The racial wealth gap expands, and people like Kelly Burton, CEO of Founders of Color (FOC) work to understand how entrepreneurs can close the gap.
Her solution from a report by FOC, “Disrupt This” talks about how the charge for entrepreneurs of color is that they must abandon old models of doing business in order to create effective strategies, networks and systems to compete in the growing global economic landscape.
Founders of Color (FOC) is a digital platform committed to helping minority entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses. Today, FOC has more than 2,200 users with members ranging from early stage tech startups to multi-million dollar companies.
FOC was created by Kelly Burton, a political scientist, serial entrepreneur, change agent and social critic. Kelly is a modern-day renaissance woman who leads with passion, purpose and vision. She is the Founder of Nexus Research Group, a social impact firm that works with foundations and large-scale non-profits to help them catalyze change in local communities. She is also the founder of Bodyology, a tech-based apparel company dedicated to creating clothes for active women on-the-go.
In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavors, she’s been a regular contributor for HuffPost and served on several local and national boards. She has two hard-earned degrees, a BA from Clark Atlanta University and a PhD from Emory University, both in Political Science.
"I live with a strong and persistent feeling of indebtedness. Most people would give a limb for the opportunities I’ve had access to. I’m a black woman living in America in 2020 who can do anything I’m big-and-bad enough to do. Therefore, I need to contribute to the creation of a world where more people have access to the sort of opportunity that allows them to do the same – regardless of the demographic boxes they check." - Kelly Burton