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Growing up, Rodney Williams always yearned to see technologists, creatives and world-changers who looked like him. A would-be innovator himself, he recalls his less-than-ideal childhood environment in Baltimore as a credit towards forcing him to think outside the box and inspiring his ingenuity. This outside the box thinking would work in his favor as he would go on to co-found LISNR, a data-over-audio software company based in Cincinnati. LISNR develops technology that can be used to power transactions from short-range, making his technology the perfect tool for retail customers. Over the past three years, Target has helped startup companies like LISNR through its growing portfolio of accelerator programming. The portfolio of programs includes their U.S.-based Retail Tech Accelerator, Target Takeoff, Target Incubator, and the India-based Target Accelerator Program, which focuses on Bangalore-based startups. Targeted teamed up with German retailer METRO AG — one of the world’s...
For the past six years, CNBC has chosen 50 start-ups to be a part of the CNBC Disruptor 50 list. Out of 1,000 nominated companies, Rodney Williams’ LISNR was chosen as a part of the 2018 list , marking the companies third appearance for its innovative data-over-audio transmission technology. LISNR uses audio to transmit data between devices . Rather than Wi-fi or Bluetooth technology, the low-power data transmission that LISNR uses lets devices send fast, secure information throughout the world via inaudible smart tones. Last year LISNR paired up with Ticketmaster to create technology that would let different venues check attendees into their events quickly, easily and securely. The CNBC Disruptor 50 Advisory Council is made up of 52 leaders in entrepreneurship and innovation. This group reviewed and ranked the required quantitative and qualitative criteria that the nominees were required to submit in order to figure out the importance and ability to disrupt pre-established...
It’s hard for Black entrepreneurs to launch startups, but these six companies are killing the game. Their amazing products are getting rave reviews from customers and impressive investments from industry leaders. 1. LISNR Founded by Rodney Williams, Chris Ostoich, and Josh Glick, LISNR is on a mission to completely disrupt the digital payments industry. According to their website, LISNR’s “proprietary ultrasonic data-over-sound technology enables modern checkout experiences globally across the customer journey for merchants, financial service providers and mobility enterprises.” If their recent investment from Visa is any indication, they are well on their way to achieving their goal. Learn more about Rodney Williams and LISNR here . 2. Calendly Calendly is a scheduling app that helps people organize their time better. Founded by Tope Awotona in 2013 and headquartered in Atlanta, Calendly helps its users increase their revenue and provide exceptional customer service by streamlining...
People of color are not having a great time in Silicon Valley. All too often, we hear stories reminding us that the traditional power structure in Silicon Valley is still hostile to Black and brown workers. However, if you’re a Black techie with enormous talent and a passion for creating world-changing technology, what are your options? It might seem like Silicon Valley is still the only place you can work on the coolest projects, but maybe we can look to a prominent entertainer for the alternative. At this year’s BET awards ceremony, Tyler Perry said to a group of fellow entertainers, “…while you are fighting for a seat at the table, I’ll be down in Atlanta building my own.” On that note, here’s a list of cities filled with Black techies and entrepreneurs building their own table. 1. Atlanta, GA Home to three Historically Black Colleges and Universities — Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University — and the prestigious Georgia Institute of Technology, the city...
Speaker Bios Entrepreneur, investor, and two-time NBA All-Star and record-holder, Baron Davis played for 5 NBA teams over a thirteen-year career. Known for his electrifying style on the court, Davis was a powerful point guard who won national acclaim for executing in crucial, high-pressure moments, when his team needed him the most. As a businessman, Baron was one of the original investors for Vitaminwater and helped launch Thrive Market. Baron is also the founder of several companies, including Sports and Lifestyle in Culture (SLIC), The Black Santa Company, Business Inside the Game (BIG) and No Label—each with the objective of combining creative talent with original publication and production to develop and provide educational and empowering stories that appeal to global audiences of all ages. Marlon Nichols is a founding managing partner at Cross Culture Ventures (CCV), which finds the entrepreneurs who are building the future for the rest of America. He’s a former Kauffman...
An Interview with Marlon Nichols of Cross Culture Ventures Marlon Nichols is a co-founder and managing partner at Cross Culture Ventures , an early stage venture capital firm with a focus on cultural investing. Before founding Cross Culture Ventures, Marlon was an investment director at Intel Capital. Prior to his time in venture capital, Marlon led successful careers in software and strategy consulting in the technology, private equity, media and entertainment sectors. Some of Marlon’s investments include Blavity , Fair , Gimlet Media , LISNR , Mayvenn , and more. In this interview produced by OF10podcast, Will Lucas (OF10podcast host) and Marlon Nichols discuss his path into venture capital and investing in the future of black & brown popular culture. Note: This portion of the interview is derived from the audio interview heard on the OF10podcast with Will Lucas . To hear the podcast, subscribe in iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. This interview has been edited for length....