Kansas City Celebrating Women’s History Month

As many of you know, March is Women’s History Month. It seems very fitting that the CPKC Stadium opened its doors for its first home match on March 16, 2024. The Stadium is the first privately financed stadium purpose-built exclusively for a professional women’s soccer team, the Kansas City Current. The Current were founded in December 2020 as Kansas City’s National Women’s Soccer League team and are owned by Angie Long, Chris Long and our very own Brittany Mahomes, wife to three-time Super Bowl winner and Quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes.

Marcia Chatelain, Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America (Liveright Publishing, 2020)

Over the Martin Luther King Day holiday a couple of weeks ago, I was reminded that Dr. King’s advocacy had a significant economic component that is almost always overshadowed by his achievements in the civil rights realm. “What good is having the right to sit at a lunch counter,” he is famously quoted as saying, “if you can’t afford to buy a hamburger?”

From Marcia Chatelain’s viewpoint, his reference to hamburgers is especially apt. In Franchise, which won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 2021, she examines “the hidden history of the intertwined relationship between the struggle for civil rights and the expansion of the fast-food industry.” In this story, hamburger behemoth McDonald’s plays a prominent role.

Celebrating Female Entrepreneurs on International Women’s Day

International Women's Day is a global day marked annually on March 8 that celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. In honor of International Women’s Day, I would like to highlight just a few of the delightful and practical women-founded businesses that I value having in my life.

OUI the People. Karen Young is the founder of OUI the People, which is a direct-to-consumer beauty company that is committed “to changing the language of beauty.” According to Young, when she was younger, her mother banned beauty magazines in the house but subscribed to National Geographic. That sort of practicality is alive and well in OUI. OUI stands out by delivering realistic and effective tools for living your best life in your skin while leaving the antiquated view of beauty behind. OUI’s razors are the best!

Freda Salvador. This amazing company, founded by Cristina Palomo-Nelson and Megan Papay, makes shoes that have become a staple in my closet. The shoes are amazingly feminine, comfortable, durable and unique, while also being timeless in appearance. Freda Salvador also makes a point of highlighting inspiring women in its “The Freda Women Series.” Most recently, the series highlighted Amber Lewis, founder of Amber Interior Design. Amber’s designs provide fresh inspiration for those that love the cool California canyon styling (like me!). 

Black Out Tuesday: Resources for Learning and Reflecting

I had originally planned to write this post about cooking trends during COVID-19, but that topic feels insignificant in the wake of the recent killing of George Floyd. Since his death, millions of people, including many entrepreneurs, have taken to the streets to protest police brutality and unequal justice. I’m writing this post on Black Out Tuesday (#blackouttuesday), a social-media initiative that was started by record-industry executives Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas to amplify black voices, to support the Black Lives Matter movement, and to promote policy change. “Take a beat for an honest, reflective and productive conversation about what actions we need to collectively take to support the Black community,” Agyemang and Thomas urged on their #theshowmustbepaused website.

So, instead of musing on the surge in quarantine baking and the best banana bread recipe, I’d like to use this space to share with our audience of entrepreneurs some resources during a time to reflect on the challenges our society is facing. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and I am merely learning myself. My Facebook feed is flooded with recommendations today, but maybe you aren’t seeing the same content or maybe you’re looking for a another perspective. Either way, I hope these resources provide some helpful ways to engage with others during this time.

Books to Read 

The staff at Wild Rumpus, the wonderful children’s bookstore in Linden Hills, has posted a reading list on their website of recommended books for talking about racism and justice. The list is organized by age with a section for young kids, middle grade readers, young adult readers, and adult readers. Wild Rumpus will donate a portion of the proceeds from the books on this list to Black Lives Matter Minnesota. Their no-contact curbside delivery option makes it easy to pick up one of these books.

Films to Watch

In a New York Magazine article, “12 Documentaries You Should Watch About Racism and Police Brutality in America,” Jason Bailey compiled a list of documentaries, which includes the following films:  

• Let the Fire Burn (2013)
• Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992 (2017) / LA 92 (2017)
• Whose Streets? (2017)
• Copwatch (2017)
• 16 Shots (2019)
• Do Not Resist (2016)
• The Force (2017) / Crime + Punishment (2018)
• The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017)
• 13th (2016)
• I Am Not Your Negro (2016)

Female Entrepreneurs: A Growing Trend?

Longtime entreVIEW readers — and I mean really long time readers — already know that, despite spending most of my days working with entrepreneurs, I'm a big fan of "Shark Tank".

