Three Lessons from Women of Color CEOs in Conversation

Sharmadean Reid and Lucy Flores

As an independent media company founded by Latinas, Luz Collective proudly served as a media sponsor of CHROMA 2020 – a virtual conference featuring over 50 U.S. and international Black and Latinx tech entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders. One of the many powerful conversations from CHROMA was moderated by Luz Collective CEO and co-founder, Lucy Flores.

In the session Beauty + Tech = Opportunity, Flores spoke to entrepreneur Sharmadean Reid about her journey from fashion stylist to leader in tech, exploring the steps she took to revolutionize the word of styling with her app Beautystack.Through a discussion of both their shared and unique experiences as founders and CEOs, Reid and Flores dropped valuable lessons during their candid conversation.


Learn the Language and Do the Work.

Reid was attracted to the field of fashion because it was much more accessible for women and women of color than other fields. She got her start making a mark in the fashion world as early as university where she created a Hip Hop zine for girls borne out of an interest she had for learning graphic design. Reid credits her curiosity for many of the successes she’s had from stylist, to nail salon owner, to now the founder of a cutting-edge app that connects clients to the styles they want with just a few clicks. Beautystack’s model is simple: See it, Like it, Book it.

“I chose an industry that was very open, with tech I thought the same thing, but then I found it’s not that democratic,” Reid said while discussing her career trajectory. Like all entrepreneurs, one of the challenges Reid faced was access to capital especially considering how much the world of venture capital (VC) is dominated by white men. Reid stressed the importance of learning the language investors use as a strategy to get their attention.

“What helped me raise money is that I researched the investors. In short, VC is like any other industry with its own jargon. You gotta do the work. I wouldn’t say it’s closed to people like us. It’s a language like any other language. I spent all of my energy trying to learn the language. I spent all my time learning the rules of this game and I am still figuring it out,” Reid said.

Say No to Limiting Beliefs

According to Black and Brown Founders, less than 2% of venture capital goes to Black and Latinx entrepreneurs. And Latinas get an even smaller sliver of funds. There is no question that raising funds, big or small, is a daunting feat. Flores and Reid’s conversation reminded listeners that focusing on the statistics can be paralyzing.

“Only .2% of Latinas get access to venture capital and I would have to get [this number] out of my head,” Flores said about her experience raising capital.

Instead of letting the fear of fundraising take over, Reid and Flores recommend shifting energy on what makes you stand out.

“When you become a VC backed business, it’s really easy to get swayed and distracted by what everyone else is doing, but you have to remember, they have a different path than you,” Reid said.

Both Reid and Flores are powered by knowing that their point of view adds value precisely because it is so different from the views of the typical face of the tech world.

“We need more women and more women of color in technology because only we know the problems that are for us…I feel really strongly about diversity in technology because it is so obvious,” said Reid commenting on the ways Black and Brown entrepreneurs bring a fresh perspective.

Another way that Reid propelled her career is by not letting perfection get in the way of her ideas. Reid shared many examples where she leveraged the tools and resources available to her to nourish her concepts without waiting for a perfect moment that might never come.

“Think about what you can do right now…What can I do today towards this idea,” Reid repeated as examples of questions she would ask herself as a sort of mantra that’s helped her take ideas to implementation.

Flores agreed. “You just start with your hustle and from there is where it begins to grow,” Flores said.

Reid ascribes her entrepreneurial energy to her Jamaican roots and the loving home that her mother provided for her growing up in the United Kingdom.

“I think Jamaica is the number one place in the world where you are likely to have a female boss because all the women, they just hustle,” Reid said.

You’re Gonna Make Mistakes, So Cut Yourself a Break

Flores and Reid shared many common experiences, particularly about the challenging aspects of being CEOs where there is no road map to follow or a supervisor who can provide guidance. The challenges are magnified for women of color who are often entering a field where they are not widely represented.

“Women don’t give themselves enough of a break…As Black women, if we are not around [White Collar business language] we are going into this blind and there is no manual. I one hundred percent messed it up early on,” Reid said.

Both women underscored that no matter what, mistakes are going to happen, but what is important is the experience and growth that comes from the mistakes. “When women get publicly harangued you are not giving them space for the learning,” Read said. “You go through this and you learn, and there is no handbook, there is no space to fail when you’re building a fast growing startup.”

Flores asked Reid how she strikes a balance between being confident and also knowing what she’s up against.

“I am going to do what I can for me and for my business, for generational wealth for my future family. The challenge is to not lose yourself,” Reid said leaving participants with a reminder about the importance of staying true to yourself.

If you missed out on the live conversations like this one, you can still experience the CHROMA conference replay right now. Check out passes and prices here: https://chroma.bbfounders.co/checkout/select-tickets/

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).