This week hosts Tim Ryan and Zack Miller sit down with Brian Owens, Program Manager of B-Force Accelerator, a 12-week business development course with workshops, one-on-one technical assistance, and direct access to capital. Watch this week’s episode to hear about Brian’s background in music and business, the opportunity B-Force provides, the growing community, and much more!
Show notes:
(0:00) Introducing Brian Owens
(6:09) Keeping your why close
(12:52) Music in the 757
(17:00) Transitioning to B-Force Accelerator
(19:30) What is BLACK Brand? + B-Force Accelerator Overview
(25:56) Breaking siloing of resources in the region
(36:12) Collaborating vs competition within the region
(44:02) Access to opportunity + Cash Mob
(56:58) Brian’s local hotspots + Conclusion
About Brian Owens & B-Force Accelerator:
Brian Owens is Program Manager and “is a Virginia Beach-raised creative and business professional with a passion for the people. He began his journey of entrepreneurship through music. Owens has been a professional musician and music business strategist for over a decade. His band, The Special Guests, has been especially impactful in the 757 by raising money and awareness for Hampton Roads based charitable causes, working with local business owners, planning shows at the Norva, and opening First Fridays on Granby St in Norfolk. Owens was Chief Communications Officer and co-founder of the neuroscience-based music-tech startup, Secret Chord Laboratories. He has been responsible for fundraising, corporate strategy, establishing and growing strategic partnerships, and communications both internally and externally. Through SCL, Owens has been able to nurture an expanding network of business mentors, tech startups, entrepreneurs, investors, music professionals, community leaders and influencers”.
B-Force Accelerator is a Black BRAND cohort, a 12-week intensive for black and latinx businesses that are at least 2 years old to prepare them for capital access. B-Force Accelerator also provides free legal (key business document preparation and advising), accounting (quickbooks training, tax preparation, financial statements, and projections), and marketing resources (website development, branding assistance, social media planning, etc.).
Learn more: https://blackbrand.biz/b-force-accelerator/
About the hosts:
Tim Ryan is an angel investor and the Executive Director of StartWheel, an organization dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs with resources in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Zack Miller is a serial entrepreneur and author of Anomaly, a guide on differentiating yourself and your business from the crowd.
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Live: https://www.startwheel.org/live/
Watch past episodes: https://www.startwheel.org/fervent-four-show/
Listen to past episodes: https://fathom.fm/podcast/fervent-four
The Fervent Four Show:
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Social Media:
Brian Owens
https://blackbrand.biz/b-force-accelerator/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blackbrandbiz/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-owens-05761a133/
Instagram: @blackbrandbiz (https://www.instagram.com/blackbrandbiz/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackbrandbiz
Tim Ryan
Twitter (personal): @ryantnt (https://twitter.com/ryantnt)
Twitter: @StartWheel (https://twitter.com/StartWheel)
LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantnt/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/startwheel-org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StartWheel
Zack Miller
https://www.zackmillersays.com
Twitter: @zackmillersays (https://twitter.com/zackmillersays)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zackmillersays
Thanks to our Sponsors:
StartWheel – https://www.startwheel.org
Companies Mentioned:
B-Force Accelerator: https://blackbrand.biz/b-force-accelerator/
Black Brand: https://blackbrand.biz/
Pharrell Williams: https://pharrellwilliams.com/
Louis Vuitton: https://us.louisvuitton.com/eng-us/homepage
A Bathing Ape: https://bape.com/
Blair Durham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blair-durham-15528a17a
Norfolk State University: https://www.nsu.edu/
Norfolk State University Innovation Center: https://www.nsu.edu/nsuric
Norfolk Economic Development Authority: https://norfolkdevelopment.com/
Portsmouth Economic Development Authority: https://www.accessportsmouthva.com/
Virginia Beach Economic Development Authority: https://www.yesvirginiabeach.com/
West Virginia University: https://www.wvu.edu/
David Goggins: https://davidgoggins.com/
Emanuel Perez Fervent Four Show Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BdDWyL7v70
Uber: https://www.uber.com/
Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/
Virginia Marine Science Museum: https://www.virginiaaquarium.com/
Virginia MOCA: https://virginiamoca.org/
Neon District: https://www.downtownnorfolk.org/
The Bunker: https://bunkerbrewpub.com/
Something in the Water: https://somethinginthewater.com/
Mighty Dream: https://mightydream.co/
Music.com: https://music.com/