know, he was a 539 00:45:13.320 --> 00:45:17.119 consultant for a consultancy doing like a lot of Microsoft Azure stuff and now he's 540 00:45:17.159 --> 00:45:21.400 working for Microsoft. So that's that's really cool. And he's just really a 541 00:45:21.400 --> 00:45:25.840 cool person. So shut out to Steve Buchannan. Yeah you've been Yeah, 542 00:45:25.960 --> 00:45:31.239 Yeah, he's cool. So you've been to Twins Cities Chapter president for for 543 00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:38.800 how long now? It's almost three years now, right, Okay, yeah, 544 00:45:43.280 --> 00:45:45.400 yeah, we're going up. We're coming up on three and a half 545 00:45:45.480 --> 00:45:50.239 years. It's been. So what inspires you to continue to not only be 546 00:45:50.320 --> 00:45:53.639 a leader, but inspires you to continue along with the big mission and vision? 547 00:45:54.440 --> 00:45:58.360 You know, That's a really good question because it does get hard. 548 00:45:58.480 --> 00:46:02.320 And I explain even to my leadership team, like it's a commitment, you 549 00:46:02.360 --> 00:46:07.440 know, even though it's a nonprofit, we're having time, like you have 550 00:46:07.519 --> 00:46:14.400 to put and work here. And I think one lady she said it best 551 00:46:15.039 --> 00:46:19.280 when I was working on a contract and I was asking her. I'm like, 552 00:46:20.039 --> 00:46:23.519 you're obviously successful, you're dealing with this type of culture. It's like, 553 00:46:24.119 --> 00:46:30.440 why are you here and she said that you have to because as a 554 00:46:30.519 --> 00:46:35.280 woman, as a black woman, you have to pay the way for others. 555 00:46:35.920 --> 00:46:40.159 And that really stuck with me because it's much time. I'd be like, 556 00:46:40.199 --> 00:46:43.039 man, this is too much. I need to take a break. 557 00:46:43.039 --> 00:46:47.360 And sometimes I do take a break. I don't leave because it's like there's 558 00:46:47.440 --> 00:46:52.280 so much work to do, there's so many problems to do, and it's 559 00:46:52.320 --> 00:46:58.920 like we have to keep going. We have to create those pathways. We 560 00:46:59.079 --> 00:47:01.599 have to create our oportunities. No one else is going to give us access 561 00:47:01.639 --> 00:47:07.000 and opportunity. We had to be ones to create that access and opportunities. 562 00:47:07.079 --> 00:47:12.519 So that what keep that's what keep me going is that I know that what 563 00:47:12.599 --> 00:47:15.800 everything that I have done so far, I know another person can benefit off 564 00:47:15.840 --> 00:47:21.840 of that and they can have access an opportunity because of that. That's uh, 565 00:47:21.920 --> 00:47:32.519 that just inspired me. Was featured partnerships and programs with companies such as 566 00:47:32.559 --> 00:47:38.320 Amazon, at and t comp, Tia, tech Stars, and more to 567 00:47:38.400 --> 00:47:44.280 provide our members with the resources we want and need to thrive and succeed in 568 00:47:44.320 --> 00:47:51.000 this tech ecosystem. To learn more, visit Foundation dot blacks and Technology dot 569 00:47:51.119 --> 00:48:00.360 net. Join now, and remember membership is free up here. No seriously, 570 00:48:00.360 --> 00:48:06.719 because like it's it is tough. You you know, you as a 571 00:48:06.800 --> 00:48:12.360 volunteer, you know, there's not like pay or anything like that, and 572 00:48:12.400 --> 00:48:15.800 you're giving your time and your energy U and even you know, in my 573 00:48:15.920 --> 00:48:22.320 position as a founder, there's still a lot of times when you get you 574 00:48:22.559 --> 00:48:30.039 feel burned out. But it's always there's any time I ever start feeling like 575 00:48:30.119 --> 00:48:35.559 that, and it must be you know, the energy God sending something. 