I was recently watching an episode (which, admittedly, may not have been the most recent episode as I keep a stash of them on my DVR) with my oldest daughter. We both noticed that, for the first time, a majority of the sharks (three of five) were female. This is a long way from when the show premiered in 2009 and only one of the five sharks, Barbara Corcoran, was female. Since then, Lori Greiner (Queen of QVC) has become a regular and, more recently, Sara Blakely (founder of Spanx) and Bethenny Frankel have become frequent guest sharks.

Maybe the entrepreneurial world is finally closing the gender gap? I came across this article containing facts that may support this proposition. The article indicates that, while only one in four companies in the U.S. are run by women, the number of female-owned firms is growing twice as fast as all business. There’s also a lot of interesting analysis about other significant differences between the sexes in how and why women start and run enterprises.

Fearless Commerce: A Showcase of Local Black Female Entrepreneurs

With an increase of 322% since 1997, the State of Women-Owned Business Report named Black women as the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States. A recent Nielson Company study, African-American Women: Our Science, Her Magic, further quantifies Black women’s power to influence the economy, media, and politics. Much like most of the country, the Twin Cities local community is rich with minority female entrepreneurs that represent a diversity of industries. 

But despite the impact this group has on the local and national economy, it has struggled to gain visibility and has largely gone unrepresented in entrepreneurial publications. Fearless Commerce seeks to change this. A nationally recognized company co-founded by two local Black female entrepreneurs, Fearless Commerce showcases local Minneapolis-Saint Paul minority women business owners by featuring their stories and highlighting their successes in industries ranging from medicine to architecture to entertainment and fitness. 

The inaugural issue of the Fearless Commerce publication launched in October 2017, and has since continued to foster innovation within the local entrepreneur community and communities of color. Keep an eye out for the next issue, available this spring. 

On the Radio

For this entry I bring you an entrepreneurial antidote with a feel-good vibe.

I’m a fan of all things old school and among them is good old radio, whether it’s pulling up my MLB radio app to catch my beloved Seattle Mariners fail to win (or sometimes even try, it seems) or tuning in an old transistor to some music while burning dinner on the grill.

One thing I like about radio, beyond my own entertainment, is that you can really learn a lot about a place when you turn it on and tune into a regional frequency. Each radio station has its own audience, whether big or small. Even so, radio often caters to the masses, so it is not always the case that each audience has a radio station.

For the melting pot of listeners in my neighborhood of South Minneapolis, that is less so the case thanks to a brand new Low-Power FM (LPFM) radio station, KRSM Southside Media Project (KRSM), which launched in November 2017 and appears to be a community-based entrepreneurial success story in the making.

The ADA in the digital age: Is your website compliant?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in all aspects of society. Whether, under the ADA, websites must be accessible to people with disabilities has been a hot topic in the legal and disability communities for some time. Before the internet became so pervasive, it was assumed that the ADA applied only to physical structures. But because the law doesn’t specifically state whether it applies to brick-and-mortar vs. digital “places,” its applicability to websites has been open to interpretation. 

A string of lawsuits brought against private companies for inaccessible websites, web services, or digital communications, has created a precedent that the ADA does apply to the internet, although the precedent is not entirely consistent across all jurisdictions.

The Women and Money Project

If you (a) enjoy art, (b) enjoy sharing your opinion, (c) are, identify as, are related to, or care about a woman or a group of women, or (d) have ever dealt with money, you should mark your calendar for an exhibition called the Women and Money Project. Through art and related programming, the exhibition will create a forum for audiences to investigate and engage their understanding of the relationship between “women, art, money, exchange, and social hierarchies.”  The exhibition, which will take place later this year, is being organized by The Minnesota Chapter of Women’s Caucus for Art, the University of Minnesota, and The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Small Business Certifications: Where Do I Start?

For many small, privately held businesses, navigating the world of small business certifications can be a daunting task.  Certification options abound for women, minority, veteran-owned, and small disadvantaged businesses.  What does it all mean, and where does one start?

The website of the U.S. Sm
all Business Administration (SBA) explains it well: “Small business certifications are like professional certifications; they document a special capability or status that will help you compete in the marketplace.”  Here, I address women-owned business certifications, a topic on which our office receives frequent inquiries.

Women-owned businesses may seek certification through both governmental and private entities, and while certification requirements vary, both generally require that one or more women own at least 51 percent of the business and manage the business.  In other words, a woman holding a 51 percent or greater ownership interest in a company in which her husband is CEO isn’t going to cut it.  She must be responsible for both the long-term decision making and day-to-day management of the company.  

