10 Years of safe water dreams: Still a Dreamer

I knew the longer after New Orleans Entrepreneur Week I took to write this post it would make this post longer. But I am glad I waited until today to write it. Since February I have been making designs, which I do every year for NOEW, making more natural products but this year I began to sell pre-manufactured water filters made by a company called Sawyer Inc.

I made my first water filter sale in the startup catalyst this year! Like last year, LaunchNOLA was the reason I was able to participate in NOEW. Even after years of window shopping the New Orleans entrepreneur circuit, it took a startup accelerator to actually give me my chance to present my business.

Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that it has been 10 years. In 2007 I certainly had no idea what it would take to actually create an arts business that could actually help people access safe water. That passion to find the answer and my faith is the only reason I get closer to my goal.

Today seemed serendipitous to write. I just left a potter's ceramic studio. She gave me a quick lesson on her potter's wheel. Needless to say not only do I feel validated in following this dream of making water filters with ceramics, it felt right. The clay, the wheel, all of it felt like I was doing my life calling.

Since my last post I also became a StartingBloc Social Innovation fellow. To say the fellowship is transformative, I think is an understatement. The 5-day institute was crushing at times but by the last day I was extremely impressed by the way the curriculum helps to re-shape thinking into what can potentially create significant social change for good. Look at some of their fellows. They are doing amazing work, in every industry, working for good social change that improves people's lives in many ways.

One of the hardest parts for me was including myself in a group of social change "leaders". I found myself often "self-selecting myself out". Often questioning if I belonged there. By the middle of the 5th day I was more than positive I made the right choice.

Even though Fortune Magazine documented over two years ago that black women are fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States. Black women who own businesses raise the least amount of capital. You can find articles here, here, here and here. I could actually make the rest of this blog just listing articles that write about my experience. Businesses owned by black women do not receive the same the same funding as other startups. Not white women or black males. We are the most underfunded. Google the phrase and you will find pages of stories written on the subject.

This past weekend I participated in Louisiana Startup Prize Qualifying Event. It is an event that is mostly focused on connecting entrepreneurs to investors. A year ago I would have jumped at the chance to meet angel investors. This year at NOEW the best session I went to was one given by Kirk Coco, Founder of NOLA Brewing Company.

I also found a new favorite beer. He talked about growing his company without investors. I still attended Startup Prize because it was a full day of roundtables on business that were very valuable to my stage of business. I met a great couple in Shreveport that started a product development company that shared ways to bootstrap prototypes. I sat in a session that gave techniques on validating my idea. And I had an opportunity to sit at the table with one of, if not the best, patent attorney in the country. On top of this, I think I finally have one of these elusive business plans so much is made of. A business plan that can actually be a path to growth and not a bunch a jargon on paper.

The rest of my summer will now be spent making a working prototype of my next products- a ceramic filter. To say I'm excited is an understatement. Each of these three opportunities from March-June have helped me move forward. What is still missing is the funding. I don't know what will make that part change. Perhaps the key is this prototype I'm working on.

Perhaps its just not giving up even though everything around me suggests that I do. Except the great people I have in my life that encourage me, buy my natural products, and in so many other ways support me to not stop reaching for my safe water dreams.