576 00:48:35.719 --> 00:48:40.440 There's always an email that comes or someone that reaches out to me and says, 577 00:48:40.599 --> 00:48:44.760 hey, man, I really appreciate you creating this space for us in 578 00:48:44.760 --> 00:48:47.199 this organization. This is great. I felt like I was on an island 579 00:48:47.480 --> 00:48:51.519 now, I felt like I found my tribe, my community. This is 580 00:48:51.559 --> 00:48:53.079 great. I really thank you for it, and that right there, I'm 581 00:48:53.079 --> 00:48:55.519 like, all right, I'm back in the game. You keep going right, 582 00:48:55.880 --> 00:49:00.360 re energizes me. And you're right, you know, go ahead. 583 00:49:01.320 --> 00:49:06.960 That that actually helps, Like just hearing someone say like you, I see 584 00:49:07.000 --> 00:49:10.960 you, I appreciate you. It's like those flowers. They really do help. 585 00:49:12.159 --> 00:49:16.960 Yeah. Yeah, and and I kind of lost my place. Yeah, 586 00:49:17.000 --> 00:49:21.079 you're right, No, it's it does help. It helps a lot, 587 00:49:21.360 --> 00:49:24.320 you know, because you got everyday life going on, you have a 588 00:49:24.440 --> 00:49:30.599 job, and in devoting time to something else, you know it could not 589 00:49:30.639 --> 00:49:35.480 only is it a time suck at times, it's straining. Uh So I'll 590 00:49:35.480 --> 00:49:37.599 say, you know, we appreciate everything that you do and all your efforts 591 00:49:37.639 --> 00:49:42.760 and your leadership at Twin Cities. We love having you as part of the 592 00:49:42.920 --> 00:49:45.280 organization. And I'm glad that you feel that way and you feel, you 593 00:49:45.320 --> 00:49:50.320 know, ready to inspire the next person that comes behind, because that's that's 594 00:49:50.360 --> 00:49:53.599 what's needed. And I and for me, it's like, yeah, there's 595 00:49:53.639 --> 00:49:59.800 those moments, those uh uh, those valleys, but then those peaks are 596 00:49:59.800 --> 00:50:02.039 so high. But in those valleys, you know, there's there's times where 597 00:50:02.039 --> 00:50:06.719 you you want to kind of get out. And for me, it's just 598 00:50:06.760 --> 00:50:08.960 like, well, I got to keep going and and like you said, 599 00:50:09.079 --> 00:50:15.800 paving this way and making providing, helping, helping to provide access until this 600 00:50:15.880 --> 00:50:19.840 is no longer needed, Right until we finally can say, all right, 601 00:50:20.320 --> 00:50:23.320 we no longer need but we've done our job. There's you know they're taking 602 00:50:23.400 --> 00:50:27.800 us. They're taking us seriously, you know, we we found our path 603 00:50:27.840 --> 00:50:30.000 in tech. I think where we have a seat at the table now, 604 00:50:30.079 --> 00:50:34.320 Like that's that's when I feel like it's going to be time for me to 605 00:50:35.239 --> 00:50:38.800 walk away once that happens. Right, some of the things that your chapter 606 00:50:39.079 --> 00:50:44.760 is doing to help us stop the divide, right, Like that's our tagline 607 00:50:44.880 --> 00:50:49.800 absolutely. So I say it boils downs to three industries workforce, development, 608 00:50:50.079 --> 00:50:54.840 gaming, and now the creator economy. Minnesota. We are definitely not the 609 00:50:54.960 --> 00:51:00.800 number one state when it comes to technology, but we are and artsy town 610 00:51:01.639 --> 00:51:07.239 in arts and culture town. So we're bridging art, tech and culture and 611 00:51:07.320 --> 00:51:14.000 starting to like lead in that space. And so the tech cub is our 612 00:51:14.039 --> 00:51:19.320 babies, like our adopted initiative here. So we do a lot of initiatives 613 00:51:19.360 --> 00:51:24.840 around career pathways for non traditional talent, focusing on the youth and women entering 614 00:51:24.880 --> 00:51:31.280 on career pathways with that and partnering programs and companies for that, I would 615 00:51:31.320 --> 00:51:36.920 say that would be the biggest one. And now since I'm tapped into the 616 00:51:37.079 --> 00:51:43.679 art scene, we're actually getting ready to launch the xr immerse some creator program 617 00:51:44.039 --> 00:51:47.119 for our creators here in Minnesota that do a lot of work in the scene. 