Typically, a business primarily focused on serving as a supplier to governmental entities will want to become certified by a governmental agency, whereas a business that primarily works in the private sector and with large, publicly traded companies should seek certification from a third-party certifier.  For Minnesota businesses, governmental certifiers include (i) the SBA, (ii) the State of Minnesota, and (iii) the City of St. Paul.  Third-party certifiers include the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC).  

The SBA administers the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program, which authorizes federal contracting officers to set aside certain federal contracts for eligible women-owned small businesses.  

The State of Minnesota and its agencies administer the Targeted Group/Economically Disadvantaged Small Business Program (the TG Program) and the United States Department of Transportation Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (the DBE Program).  Upon certification under the TG Program, the business is added to the state’s vendor list, and the TG may be eligible for up to a 6 percent preference in selling its products or services or bidding on construction projects to the State.  The DBE Program is a federally-funded certification program intended to help disadvantaged people, including women, participate in the planning, construction and management of the country’s transportation system.  The Minnesota Unified Certification Program (MnUCP) makes certification decisions with respect to participation in the DBE Program.
   
The Central Certification Program (CERT) is a small business certification program administered by the City of St. Paul and recognized by Hennepin County, Ramsey County, and the City of St. Paul.  Certification makes you eligible to participate in activities specifically designed for certified vendors.    

Two of the most prominent third-party certifiers are the WBENC and NWBOC.  Each certification provides women-owned businesses with access to supplier diversity and procurement executives at major corporations and federal, state and local government entities.  The application fees for these certifications start at $350, and certifications are usually valid for just one year.  

This is merely a high-level overview of the reasons companies may seek certification and the types of certifications available to Minnesota companies.  As you consider whether certification may be right for you, keep in mind that the process is lengthy and rigorous.  Numerous document requests must be fulfilled and on-site visits may be required.  Recertification may also be required on an annual basis, but the numerous benefits that accompany certification may make it all worthwhile.

The Book: Randall Robinson, Quitting America: The Departure of a Black Man From His Native Land (Plume Books, 2004)

Why: From the pen of a self-exiled American, some thought-provoking insights into American culture. Do we drive progress or are we driven by it? 

This time of year—and especially this year—a Minnesotan’s thoughts turn to warm and sunny places. The urge to get away from the ice and snow is nearly irresistible. Here in the northland, as soon as the last week of March or first week of April arrives signaling spring break time, offices empty out as we seek a preview of the summer weather that is—we hope—to arrive in just a few short months. (At this time last year, the high temperature in Minneapolis was 80 degrees so we didn’t really need to travel for such a preview.)

My reading this month concerned a leaving of a more permanent nature. At one point in my life, I lived abroad for a while as an expatriate. This was a wonderful experience, one that I would recommend to anyone (and, in fact, one of my children has opted for this life, at least for a year or so). But for me, this temporary experience was just that—a sojourn abroad followed by a return home. 

I have always been intrigued by people who, for one reason or another, decide to abandon their native lands. Randall Robinson is a Harvard-educated lawyer who left the United States for life in the small Caribbean island country of Saint Kitts and Nevis.  The reasons stem mainly from what he perceives as the pervasive racism of American society, but many of his observations about American culture generally are interesting and, for some people, may hit a little close to home.

Robinson bemoans, in particular, what he views as the “commercialization of everything from school to pew.” From this, he extrapolates that “everything about America is big except its people, who, unbeknownst to most Americans, are mere human beings, no bigger or smaller than human beings any place in the world.” He asks, “Could it be that in America, the unexcelled bigness of all things material has resulted in the concomitant relative smallness of all values nonmaterial?”

Alas, these views are nothing new, and have been with us for a long time, long before Eugene Burdick and William Ledererat wrote The Ugly American.  Robinson is clearly disaffected, and condemns the United States with a broad brush. He does, however, leave us with something to think about: we Americans, he says, should “be more thoughtful about how we define progress and development, not just in terms of broadened material wealth but also with an understanding of how indispensable social arrangements are compromised when the market becomes the only voice listened to, its barometer the only measure of a nation’s health.”

One might argue that, without the market, progress and development is impossible, but the question of what should come first—progress or people—is a central tension within our culture, one we all encounter almost on a daily basis.

Is Spider-Man Version 2.0 an Improvement…and What Can Entrepreneurs Learn from this Saga?

As detailed in my first post on this subject, I continue to be interested in the development of "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark." The $70 million production finally opened last week after the longest preview period in Broadway history.

