There have been so many highlights, but I particularly enjoy hosting our BYP Leadership Conference each year. It was great to be able to return to an in-person event following the easing of pandemic restrictions. The atmosphere and impact you feel with hundreds of Black professionals and renowned speakers in the room is incomparable. Plus, every time we hear of a new hire through one of our BYP products, it really does give us a sense of pride and excitement.
You can find yourself facing many obstacles along the journey – both professional and personal. However, you can turn pain into power – every circumstance can be turned into a gift or an opportunity. As long as you ensure that you learn from your failures and setbacks, you will be able to use them as tools to grow stronger. Not everything has to be perfect from the outset, in fact you learn so much more when it isn’t.
Maya Angelou once said, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” So, stand up for yourself and your ideas. Don’t succumb to imposter syndrome – many men don’t. If you believe in it, if you have passion for it, just go for it. In turn, you can become a trailblazing inspiration for other women to do the same.
We are privately owned and have had the support of some experienced investors. In 2020 BYP Network secured a historic million dollar crowdfund, grew the team ten-fold and doubled down on our efforts of changing the Black narrative.