After co-founding one of the most amazing organizations and events to support Black women in entrepreneurship, Esosa (Ighodaro) Johnson is launching AcceleratorCON, an accelerator event that aims to disrupt system-level biases by providing startups access to resources, capital and networks they need to grow successfully.
I first met Johnson in 2017, when I interviewed her and her partners, Regina Gwynn and Lauren Washington, shortly after they had created Black Women Talk Tech, an organization whose mission was “to inspire and support black women to build the next billion-dollar tech company.”
Six years later, what had begun as a 40-person meeting has grown into an global event with a who’s-who list of presenters and sponsors, and is the largest convening of Black women tech entrepreneurs and technologists.
Organizations like Black Women Talk Tech are sorely needed to support groups that have been historically underappreciated and underrepresented in entrepreneurship. But what is even more important is to identify and mitigate the system-level biases that cause the observed inequities.
Realizing this, and inspired by the success of Black Women Talk Tech, Johnson has now launched AcceleratorCON to create greater inclusion and diversity in entrepreneurship.
Ahead of the first AcceleratorCON, which will take place on September 29, 2023 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, I had the pleasure of catching up with Johnson to ask her about this exciting new event.
Paolo Gaudiano: In your own words, can you give readers a brief summary of what AcceleratorCON is?
Esosa Johnson: AcceleratorCON is a conference series that brings together accelerators, incubators, startup programs from corporate and government, and brands supporting the startup ecosystem under one roof to empower entrepreneurs navigating the landscape unprecedented access to resources, networks, and funding to accelerate their growth. We kick off on September 29th, 2023 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Gaudiano: As you continued to grow Black Women Talk Tech and the Roadmap to Billions conference series, what did you observe that led you to create AcceleratorCON?
Johnson: In that experience, I noticed that accelerators were eager to participate in our events to attract more diverse founders. Furthermore, I found that most founders can only name around 2-5 accelerators, which always included the big 2, Techstars and Y Combinator. I realized that there is a discovery challenge for both accelerators wanting high-quality startups to apply, and for founders looking for support systems that will be best for them. These simple nudges and bits of insight led me to create AcceleratorCON to address those issues.
Gaudiano: What types of content and activities can AcceleratorCON attendees expect?
Johnson: AcceleratorCON’s expo hall will feature a section of exhibitors dubbed “Accelerator Alley” which will house accelerators, startup programs, and incubators, as well as additional expo space for startups, and a section for brands supporting the startup ecosystem. Throughout the 50,000 square foot venue space, attendees will be able to take a new professional headshot in a studio booth, record a 60-second pitch video, and refuel at the Capital Cafe coffee station. There will also be a VIP section for premium lounging and networking and separately, an Interview Hub where prospective startups can meet and discuss details with program directors. For food, we will host a Food Truck Alley outside for attendees to purchase lunch from a selection of food truck vendors. And of course, AcceleratorCON will host the Knowledge Stage where keynotes, fireside chats, and panels will place from well experienced presenters.
Gaudiano: Who are some of the AcceleratorCon presenters you are most excited about?
Johnson: We have some great content planned and while we have many fantastic presenters, I’m most excited about are Kathryn Minshew from The Muse, Murat Ahktihanolgu from ERA, and Frances Simowitz from WEVE Acceleration.
Gaudiano: One measure of the enthusiasm for a new event is its ability to draw key sponsors. Has the response from the entrepreneurial ecosystem been positive? Have you been able to secure key sponsors for AcceleratorCON?
Johnson: The response has been positive overall throughout the ecosystem with confirmed participation from partners like Balsamiq, Doordash, Techstars, SAP, Oracle, Vouch, and more.
Gaudiano: Have you thought about how you might measure the medium- and long-term impact of AcceleratorCON? In particular, do you think you might see measurable changes in the Black Women Talk Tech community?
Johnson: I think one short-term metric that might be helpful is how many applications and accepted startups originate from AcceleratorCON events. If one of the startups ends up being a unicorn, that would be great long-term impact we can measure as a result of participating in AcceleratorCON. For Black Women Talk Tech, if we can get the right founder to the right accelerator, I believe we will see our next billion-dollar Black female founder sooner than later.
Gaudiano: Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers about AcceleratorCON?
Johnson: AcceleratorCON is not only an event series that brings people together in-person, but also an online community that is supportive of the startup ecosystem so make sure to subscribe and follow for all sorts of community news, announcements, invites, and special offers from our partners throughout the year. And if you can’t wait a whole year to do it again, the good news is we plan to bring AcceleratorCON to Austin for SXSW, to the west coast, and to Toronto.
Gaudiano: How can readers find out more if they want to support or attend AcceleratorCON?
Johnson: Anyone looking to connect with accelerators, startups, investors, and the great ecosystem should attend AcceleratorCON by visiting our website and register with code, AC23Forbes to save 30%.
Gaudiano: Thank you, this is very exciting and I look forward to attending AcceleratorCON!
Johnson: We cannot wait to host you and all of our exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, and attendees for an epic day of building the future.
The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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