618 00:51:47.159 --> 00:51:52.559 So partnering with different arts schools and other individuals let them know like there's 619 00:51:52.599 --> 00:51:57.679 a career pathway for you, like you can do something in tech here. 620 00:51:57.760 --> 00:52:02.440 So we're trying to connect more with the community more in bringing them into tech 621 00:52:02.679 --> 00:52:10.159 and following that, we're also exploring work with Second Chance program for those who 622 00:52:12.519 --> 00:52:16.360 might have felony so criminal backgrounds, and so we're working out a pathway there. 623 00:52:16.840 --> 00:52:21.880 But we're anything that you can think of when it comes to web three. 624 00:52:22.840 --> 00:52:28.760 Minneapolis is quickly growing into that, and we're also even in the gaming 625 00:52:28.840 --> 00:52:31.880 industry, we're starting to build our career pathways. I think we're starting to 626 00:52:31.960 --> 00:52:38.119 have a growing market now in the gaming industry, from est sports to indie 627 00:52:38.119 --> 00:52:45.119 game development, we're growing. So I'm excited to be a face representing three 628 00:52:45.599 --> 00:52:52.840 big industries here and we're the ones who's creating pathways into our career and as 629 00:52:52.960 --> 00:52:58.199 entrepreneurship. With that, that's pretty that's pretty dope. So how many members 630 00:52:58.320 --> 00:53:00.519 do you have do you all have in the twenty Cities chapter? I want 631 00:53:00.559 --> 00:53:06.079 to say that we have roughly around let's see, like one fifty if I 632 00:53:06.119 --> 00:53:10.159 remember saying that, Okay, give it take by roughly like over one hundred 633 00:53:10.239 --> 00:53:15.639 for sure. And at our key events we have really good attendees come out, 634 00:53:15.679 --> 00:53:19.719 like more than like twenty to forty people that come out. So one 635 00:53:19.760 --> 00:53:27.000 thing about our chapter we like to expand through strategic partnerships. So with our 636 00:53:27.400 --> 00:53:30.760 key sponsor, Arctic Wealth, we do and you want amplify event when we're 637 00:53:30.800 --> 00:53:37.559 bringing all the ergs together to talk all things tach we also are We just 638 00:53:37.639 --> 00:53:42.519 recently partnered with NASBY to do a social event, and we're trying to partner 639 00:53:42.559 --> 00:53:47.320 with more local communities out there. Nice. Nice, and that's good to 640 00:53:47.360 --> 00:53:52.440 hear your partner. And I think a few of our other chapters are doing 641 00:53:52.480 --> 00:53:55.440 some things with NASBY. I think it's good especially and I talked about this 642 00:53:55.519 --> 00:54:01.639 on the last last podcast. I think it's good to start showing that uh, 643 00:54:01.679 --> 00:54:09.519 that unity amongst black organizations, especially with the current like attacks on uh 644 00:54:09.639 --> 00:54:15.199 D E A, D E and I initiatives, like they're coming after you 645 00:54:15.280 --> 00:54:22.119 know, companies that are are are some of these uh like venture companies that 646 00:54:22.199 --> 00:54:27.119 are that are allocating money to you know, to to black founders are coming 647 00:54:27.159 --> 00:54:29.480 after them, are trying to sue them in court, and you know, 648 00:54:29.519 --> 00:54:32.400 they're