Women-In-Novation RECAP

Women-In-Novtion was a major success. We had over 100 attendees with varying ages, genders, and professions. We are proud of all of the hard work that the EQUASPACE team put into this production!

There were so many powerful and awe-inspiring moments that created a wonderful and supportive energy. All of the speakers’ positive advice and vocalized dedication to equity and inclusion were welcomed messages to all attendees. 

The moderator of the panel of phenoms, Natasha Rogers, asked thought-provoking questions, promoting the panelists to talk about raising the bar and dedication to endless excellence. The younger students in the audience, especially took their words and advice to heart. 

Breakout speakers Lindsey Holmes & Cy Lauz focused on the hard-hitting realities of this imperfect world, with not just constructive viewpoints, but also solutions for audience members to take heed and use in their daily lives. They spoke of humanism, diversity in thought & culture, and how both play an important part in the evolution of our global society.

Keynote Speaker, Aisha Glover, spoke on the importance of recognizing positive mental health and reliability. She received such high praise for her motivating and relatable rhetoric.

This event was not only a success because of the phenomenal attendees and speakers, but also because of our sponsors. We want to give a special thanks to the Greater Newark Enterprises Corporation (GNEC), Newark Downtown District (NDD), and most gratefully, the Grammy Museum. This event would not have been as spectacular as it was without any of them and we are so proud to have them as all-star supporters of our business and entrepreneurial community.

Moderator (far left): Natasha Rogers, Panelists: (left to right) Lorine Pendleton, Judith Sheft, & Jasmine Wahi
Keynote Speaker, Aisha Glover, CEO of Newark Alliance
Breakout Speaker, Lindsey Holmes, CEO of Usable Tech co.
Attendee
June Smith-Tomori of GNEC (Platinum Event Sponsor)
Panelist (right) Jasmine Wahi & attendee
Kin of keynote speaker, Aisha Glover
Panelist (left) Judith Sheft speaking to Steve Gomez of GNEC (Platinum Event Sponsor)
Citi Medina, Founder & CEO of =SPACE & Women-In-Novation
Keynote Speaker (right), Aisha Glover speaking to attendee
Breakout Speaker, Cy Lauz, Founder of Chrysalis
Attendee

Women’s Cypher Podcast: NON-CORPORATE GIRLS & =SPACE

Women’s History Month this year has really been one for the books and to top it off The Non–Corporate Girls partnered with =Space  for an all women round table talk. We delved into topics such as competition vs collaboration, how to quiet the voice of fear and what does it look like to support your network. NCG was joined by Vicky Llerena , Akosua Ayim, and Tamara Williams, who all lead impactful lives in very different ways. In listening to the stories of each we also shed light on all our commonalities as women entrepreneurs and business owners. Listen in to this episode for a refreshing perspective on what we all deal with at one point or another. An often great reminder  of a women’s worth, especially in a collective of like-determined sheroes!

Click the link below to tune in on this dope podcast episode!

NCG Ep. 64 – Women’s Cypher Podcast: https://www.noncorporategirls.com/podcast 

 About The Speakers:

Vicky Llerena

Vicky is the CEO of Social Vibes Media, a digital marketing agency focused on helping professionals, real estate game-changers, and small businesses rebrand & increase their digital presence. Her workshops focus on digital lead generation campaigns, social media branding, & female entrepreneurship. Oh, and she happens to be Latina.

She brings with her over ten years of experience having worked at Univision WXTV-41 and PRNewswire. Vicky was named Top 25 Brand Builder by Leading Women Entrepreneur in 2017. She works with organizations, such as Rising Tide Capital, Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of NJ, FOWNDERS, and Small Business Development Center to teach entrepreneurs how to obtain online customers through social media. Vicky was featured in NJBiz, Huffington Post, CEO Blog Nation, and many more media outlets.

 

Akosua Ayim

A 2016 MBA graduate of University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School, Akosua specializes in branding & strategy and especially thrives in the cross-section between corporate and creativity.

After four years in investment banking at J.P. Morgan gaining experience in financial analysis, account management, process improvements and derivatives, acquiring an MBA enhanced her strategic thinking and management skills. Working post-MBA with Adludio, the London-based programmatic adtech start-up, has given international experience in strategic branding and partnerships. Akosua is well-known for efficiently providing sustainable, unique solutions and providing highly rated client service to a wide variety of clientele. She has since worked with household names such as Black Girls Rock! and Travel Noire. Akosua should most certainly be in your “people you need to watch” list.
 
