BLACK EXCELLENCE: BLAQBASE
Over the last few years, I have become increasingly interested in tech and having followed Benedicta for some time on social media, I thought she would be the perfect person to speak to about tech and her amazing platform, Blaqbase.
JF: Who are you and what do you do?
BB: I am Benedicta, by day, I am a product manager and specialise in delivering IT systems for a luxe car maker. I am a mum of 2 boys and outside of work, I have general interests in all things start-ups, and I am currently working on my own platform called Blaqbase a marketplace app for black women to discover, buy and sell products by and for black women.
JF: I personally love how you touched on the various facets of your life – we are intersectional beings and not defined solely by our day jobs, businesses or titles within families. So Blaqbase, incredible idea and I came across your page Twitter, I was eager to hear more. What made you create a platform and essentially space for black women?
BB: I am always working on something to benefit people around me. With Blaqbase, I wanted to see more of the work black women were producing and provide a space giving their ideas visibility so they thrive. Sometimes, we witness lack of business growth in the community due to the fact that people do not know certain brands exist. In business, black women are least likely to receive funding and investment and this can also hinder growth. Blaqbase aims to serve the community and act as a central marketplace for premium and quality black-owned brands and businesses.
Image: Blaqbase, a marketplace for black women, created by a black woman!
JF: How important is it to you to circulate the ‘black pound’?
BB: Honestly, this is probably my life’s work in one way or another. The way I see it, the next generation should not be starting from the bottom as we have seen from our generation and the ones before that. We need to change the narrative. It is our duty to work on educating ourselves and others on necessary money management, investment and see how we can give our children the necessary leg up when needed – for property, business and university. What you can do now, aside from investing in yourself, is investing in others. You lose nothing from supporting another person’s business – provided the products and services are indeed good. Check out the app and why not purchase a good quality product from a black-owned brand, and replace your usual purchase this month?
JF: How have you personally juggled creating this app with alongside your responsibilities?
BB: To say it is hard is even an understatement, but I do have to credit my life partner who has been my main source of support. In this entrepreneurial journey and life in general really, you do need someone there that can fill in the gaps for you and share responsibilities. I think you need to have a support network that you can lean on in different ways, and indeed vice versa, because people, genuine relationships, will get you through the good and bad times in entrepreneurship and life in general.
Image:Blaqbase, create your profile here!
JF: The underrepresentation of black women within tech has been the forefront of several discussions as there are increasingly more black women building amazing brands (like Blaqbase!). What difficulties have you personally faced as a black woman within this space?
BB: I recently completed a Start-up School by Y-Combinator to help structure my ideas (would recommend). In this course, I met with several founders, however, during the 10-week programme, I only met two black women in that time. This meant that when I was talking about my idea, I realised that the majority of programme delegates did not or could not relate to the problem I am trying to solve and the shopping experience of black women on the high street. This reiterated the fact that black women are not in this space. It is challenging because you do need to get feedback on your concept. To combat this, I often go into places where I know my audience will be, e.g. Shades of Beauty Live. There are pockets and communities created by some amazing people within the community. Just as a general piece of advice, I would encourage you all to get involved in tech in one way or another. Everything will be tech-driven, and you cannot afford to be left behind.
Image: Benedicta in her element.
JF: Tech is an exciting space but for those within our community that may not have any product management experience or a background/experience in tech, that are interested in getting into the space? What courses and resources would be a great starting point for readers?
BB: There is a lot out there and, in all honesty, it can be a little overwhelming. There are a number of communities for those interested and involved in tech, particularly in London – you can find these on Eventbrite. I would recommend going to events, spending time with those in the communities to find out if you are genuinely interested in what they are talking about. This year, I was chosen to be one of 100 women to be on a technology programme called TechUPWomen that focused on upskilling 100 women from minority groups and it is so refreshing to learn and be amongst a community of women unified by our common love for tech. If you want to learn how to code or get into data science, both of which are important skills for the future, I would recommend Codecademy, DataCamp and FreeCodeCamp. There are a number of other online learning schools that you can use to gain or upskill technical skills for example Future Learn and Udemy.
JF: As we are in the last quarter of the year, what advice would you give to the young black woman that has several goals and how can she remain proactive in the pursuit of said goals?
BB: Focus is key. I have been guilty of doing so many things at one time, but I think it is important for you to pick one thing that you will devote your time, effort and energy to. Belief is equally as important. Remember that vision is given to a person before it is understood by other people. Do not take opinion polls on your goals or vision for your life. Believe in what it is that you have said you want to do and remain laser focused.
Final Words:
From her desire to be a disruptive in a space that black women do not traditionally occupy, to her ability to juggle several hats, Benedicta is indeed a woman worth celebrating. I think Blaqbase is an amazing platform and I cannot wait to see the growth of the marketplace and look forward to investing in black-owned businesses as a result.
Be sure to follow Benedicta on Instagram and Blaqbase on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up to Blaqbase and let’s get that black pound circulated.