they're passing laws to strike down D E and I and things like that. 649 00:54:32.440 --> 00:54:37.679 And companies are actually scared, right They're they're they're pulling back funds and 650 00:54:37.719 --> 00:54:42.480 everything like that. Uh So, I think you're right in saying that, 651 00:54:42.559 --> 00:54:45.719 like if if that space, uh that place at the table is not that, 652 00:54:45.800 --> 00:54:49.440 we have to start creating these things ourselves, and I think one of 653 00:54:49.440 --> 00:54:54.440 the ways to do that is through these strategic partnerships with other black lad organizations. 654 00:54:54.920 --> 00:55:00.480 Uh So that I think there's always power in unity and community. Uh 655 00:55:00.519 --> 00:55:04.199 So, it's good to see that that's happening with with your chapter as well. 656 00:55:05.599 --> 00:55:10.159 That's the final question. I like that unity and community, Yeah, 657 00:55:10.360 --> 00:55:15.079 definitely, definitely. I mean that, look, that's what BIT was built 658 00:55:15.159 --> 00:55:20.320 off of. Like it. People see BIT now and they are like, 659 00:55:20.400 --> 00:55:22.719 oh my god, you got this. There's this huge organization and blah blah 660 00:55:22.760 --> 00:55:27.440 blah, I'm like, that's not how it started. It started just because 661 00:55:27.480 --> 00:55:31.440 I wanted community around black people in tech. Uh. And our community started 662 00:55:31.480 --> 00:55:35.239 online at first, and it was just a small group of us just chatting 663 00:55:35.280 --> 00:55:38.880 and having fun and and everything like that. And now it's it's this you 664 00:55:38.920 --> 00:55:44.119 know, this global thing. But we've always kept community at the core of 665 00:55:44.159 --> 00:55:49.599 it. Uh And and I think that is what separates us from some other 666 00:55:49.760 --> 00:55:55.480 organizations, is that it grew organically. It grew through community, and it 667 00:55:55.559 --> 00:56:04.280 grew through trust, right and at that differentiates us from a lot of organizations 668 00:56:04.280 --> 00:56:07.199 that come up now because we still when you go to bitcom, you still 669 00:56:07.400 --> 00:56:15.079 feel that intimate community feel right, and you have you form relationships and network 670 00:56:15.119 --> 00:56:21.719 with people that actually feel like real relationships and they feel close. Right. 671 00:56:21.800 --> 00:56:24.440 So we're going to continue with that, Like, that's one thing that I 672 00:56:24.760 --> 00:56:29.360 never want to change about what BID is doing. As long as we continue 673 00:56:29.360 --> 00:56:32.960 to have you know, that community feel, then I'm okay. So what's 674 00:56:34.079 --> 00:56:37.760 next for you in bit twin Cities? You know, I was telling myself 675 00:56:37.800 --> 00:56:45.320 this a weally good goo that you know says I'm tapped into the art scene 676 00:56:45.559 --> 00:56:50.480 and this is our culture. I'm wanting to really expand that and be a 677 00:56:50.599 --> 00:56:54.039 leader in that space. So those will be the three things that you hear 678 00:56:54.199 --> 00:57:00.480 me say over and over. I say, immersive storytelling through our tech and 679 00:57:00.559 --> 00:57:05.119 culture. I think I'm going to change it and sad like something around narratives 680 00:57:05.400 --> 00:57:07.920 because I think it's important to really control the narrative. And I got that 681 00:57:07.960 --> 00:57:12.840 from Blacks and Tech, like we have to control the narrative of what it's 682 00:57:12.920 --> 00:57:19.559 seen here. So I think launching xr Immerse is going to be a really 683 00:57:19.760 --> 00:57:25.400 big component of that, like creating like their first Web three creator type program 684 00:57:25.840 --> 