The most obvious question is whether Version 2.0, launched after a three-week hiatus in late April to implement changes, is an improvement over Version 1.0 (the Julie Taymor version). Version 1.0 was universally hated by critics back in February. While many critics still didn't embrace the new version, they all seem to agree that the new version, reworked by a team of “outsiders” brought in to fix the show after Taymor was removed from the helm, is an improvement.

I saw Version 2.0 over Memorial Day weekend (along with seven other new musicals…I know, it’s an illness). While it wasn’t even in the same universe as my favorite of the group, recent Tony Award winning Best Musical "The Book Of Mormon," I have to admit that it was OK. This may seem like faint praise but, given that the New York Times had called Version 1.0 “amongst the worst musicals ever made,” I assume it’s an improvement.

Most telling to me is that the plot, which had been called everything from muddled to incomprehensible, was linear and easy to follow. While the score is unmemorable and the story predictable, it has some positive attributes, including the sometimes incredible and sometimes distracting flying sequences and other special effects.

The less obvious questions are what happened to make it better and what could an entrepreneur learn from it?

In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” composers Bono and The Edge (of rock band U2) surmised that Taymor (who over the weekend commented on the experience of creating the show) had gotten too close to the production to see its flaws. While Taymor was working around the clock for months immersed in all aspects of the production, Bono and The Edge were off on tour, thereby allowing them to intermittently return to see the work with a fresh set of eyes. They basically admitted that they had some of the same concerns as the February reviews, but they and others couldn’t get Taymor, who clearly had creative control, to listen.

Sometimes I see the same problem with entrepreneurial ventures. Too often, the founder or CEO, who is immersed in the business 24/7, can’t see the flaws, recognize a changing landscape, or identify new opportunities. This is why it is so critical to foster a diverse work environment that is open, values fresh perspectives, and encourages questioning. Outside advisors and a strong and inquisitive Board can also certainly help.

Of course, it’s also important to be a good listener, something it appears Taymor couldn’t do. Her inability to see through the web of obstacles to a successful musical could have made Spidey come crashing to earth. With a dose of fresh perspective from the new creative team, he may continue swinging on the Great White Way for a while.

Why Dare to Be Different?

When I first built my own law firm, I often was asked what it felt like being “different.” Funny, I did not think of myself as different, but I am. I am brown. Not just a light caramel, but a nice chocolate brown. When I walk into a board meeting for the first time I really stick out since often I am the only “brown” person there.

My first partner in my law firm was Jewish and refused to wear a suit. We often laughed at what a pair of “odd” people we were to be building a firm in Minnesota—a Jew and a Hispanic American Indian. I remember approaching young partners at the big firms to join us. They all turned us down, even though I could show them how they could make more money and had a chance to help build something great.

Since we could not recruit any senior lawyers, we decided to hire people right out of school and train them. It turned out that every person we hired to work with us (both lawyers and paralegals) was a woman. This was at a time when there were still relatively few female corporate lawyers, yet nine out of eleven of us were female. I would like to say it was because we were forward-thinking and egalitarian, but in all honesty, it was probably because we were just different enough to attract people out of the mainstream.

We were the crazy guys in the suburbs with the office located through a client’s back door (or, later, above the day-care center). Our job interviews—almost an embodiment of the idea that we weren’t out to hire anyone too normal—even involved taking candidates to the local bowling alley with the group to see how the social dynamics worked.

In the end, though, I honestly believe our differences allowed us to compete with firms that were much larger and had bigger marketing budgets. We had no allegiance to old ideas and prejudices. If anything, we had a bias toward being different from the rest. We didn’t need a strategic plan to help us find subtle distinctions between us and our competitors—we were distinct from them in so many ways. We were smart and driven to succeed and it did not matter that we were young, Jewish, Catholic, men, women, whatever. It became almost a religion to ask “why” and “why not.”

When I teach students in my entrepreneurship class, I talk about one of the universal traits of entrepreneurs—the belief that they can do something better, their willingness to do things differently. These days, people talk about diversity, but I think they forget about the benefits of hiring people with diverse ethnic, religious, or social backgrounds. One of these benefits is the infusion of new ideas that different cultural and economic experiences can foster. The other benefit is willingness to try different things. Even large organizations can benefit from diversity, but not just to meet some quota so they can say they are diverse or get priority on contracts. The real benefit can be that diversity increases the chance for genuine innovation and creativity that often is lacking in a large organization.

A Post by Frank Vargas, Guest Blogger