 
Tamara Williams
 
As the founder and president of Soulective Group aka SoulCulture Fest, Tamara had the opportunity to manage multiple events, budgets, deadlines, schedules, and programs for a very diverse demographic. She currently spearheads a variety of events including SoulCulture Fest, with over 4000 festival goers. As an artist, Tamara brings a creative and fresh approach to events for an innovative experience.
 
 
Non-Corporate Girls
 
Non-Corporate Girls LLC is a podcast and creative agency platform. Through the agency portal, NCG Creative, we provide services in content strategy and visual storytelling in the lifestyle, beauty and fashion spaces. The Non-Corporate Girls podcast is a media vertical where we speak on advice, tips and overall resources to help those trying to figure out their passions and in turn, help shape their brands.
 
Being Non-Corporate does not mean being against Corporate America. Non-Corporate is a state of mind that evolves when you realize you are being limited in reaching your full potential, which means it is time to start betting on yourself to take the next steps in propelling your career. Embracing a Non-Corporate attitude we aim to introduce a community where the creators, the doers, and the believers can unite.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Tanisha Best

Exhibiton: Newark Swimming Pools
 @Tbest25_
What is the Genisis of your work? 

The origin of puddles started in 2011 while living on NYC. I was in Harlem and literally looked down and saw an image reflected in water. For me the instant fascination became my personal challenge of seeing my environment from a different angle. The idea of city pools formed and literally took on a life of its own. My personal connection with pools is deeper as I formally don’t know how to swim but I love being in water. In a way these puddles have transformed into alternate views of landscapes for me. Also the perspective changes according to the weather, so it’s very dependent on environmental conditions. I’ve recently been focusing on capturing Newark and my goal is to share the views.

What message do you want to convey to other women artist ?

I want to convey that we’re truly magical beings and that we’re capable of not only creating life but inspiring lives. I’m inspired by the strength, endurance and resilience of so many women that if I can give back an ounce of inspiration that is given to me on a daily basis then I will feel as though I’m earning my residency on this earth.

What does women history month mean to you?

It’s means everything in terms of representation and honoring women of all walks of life. It’s a chance to give thanks and show appreciation by showcasing and sharing the stories that are part of not only this county but at the heart of the world. As I get older I fall more in love with my womanhood and admire the fierceness in other women. Also I’m genuinely rooting for all women to have the ultimate glow up and take their rightful place at the table!

Is there a woman artist or entrepreneur you look up to or inspires you ?

There are so many, but if I had to choose one visible artist it would be Issa Rae. What she created was genius and for the first time I related to a character who wasn’t afraid to be awkward and insecure. She’s taken so many risks in a time where our beauty as black women still isn’t embraced by mainstream but I admire her focus and drive to write black women into cable television and on magazine covers.

What is something you want someone to know about newark ?

Newark is one of the oldest cities in America and there’s so much history. I would want them to know that Newark is the birthplace to a lot of amazing and influential residents and those who move here ultimately always develop a soft place in their heart for this city.

Tell me a beautiful Newark memory that is important to you !

It would have to be my grandmothers being next door neighbors. That’s how my mother and my father met each other. My favorite memory would be on that very street too. It would be being taught how to ride a bike by one grandmother and having cookouts on the back deck with my other grandmother. I feel it forever connects me to Newark.

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Ayana Iman Hosting Women-In-Novation

Ayana Iman is a native of Trenton, NJ and proud New Jersey resident. In 2016, she launched her career as a Public Speaker and Certified Professional Life Coach, focusing on personal development, storytelling, and transformation, which allowed her to directly impact client’s lives as an accountability partner. Ayana received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Journalism at Kean University and her Masters in Strategic Organizational Communication at Rutgers University.

Ayana is also the Chief Communications Officer of #AuthenticConvos, an inclusive experience that fervently promotes face-to-face thought-provoking dialogue within diverse communities across the country and seeks to have a profound global impact on the way we engage with one another. She understands the importance of interpersonal communication, and the need for healthy dialogue that extends beyond the digital realm. This platform has allowed her to facilitate community engagement, offer a platform to other speakers and vendors, and give attendees the opportunity to gain professional insight from thought leaders.

To order your ticket for Women-In-Novation:

RSVP HERE

Women In Novation 3.0

Women-In-Novation showcases the power of the female mind and helps people gain insight on the opportunity to invest in a leading group.

Women are taking over the world by storm and it’s time for the world to see it.

