Anyone who’s started a business without resources– financial or otherwise— knows what it means to “bootstrap.” But according to Tara Reed, founder and CEO of AppsWithoutCode, bootstrapping doesn’t look the same for black, female, non-techie founders as it does for others. We know the startup world is overwhelmingly white and male. According to the #ProjectDiane report, black women run just 4% of women-led startups and get basically zero venture capital funding. Between 2012 to 2014, black women founders raised an average of $36,000 (per company) in funding — compared with an average $1.3 million (per company) raised by white male founders. In this interview, Reed shares her tips on how to fund your startup without venture capital, and how to build your network and “took kit” to succeed in Silicon Valley as an “unconventional” entrepreneur. Read the full story on Forbes.
