Money, Privilege, and Advocacy: Ana Pompa Alarcón's Guide to Entrepreneurship and Social Justice in TechSo Ambitious

Money, Privilege, and Advocacy: Ana Pompa Alarcón's Guide to Entrepreneurship and Social Justice in Tech

In this episode of So Ambitious, we are joined by Ana Pompa Alarcón, CEO of Founders Registry, as she shares her journey of advocating for marginalized founders and creating impactful solutions in the tech industry.

From her beginnings at Rikers Island to supporting our Black Ambition finalists, Ana's story is one of fierce advocacy, resilience, and empowerment. In this conversation we uncover how she navigates the complexities of entrepreneurship and addresses systemic issues faced by minority founders that sometimes even stem from minority organizations.

We talk about the importance of using privilege to open doors for others and the need for diverse communities to support each other and work together to create change in the industry. Ana also discusses challenges faced by early-stage entrepreneurs, especially those from diverse backgrounds, in navigating the venture space, and provides insights on how to make the best decisions for their companies while dealing with financial desperation and toxic relationships with money.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in raising capital, advocating for social justice, and empowering underrepresented communities. Tune in to hear Anna's powerful story and insights on building a more inclusive and supportive ecosystem.

KEY POINTS

  • [1:56] - How Ana is supporting systemically purposefully marginalized founders in raising capital
  • [2:55] - Ana’s entrepreneurial roots - how her first company started out of Rikers Island
  • [6:38] - How do you get someone that you recently met to introduce you to an investor?
  • [10:12] - Resources and tools to help you negotiate better on your behalf
  • [12:11] - Grappling with privilege gaps and lack of diversity and in VC industry
  • [18:12] - Dealing with disillusionment of organizations’ support (of lack thereof) of marginalized founders
  • [23:46] - How can we create more transparency between founders and investors?
  • [26:04] - Addressing money wounds and toxic relationships with money in the VC space
  • [30:04] - Ana on self-care as an advocate and entrepreneur
  • [32:25] - Who is Ana uninterrupted?

QUOTABLES

"People need to walk the walk. And if they're not doing this, they need to suffer the consequences, and the consequence is deal flow. Do not take money from people that will throw you under the bus the second they have the opportunity." - Ana Pompa Alarcón

“Whatever privilege you have, whether that's money, education, skin, color, race - use that privilege to open doors.” - Ana Pompa Alarcón

“I do not believe that we should shame anyone who has been marginalized for where they get the money from.” - Ana Pompa Alarcón

"I truly believe that, [and] there's data to back up that, if all indigenous Brown, Black people, Muslims, Arabs would work together and have each other's back, the buying power, the purchasing power that we have, we could take over the economy." - Ana Pompa Alarcón

GUEST RESOURCES

Ana Pompa Alarcón

IG | @ana_pompa_alarcon

LinkedIn | @ana-pompa-alarcon-rawls

Founders Registry

IG | @founders_registry

RESOURCES

[APPLICATIONS OPEN!] | Are you building a high growth business in tech healthcare, AI, media entertainment, or consumer goods and services? If so, we'd like to help you scale. Don't miss your chance to win $1 million, capital coaching, and access to an amazing community of diverse innovators! Apply for the 2024 Black Ambition Prize competition now

Felecia Hatcher

IG | @feleciahatcher

Black Ambition

IG | @blackambitionprize

So Ambitious is produced by EPYC Media

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As an entrepreneur and investor, this podcast is truly inspiring and motivating. I enjoyed the thought-provoking conversations that include golden nuggets of information that I’ve paid thousands for at conferences and mentoring. It’s also beneficial for entrepreneurs at every stage. Given that I’ve been in the game for 5 years now, I was able to connect with the messaging in both a practical and social manner. This is a must for anyone who truly desires growth-minded dialogue that’s motivating and informative all in one. We needed this.

The Hungry Black Man
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Just finished the first two episodes of the So Ambitious Podcast Season 2 and I'm absolutely blown away! It’s rare to hear the raw, unfiltered stories of entrepreneurs, but this podcast dives deep into the emotional rollercoaster of building a business.

Each guest’s journey is a testament to resilience, passion, and the relentless pursuit of dreams. From teary setbacks to exhilarating breakthroughs, their stories are not just inspiring, they're life-changing.

Listening to the So Ambitious Podcast has redefined my understanding of success. It’s not just about the destination; it’s about the courage, the struggles, and the unwavering spirit to keep pushing forward.

If you’re looking for genuine inspiration and lessons that textbooks don’t teach, this podcast is a goldmine. Can’t recommend it enough! #SoAmbitiousPodcast #EntrepreneurLife #TrueStories #MustListen #InspiredDaily"

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If you are stuck in your own mindset and looking for a way to get your business or to just get up and go after your God given genius inside of you then you must listen to this podcast. Don’t just listen but you must apply your wisdom to what you heard. Listen up and get uplifted. Excited for more episodes. Dr. Powell

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God said.

Where there’s 2 or more in a place that comes together.

They Can; move mountains.

I love what So Ambitious is doing as an black structure business model, for helping others in the community of achievement.

Makes me feel proud; in the direction of others to achieve successful business objectives and goals for the people of the communities

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