Here are the stats:
More than 9.4 million firms are owned by women, employing nearly 7.9 million people, and generating $1.5 trillion in sales as of 2015.
2.9 million firms are majority-owned by women of color in the U.S.
4.2% of all women-owned firms have revenues of 1 million or more.
Women are making a change and have an astounding impact on the world. We want to create a dialogue that focuses on the impact of women in different career fields and correctly inform people on the power of women.
This is an event for all sexes to enjoy, so no matter what gender you identify with, you are surely welcome to learn and become empowered!
Join us on March 30th and gain knowledge on the world we live in.

Women-In-Novation is an annual event that celebrates the achievement of all women. Our mission statement focuses on the belief that access to resources can lead to great opportunities. We want to make sure that women all across the city and the tri-state area are well aware of the opportunities that =SPACE wants to give to women who have aspirations to reach. Our two previous events were huge hits for everyone who attended. Now, we want to make this event grander by involving the upcoming generations!

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BIG: Digital Undivided’s Woman-Led Incubator Program

Are you a Black or Latinx woman entrepreneur who needs a little bit of a push and a competitive edge? Look no further!

About the BIG Incubator Program:

As an award-winning program (2x SBA Growth Accelerator Winner, INBIA Incubator of the Year, MIT Inclusive Innovation) that provides a direct pathway into the innovation economy for women of color, the BIG incubator is the only space solely dedicated to the development of high-growth tech businesses founded by Black and Latinx women.

BIG is a direct response to the findings in digitalundivided’s ProjectDiane 2018, a groundbreaking research report that demonstrates the current lack of funding available for Black and Latinx women founders.

The BIG incubator is housed at the BIG Innovation Center, a 3,000-square-foot hub in downtown Atlanta dedicated to fostering innovation in diverse communities. digitalundivided is expanding its BIG Incubator program and Innovation Center to Newark, NJ in 2019 and 3 additional locations by 2020. Applications for the 2019 cohorts in Atlanta and Newark are available here. More details and FAQ’s are available here.

 

About digitalundivided:

digitalundivided’s (DID) mission is for Black and Latinx women to own their economic security through entrepreneurship and technology. Founded in 2013, DID takes an innovative approach to community-level economic empowerment by creating pathways for Black and Latinx women (BLWE), and thus the larger Black and Latinx communities, into the innovation ecosystem. digitalundivided has demonstrated core competencies in building and scaling successful data-driven programs that remove barriers and create highways for women of color into innovation, entrepreneurship, and has thus served as a singular force in moving the needle on inclusion in the innovation economy as a whole. For more information, visit www.digitalundivided.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Don’t Deny The Importance of Graphic Design

https://equalspace.co

It’s the first thing a customer sees—your design.

Packaging is all a part of the customer experience. Without the right design, you lose the attention of your audience. Everyone likes nice things, even if they don’t admit it. In the age of social media and visual storytelling, your design speaks to a potential customer before the product or service. From logos to websites, brochures, signage, even your business cards, all are a reflection of good branding through design.

It’s how brands stay competitive.

Businesses need good design to create gag-worthy marketing materials, down to the memes on social media. It’s all inclusive. Good design is now an essential part of business development on and offline.

So what is graphic design?

According to Design Hill, graphic design is the visual communication of a company which includes the process of developing typography, layering image with text, or animation in a specific way to convey a company’s unique and distinctive message. As a startup, entrepreneurs often bootstrap design elements, which sometimes works; however, if you want your brand to stand out and bring visibility to your products and/or services, a sizeable part of your budget should be reserved for design. You can Canva your way through business so much before you have to breakdown and hire a professional.

Unless you’re a designer, then…

Here are eight ways, according to Design Hill, graphic design creates influence:

  1. Sales boost
  2. Establish your company name
  3. Build goodwill in your industry
  4. Express your brand message
  5. Brand unity among staff
  6. Professionalism
  7. Persuasive power
  8. Content readability

Does your brand make the list? Click here to read more.

#takeyourspace

Exercise Your Visual Storytelling Super Power With Photo Essays

“Pose for the camera, now flick!”

We’re sure Chinese Philosopher, Mozi, couldn’t surmise the pinholes he created in a darkened room would evolve into the cameras we have today. From the The Daguerreotype Camera of the mid-1800s to the Reise of the early 1900s, down to shakin’ it like a Polaroid, the ability to capture moments in time has become the fabric of cultures around the world. But it was Nicéphore Niépce in 1816, who we can attribute to the first successful photograph.

