Though the pleasant insanity of 2011 is a not-so-distant memory its an exciting time to both look back and move forward with NewME.  When I use to edit BlackWeb20.com it was a great outlet to share what was going on in my business and also pontificate on industry news.  However, as I got busier and my role changed I wasn’t able to write as much as I’d like.  So writing this update is long over due for me, I’ll try to spare you all the gory details in an effort to avoid writing a novel despite having so much to I want to share.  Where to begin…!?

Founders Got Funding
The Founders from last cycle have been killing it as entrepreneurs!  Several have launched products and iterated on those products with new releases and features.  You can read more about what they are doing individually and in their own words here [insert link to personal narratives].  After watching Black in America 4 I’m sure you may be wondering who succeeded in raising money in the group beyond CNN’s documentation of that cycle.  Collectively, 60% of the Founders in first NewME Accelerator cycle raised money.  Of the 60% that raised money the average investment amount was about $92,000 with a total investment amount of a little over half a million dollars.  It’s important to note that this was accomplished without NewME making any financial investments into the companies.  Isn’t it amazing what a few resources and access to a network can do?  Not too shabby for a first time program too if I must say so myself!

Apps On Apps On Apps
You may remember a mention of us having somewhere around 75 applications received from individuals wanting to be in the first cycle.  Since the airing of Black in America 4 we’ve had over 300 applications!  Not only that, word about the program is spreading and folks are itching to apply to cycle 4 (Summer/Fall 2012) and so we’ve opened up the application process again, you can apply at http://www.newmeaccelerator.com/apply.  We want to help more entrepreneurs so we’ve decided to have two cycles in 2012.  The next one starts February 20th and the other in August.  Stay tuned if you’re interested in applying.

The Support is Awesome
We thought it was going to be hard to out do ourselves in support from speakers, mentors, and sponsors but we were wrong.  In addition to having folks like Mitch Kapor, Ben Horowitz (not shown in Black in America), Navarrow Wright, and Vivek Wadhwa involved again some pretty impressive individuals were added to the roster.  People like Eric Ries (Lean Startup), Eva Ho (Exec at Factual), Cory Ondrejka (Now at Facebook but coFounder of Linden Lab/ Second Life), and other top notch folks.

I can’t count the number of people who’ve ask me how we are able to pull off this type of program at the level we are doing it.  Aside from having a team that hustles HARD the companies that support the program financially are more than just cutting a check. They believe in what we are doing and are putting in sweat equity and resources too.  For instance, Google is the presenting sponsor for 2012 but that isn’t enough.  When we decided that it would be best for the Founders to work out of the city in 2012 so that we didn’t have to incur transportation costs, they were not only fine with changing the location from the Googleplex to San Francisco they made it possible for us to work out of the HUB SoMA for the year.  The HUB SoMA is an amazing co-working space in the heart of one of SF’s bubbling start-up districts that caters only to organizations who are setting out to do good and change the world; the synergy couldn’t be better.  This is all great but to make my point and so that you really understand that it doesn’t stop there:  Tagged is throwing the Founders a welcome party (our program doesn’t have any social activities baked into it so this helps), HP is hosting the mid-way checkpoint (this is the start of Founders getting ready for demo day), Wilson Sonsini is allowing us to send Founders that need it to their long standing Entrepreneur’s College and Gunderson Dettmer has regular weekly legal office hours for the Founders.  NewME would not be such a strong program without things like this that directly add to the Founders being successful.

NewME Community
One thing I realized after Black in America aired was the demand for what we are doing.  We got hundreds of emails in a short period of time; all of which I read, most of which I or someone from the team replied back to; and I noticed a few key things:

• Folks wanted something like NewME locally;
• Regardless of educational background people really just wanted to know ‘How do I start?’ and ‘I have an idea, what now!?’; and
• There are already really smart and impressive people, both technically and entrepreneurs, in areas that aren’t traditionally looked in who just need connections.

I think what folks in-grained the tech industry are missing (myself included pre- ’Black in America’) is that being a tech Founder and executing on an idea isn’t an accessible concept for most of America.  Generally, people (Black, White, Latino, and anyone else) don’t know the first steps to take.  The number of messages we got were so overwhelming we decided to launch NewME Community, something I was originally planning on rolling out in year 2 or 3.  In a short period of time we have close to 650 members and have communities in over 78 cities!  The mission of NewME Community is really simple, it’s to make the tech industry accessible to regular folks around the world not just ivy league drop-outs so it’s exciting to see so many people on-board so early in this journey.  We plan to make tech entrepreneurship accessible in a variety of different ways but mainly by educating (talks, workshops, classes, etc.) people and finding talent that exists in those communities already but are hidden or hard to find.  We’re off to a great start and just announced that NewME Community members can attend several Google Tech Talks across the country, something that typically isn’t accessible to everyone.  We also rolled-out our Start-up Directory and Talent Database.  So now, in addition to joining your local NewME Community, you can submit your startup to the directory or add yourself to our Talent Database.  We’re already working with Andreessen Horowitz (kind of a big deal, their total fund management is $2.7B) to source entrepreneurial and technical talent that meet certain criteria and will be funneling the best and the brightest to them.