00:57:34.440 that's really creating the blueprint of how we are creating culture for black people and 685 00:57:34.480 --> 00:57:37.599 like you said, like we said, like creating tables for people to sit 686 00:57:37.639 --> 00:57:44.159 in and really working on that workforce development. So we actually we do a 687 00:57:44.199 --> 00:57:51.119 soft lunch of the Career Pathways program in two weeks with the Community Tech Cup, 688 00:57:51.239 --> 00:57:57.480 so the'LBI first pilot of like ushering that in there, and actually 689 00:57:57.519 --> 00:58:02.440 with Blacks and Tech thanks to Dennis that we're issuing out over one hundred grow 690 00:58:02.519 --> 00:58:08.119 with Google certificates for those who come to the program they can get certified. 691 00:58:08.519 --> 00:58:15.760 I think some of that is with cybersecurity ux design it support, and we 692 00:58:15.880 --> 00:58:22.880 have other up and coming programs like artificial intelligence as well. And I'm working 693 00:58:22.920 --> 00:58:29.000 with a local That's why I love to We're working with local startups and local 694 00:58:29.119 --> 00:58:34.960 founders to help build these initiatives, so we're tapping into our network. So 695 00:58:34.960 --> 00:58:39.039 I'm excited to be working with a local group of men who just graduated college 696 00:58:39.519 --> 00:58:45.119 and we're working with them to build out a career pathways and blockchain rather they 697 00:58:45.159 --> 00:58:49.880 want to be a developer or built out. So I'm excited, so I 698 00:58:50.000 --> 00:58:53.599 said I would be. The two things is that we're really expanding on that 699 00:58:54.119 --> 00:59:00.679 creator program initiatives and on the career pathways, and we have the Career the 700 00:59:00.719 --> 00:59:05.760 Creator Accelerator. They'll be launching soon, so announcements will go out and we 701 00:59:05.800 --> 00:59:13.000 will also be doing our first Hakkathon that would be from July to the October, 702 00:59:13.440 --> 00:59:19.880 and that will be introducing those individuals into Web three. So if you've 703 00:59:19.920 --> 00:59:23.239 never seen or never heard about blockchain and you're curious and no want to be 704 00:59:23.239 --> 00:59:30.719 intimidated, then this will be a international Hakkathan, not just limited to the 705 00:59:30.760 --> 00:59:36.880 Twin Cities, and it's free yes, and you get a chance to really 706 00:59:36.960 --> 00:59:39.920 grow your career for that. So a lot of fun stuff is really rolling 707 00:59:39.960 --> 00:59:45.320 out. And this isn't something we just plan in December. This is something 708 00:59:45.440 --> 00:59:50.239 that I've been working on for the past two years. Thank you for your 709 00:59:50.440 --> 00:59:54.280 your efforts and your leadership at Twin Cities. And you know, we're just 710 00:59:54.320 --> 00:59:59.360 happy to have you. A person you know that like you, that inspires 711 00:59:59.440 --> 01:00:04.000 others and that inspires me as well. It's always good to see people with 712 01:00:04.079 --> 01:00:07.480 the boots on the ground doing the fantastic things. And I wish you good 713 01:00:07.559 --> 01:00:14.280 luck and everything that you're doing with Web three, with Right Dream Ventures and 714 01:00:14.360 --> 01:00:19.840 with the technology Twin Cities that's feeling. Thank you. It's always a pleasure. 715 01:00:20.519 --> 01:00:24.760 I love doing this. Thank you. Thank you everyone for checking out 716 01:00:24.760 --> 01:00:29.639 this episode of the Big Tech Talk podcast. If you like and saw what 717 01:00:29.679 --> 01:00:32.599 you heard, smash that like button and subscribe to our channel and stay in 718 01:00:32.599 --> 01:00:38.480 tune with us for our next episode. Until then, keep stopping the Divide.