Since then, photographs became interactive ways to tell a story. Each image sparked a memory that led to a narrative and a rabbit hole of backstories that kept you engaged in conversation for hours. Over the last few years, Marketing Strategists realize this same community sharing is ideal for small business marketing. Creating intimate communities around products and services is important for small businesses and startups to best engage their target audience. Although considered an “overused” term, narratives engage the audience with a storyline they can connect and follow.

It’s all about relatability.

Posts we like: The Best Photo Essays of 2017

equalspace.co

Visual storytelling brings life words on a page and allows the audience to create their own experience as if they were there and even imagine themselves in the still shots. Studies reveal web content with visual engage audiences up to 180% more than without. Although there are many visual storytelling elements to design, photographs are cost-effective and create immediate and long-lasting impact over time. Impact is a core outcome in all business. You want people to respond to your call to action. Click and learn more. Swipe through and comment.

Engagement is key.

Photo Essays help to propel a message forward and simple for even a non-tech savvy person to do. With Smartphones leading the way in technology, photo ops are easy and essentially seamless. Platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat provide the opportunity to master visual storytelling. Even the publishing platform, Medium, creates space for visual storytelling. Clear that image and text go together like PB&J.

So how can you get it done? What are the ways you can tap into your visual storytelling super power? We’ve compile four ways for you to begin using photo essays to craft your community conversation:

  • Royalty Free Images. Who doesn’t like royalty free images? Sites such as Unsplash and Pexels have become the saving grace for bloggers and web designers alike. If you have a graphic design hand, these images are perfect to “remix” with your own branding elements. Looking for create a color scheme? Type the color you want and watch the images flood. Mix the royalty free images with your own to create contrast but make sure the images aren’t too far off, then they’ll confuse your audience
  • Filters. Whether royalty free or in-house, impressing your brand aesthetic on your images creates visibility and a signature. Your audience immediately knows it’s you and engages. Don’t go overboard. For signature filters and design, VSCO is a great tool. Although considered an intermediate design app, it’s user-friendly with filters that can be adjusted to create the ideal look.
  • Elements. For the sake of this post, we’re going to call text, animation, and icons and such, elements. Sites such as Canva and Spark Adobe are perfect to add design elements to your image and create a strong brand image effect. Add shapes, animation, and text to further the narrative of your brand. Spark Adobe has image templates specific for IG Stories to add further customization.
  • Dollar stores and thrift shops. Designing on a budget? Dollar stores and thrift shops are great places to get set design elements. Doing a post on flat lays? Scoop up a few pens, notepads, glass jars, and faux flowers from the dollar store. Even places like Amazing Savings and Tuesday Morning have low cost items to add to your images. Feeling crafty, find a desk or patio set and make your designs there. But you gotta be quick! Snap real fast and make a dash.

There are many ways to create visual dialogue. Join the conversation on Instagram and share some of your favorite tips.

#takeyourspace

Content Continues to Reign Supreme: Lessons and Reflections from the E3 Gaming Expo

E3 Gaming Expo

Earlier this month, the ever so anticipated gaming expo, labeled E3, took place in Los Angeles, California. Top companies in the industry came together to host this event for the gaming community and announce upcoming products, projects and services still in development. Opportunities for marketing and funding for these businesses are plentiful; however success not guaranteed for all with regard to recruiting new and veteran gamers.

In an ever changing and exponentially growing field, the amount of approaches toward their target audience is basically infinite for any given company. For example, Bethesda and Sony both left E3 with a variety of different outcomes, primarily due to contrasts in their presentations. Bethesda took a quality product approach, while Sony, a suspense intensive approach.

Microsoft E3 Gaming Expo
photo credit: Windows Central

In the aftermath, both yielded polar opposite; yet, beneficial results. Ironically, Sony’s conference was underwhelming. Despite the history and contribution to the gaming community, their portion of E3  left more to be desired. They led each upcoming game trailer with a live culture associated instrumental conceived a mist of silence that fell heavily amongst the crowd. The attempt to build suspense through audio was an amazing idea with profound musical choices that told a captivating story.However, no one was ready for what came next.

The games that were shown were somewhat repetitive or just not good. Elements that did garner a rise from the crowd was specific to a portion of the gaming community who have already pledged their allegiance to preceding storylines. An ideal example would be the difference in the reaction to The Last of Us 2 and Death Stranding. Although, Sony understood the power of suspense and harnessed it well, they left out the actual content people wanted to be excited for in the first place.