Realizing what makes NewME different
With all that’s been going on it can get hard to take a step back and realize what you’re doing, the effect that you’re having on others for the better, and making sure you stay grounded in the DNA of what got you to where you are.  Recently, the latter has been top of mind when I get a chance to reflect, typically before my kids wake up or right before I go to sleep at night.  I’ve realized that what makes NewME different is not just that we are focusing on the underrepresented in the tech space.  It’s the DNA of who NewME is and the Founders that we help.  It’s the connection that you may have had to myself (as a young single mother), or to Anthony (as an inner city kid), or to Tiffani (a highly technical girl who never tried to ‘fit in’).  There are more people in the world who can relate to that than there are that can relate to dropping out of an ivy-league school to start a tech business.  And honestly that’s a big part of what gets me excited about NewME.  I’m more aware now that as we grow this can’t get lost and it’s just as important as helping Founders; the current (and growing) Team NewME subscribe to this ideology as well.

What you’ve been waiting for
Like I mentioned when I opened up this article I had tons I wanted to share!  By now you’re probably wondering ‘So who the heck is in the next class?!’  I won’t delay in letting you know who the lucky few are that got selected for the Winter/Spring 2012 cycle.

The Modul.us
Founder: Rachel Brooks
Website: http://themodul.us/
Desription: TheModul.us allows small businesses to affordably configure products through their software.

Butlr
Founder: Andre Gabriel
Website: http://www.butlr.com
Description: Butlr gives you the easiest, funnest way to find any kind of deal on the Web.

Ubi Video
Founder: James Norman
Website: http://myubi.tv/
Description: We are a discovery entertainment platform that offers the only digital video experience you can call your own.

AgLocal
Founder: Naithan Jones
Website: http://aglocal.com/
Description: AgLocal connects independent farmers and producers with the demand of local business and consumers.

Helpr
Founder: Tendekai Muchenje
Website: http://www.helpr.me/
Description: Helpr is a one stop customer care portal that literally makes customer care as simple as @#*!.

Kairos
Founder: Amanda McClure
Website: Private Alpha/Beta
Description: Kairos overlays data on top of real life interactions in the enterprise market using facial recognition and augmented reality.

pictureMENU
Founder: Christopher Lyons
Website: Private Alpha/Beta
Description: pictureMenu allows restaurants to bring their menu’s into the 21st century by allowing them to create “smart menus” accessible via tablets and mobile phones.  pictureMenu’s tie into a restaurants POS system.

While we’ll be having a private welcome event for the Founders at Google (think the ‘Dragons Den’ you saw on Black in America) you can meet the new Founders at a party we’re having at Tagged.  If you’r in San Francisco you can RSVP here:  http://newme-tagged-rooftop.eventbrite.com/

What a crazy 8 months this has been!  If you’ve made it this far down I appreciate it.  You can follow NewME on Twitter @NewMEAccel, like us on Facebook, add us to your circle on Google+, or sign up for our newsletter on our website to stay up to date on what we’re working on.

Onward and Upward,

Angela

Tyler Perry is stepping into the live streaming world for his upcoming film Good Deeds. Perry will be answering fans questions live about the film and then will make his red carpet premiere available to his fans via an official livestream on the Good Deeds Facebook page and Yahoo.

Good Deeds will be  in theaters Feb. 24

(Photo: The  Hollywood Reporter)

The Root highlights 25 young innovators on its Young Futurist list for 2012.  

The Young Futurists are between the ages of 16 and 22 and are committed to making the world a better place through innovative ideas.  Each year, The Root conducts an open nomination process, seeking candidates who are not only achievers but also innovators in the worldsof green innovation, science and technology, arts and culture, social activism and business enterprise.

One of this year’s innovators, Myles Miller, is a journalist and digital-media strategist. At the tender age of 18, he launched the Huffington Post High School platform at the request of founder Arianna Huffington and  has worked on planning social media, communications and digital strategy for clients including American Express and Google.

President Obama and his 2012 Campaign are making sure they cover all social media avenues, even digital music. The president and his campaign released a Spotify playlist called the 2012 Campaign Playlist, but what’s on it?

The playlist consist of 28 songs from a variety of different artists. There are about five R&B tracks incorporated like Let’s Stay Together by Al Green and Raise Up by Ledisi.

It’s clear the playlist had to include all different types of genres to relate to different people’s taste. It’s reported that his campaign choose most of the  songs, but doesn’t indicate how they were selected.

More than 1,000 users have subscribed to the playlist already.

What songs would you add to the President Obama’s Spotify playlist?

Shadow and Act , a blog turned online film competition with focus on black cinema through the African Diaspora launched its third round of the Shadow and Act Digital Filmmaker showcase this week.

The Shadow and Act Digital Filmmaker Showcase is an online film competition designed to make filmmakers of color that are creating original, artistically inspired, and culturally relevant work  visible. Its goal is also to persuade viewers that digital streaming is a viable way of consuming high?quality cinematic content.

The showcase comes through a partnership with with CEI Media that began March 2011 with its first cycle. This year it will premiere Will Raee’s Faith and Dreams, a look at the brutal recruitment of child soldiers in Uganda.

Also featured will be the short documentary Corrective Rape, directed by Joel Edwards,  which explores a troubling trend in South Africa involving the rape of lesbians by men in an effort to change their sexual orientation.

Viewers can vote for their favorite short films and the winning filmmakers will receive cash prizes.

For more information go to IndieWire.com  

CNN Wednesday suspended commentator Roland Martin over the tweets that the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has denounced as anti-gay.

Roland MartinA CNN spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the network issued this statement:

“Roland Martin’s tweets were regrettable and offensive. Language that demeans is inconsistent with the values and culture of our organization, and is not tolerated. We have been giving careful consideration to this matter, and Roland will not be appearing on our air for the time being.”

Spokesmen for TVOne and the syndicated “Tom Joyner Morning Show,” where Martin also appears, did not respond to requests for comment.

At 10 p.m. Eastern time, Martin tweeted that he would reverse course and meet with GLAAD, which tweeted back, “We look forward to a productive dialogue and to working together as well.”

“Fam, late last night I received word of GLAAD’s invitation to meet with me, and as I have informed CNN…  I look forward to meeting with GLAAD in the near future and having a productive dialogue,” Martin said in words spread across two tweets.

Read the rest of this article at Journal-isms

(Photo: NYTimes)

Gaming app Playd that  allows you to you rate, share, and discuss the games with your friends is offering new features this month.

The features include:

In addition to the new features Playd has made new fixes like crash-proof systems on both iPhone and Android, push notifications per account so that users can have up to as many accounts as they want.

For more about Playd visit: http://playd.it or follow @getplayd on Twitter.

Youth tech program based in Washington, D.C., Youth AppLab help African- American middle and high school students learn and master computer programming skills. Last year, two students attended the Digital Media and Learning Conference in San Francisco, Cali. to showcase their app development skill and this year they need help to send even more students to have the same opportunity.

Youth AppLab is seeking funding through crowdfunding site IndieGoGo. They have raised $500 to date, but its goal is to reach $8,950 by Feb. 24.

The program is powered by Uplift, Inc., a nonprofit organization that seeks to educate underrepresented youth in STEM fields.

Youth AppLab has been accepted to co-present its learning and app development experience in two workshops.  Donating to the Youth AppLab will make it possible for students to make the long trip from the nation’s capital to California where students will have the chance to spend three days with some of the biggest influencers in tech and digital media.

To find out more information on how to donate to the Youth AppLab visit IndieGoGo.com

I attended the WordCampATL Conference this weekend, and I learned some really handy things. I’m not a coder, but I’m a techie, so I feel there are some things I should be able to do myself. One the cool tips I implemented immediately was how to add a QR Code to your log in page that lets you scan the code with your smartphone to imitate and complete the log in process. I’m a serious QR Code fan, so of course one of the sessions I attended was the “Scan it! Incorporating QR codes into WordPress”. At first, I thought “yeah, yeah, yeah, I know all of this”. Shortly after my arrogant moment, the presenter smacked me in the face with this cool trick. Again, there is no coding involved.

How

• Download and install the No More Passwords* plugin. No setup required.
• Log out of your site and log back in. You are now presented with the login page, but with a nice QRCode to the right of your information.
• Scan the QRCode with your smartphone. Note: You need to have a QRCode reader on your phone – I-nigma is a nice and free one, I personally use Optiscan)
• On the first attempt, you need to enter your log in credentials on your smartphone when prompted. After that, once you scan the QR code, it will automatically log you in.

Why

• Because it’s cool – No other reason needed. But if you really need more validation…
• Security – If you’re on a public computer and are either afraid that a keylogger is installed (records keystrokes), or somebody is peeking over your shoulder, you can safely log in without touching the keyboard.

The plugin works specifically with WordPress, but after doing some digging, I found that Google is testing this kind of functionality for it’s products. Since i’m a QR Code fan, I mainly downloaded the plugin because I think it’s cool…Safety and security was an afterthought. Check out the process in action, and let me know what you think in the comments. Will you download this?

…and no, I can’t spell, lol!

Ever wish there was an Instagram for hair? Well, your wish has come true with the new app from House of Mikko, I Love Your Hair.

The I Love Your Hair app is great for those looking for new styles and also for hair stylist who are trying to promote their work.

The app allows users to post photos of their hairstyles and get hair inspiration from pictures uploaded by other users.

This app eliminates having to try and describe what look you want to your hairdresser. Now you can simply look it up and show them.

Users can browse hairstyles by hair length, hair texture, hair color, and hair type.  You can also search by occasion, like weddings and proms.

I Love Your Hair is simple to use. Take a photo of your hair, upload it, and share with your friends via Facebook and Twitter.

The user can add details to the photo to make it searchable, such as style, hair color, or even tag the photo with the name of the salon and stylist who did it.

This is a fun but also useful app. It allows users to discover new looks and also share their own with others. You can also follow beauty bloggers, stylists and other hair experts to find the latest in hair trends.

The app is available on iPhone and iPad.