Fallout 76 Station. photo credit: Josh Miller for CNET

On the other end of E3, in its earlier stages, Bethesda took the stage only armed with confidence and quality and left with much more of using suspense as a vessel for their games. Bethesda took it upon themselves to bluntly showcase what they were working on and the crowd had absolutely no problem with it. They developed content fans have been actually wanting for years such as: The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 76. This display of “gamer loyalty” provided Bethesda with a fanbase wielding the devotion of true Spartans. By focusing on the content and allowing the suspense to manifest on its own, Bethesda gave their audience little time to wither with fresh and genuine responses. Feedback to a service based business is one of the most important “currencies” one could ever receive.

However, reflecting back on this event, we can ascertain feedback is not only a reassuring war cry but also, in some cases, humiliating silent stares. With regard to business metrics, we can determine the value in our next presentations and ask ourselves, “is this pointless suspense or exciting content,” to not only accept the feedback we need but also the type we desire.

Redefine the ‘Grind’ With Mindfulness

“All work without no play makes Jack a dull boy…”

May is National Mental Health month and it’s important to highlight the fixation with “the grind,” as well as how it affects people across all industries. The obsession, more times than not, attributes to mental instability through stress and fatigue and can often leave us dependent on outside resources to either escape the overwhelm or simply stay awake to push ourselves more.

In lieu of this, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and workplaces alike are turning to more mindful business practices. Although mindfulness isn’t new, it is becoming a more intricate part of the corporate cultures across the nation. CEOs recognize creating mindful organizations are more lucrative to the bottom line and reduce turnover.

It’s a dream to love what you do and mindful business practices assist in manifesting this dream.

Make mindfulness a skill

Social Media leads the charge with giving people a bird’s eye view of what appears to be hyper-focused work habits and the “glow-up.” However, is pushing the message of the “grind” lucrative to our overall well-being? Does the inundate of quotes and memes designed to encourage living one’s best life work for or against the masses?

Mindfulness Consultant, Clarissa Romero works with educational institutions and workplaces promoting the importance of mindfulness. When asked about harnessing mindfulness as a workplace skill, she had this to offer:

When unhappiness or stress projects a shadow in your work or personal life, mindfulness allows you to observe your thoughts and reactions without taking them in or personally. In essence, mindfulness allows you to catch negative thought patterns before they drag you down, Clarisa explained. It begins the process of putting you back in control of your life.

Though urban vernacular defines “the grind” as working tirelessly to achieve a goal, it’s removed from placing us in control of customizing our grind and is only shaped around the blueprint from others who precede us. This also doesn’t account for being present in the moment. The grind constantly urges us to work until the wheels fall off, burn the midnight oil, and join the #teamnosleep tribe but if we’re grinding so hard, when do we take the time to be grateful for how far we’ve come?

Be mindful of the food on your table

Mental health amid the grind expands to what we place in our bodies. Diet and exercise are key elements to implementing mindfulness as a skill and practice. Serial Entrepreneur Neil Grimmer took his passion for business and health and merged them together to create Habit—a company which designs personalized lifestyle changes to achieve long-term health.

Grimmer was inspired to create Habit from helping his wife recover from breast cancer, as well as, transforming his own health. In designing the ecosystem for Habit, Grimmer took account of how nutrition played an intricate role with work-life balance or the lack thereof. We get so caught up in the grind, we often forget to eat and when we do, the options chosen aren’t the greatest. Grimmer recognized this routine and made the shift.

“What I did adopt right away, and I adopted this from my wife, was mindfulness and gratitude,” says Grimmer. He recognized the mental shift to how he approached life was necessary for the success of his new lifestyle through nutrition but in business overall. Grimmer notes, “Whether I’m sitting with my team, whether I’m negotiating a deal or whatever it may be, it’s being absolutely in the moment. It’s recognizing the voices that go through your head, the distractions that come in, and not being moved by them, but rather letting them pass in and out of consciousness.

This prompted Grimmer to implement mindful nutrition which asserts it’s not just what you eat but your mental state when you eat and while you’re eating that matters.

It’s time we redefine the grind.

Many of us are enamored by Will Smith’s Instagram but what we miss is that he’s living his best life. He’s aware and present in each moment. Who’s to say that the grind has to be absent of this? Mindfulness isn’t exclusive to spirituals and the like, it’s a universal practice which can be applied across every aspect of our lives. It’s time we develop a “mindful grind.”

Share your thoughts below and be sure to #takeyourspace!