Hi there,

Welcome to 2024, strong, no chaser! Can you believe its almost February?! TBH, this is the hardest op-ed I’ve ever written. TRIGGER WARNING: I will be addressing the recent suicide of a prominent American figure with the intent to provide hope and a new framing.

Dr. Candia-Bailey left us on a Monday.

On January 3rd of this year, Dr. Candia-Bailey received a termination letter for “insubordination and breaching confidentiality.” Five days later, she was gone (article). During her tenure as Lincoln University’s VP of Student Affairs, Dr. Candia-Bailey suffered from the exact same work-place challenges she unearthed in her 2016 dissertation: My Sister, Myself: The Identification of Sociocultural Factors that Affect the Advancement of African-American Women into Senior-Level Administrative Positions (video). Prior to her resignation, Dr. Candia-Bailey submitted several reports of harassment and bullying, primarily from Lincoln University President, John Mosely, a former basketball head coach. Here’s my take:

Historically, when times are hard we (families, communities, organizations, institutions, or nations) tend to scapegoat those perceived as the weakest with unfair advantages (please read: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson). For various sociocultural reasons, in general, Black and indigenous women around the world over-index on education when accessible (example). I see an irony in the attacks on our intelligence and an opportunity to capitalize on that ignorance.

JP Morgan CEO, Jamie Dimon recently declared he is “full-throated, red-blooded, patriotic, unwoke, capitalist CEO” (article). He shared the rigorous, results-driven methodologies he oversaw to ensure that JP Morgan performed above average with Black employees. “Your heart can be in the right place, but if you don’t really think about the execution stuff, you’re gonna fail.” This is not the behavior we typically associate with the ‘unwoke,’ but Jamie has effectively created a new framing for Americans who value winning, fairness, sportsmanship, and merit. Dr. Candia-Bailey was a winner and I personally will honor her legacy by continuing to support winners. Periodt.

What I’m Reading: Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis

What I’m Watching (again): ORIGIN directed by Ava Duvernay

Bye for now,

A Boss Moment 👑

Video: Toni Morrison interviewed by Charlie Rose in 1998.

Things You Should Know 👀

Bea Dixon, founder & CEO of The Honeypot successfully sells to Compass Diversified for an estimated $380M (article). The path to acquisition is not an easy one (speaking from experience). I am very impressed with the grace, patience, and faith Bea has exhibited in founding, sustaining (through a pandemic), and selling a globally scalable business. We received 33 congratulatory remarks from Visible Figures on our private listserv that I hope Bea can see! Holla @ me, Bea!

Visible Figures Founding Member, Ashlee Wisdom, successfully closed a $3M round of funding for health-tech company Health in Her Hue (article). This is NOT a small deal. According to Crunchbase, global venture capital funding is down by about 15% (article) and even moreso for US-based Black founders who raised 0.48% of all venture capital in 2023, the majority of which continues to go to Black male founders. Congratulations, Ashlee on securing the bag in a storm. 💐

Our Visible Figures DC Salon on 01.11 at the illustrious, Black women-owned and operated social club, Shanklin Hall was a resounding success. We got to hear the AMAZING story of SH founder, attorney, real estate developer, (and my Stanford classmate), Maia Shanklin Roberts. And of course, I had to preach.😏It was an unforgettable night. Special thanks to Camille Hall for orchestrating it all and Visible Figures supporters and members: Marla Blow, Mignon Clyburn, Valerie Mosely, Kellee James, Stefanie Thomas, Jasmine Jones, Stacie Whisonant, Angel Rich-Jones, Naza Shelley, Kishau Rogers, Sofiat Abdulrazaaq, DeShuna Spencer, Kimberley Moore, Adrienne Sheares, Arion Long, and so many more for showing up. Showing up is my love language!

Upcoming Visible Figures Events 📅

Subscribe for invites to future events, whitepapers, podcasts, and videos that share the intimate stories and off-the-record expertise of luminaries across the diaspora. Our last AMA by Tiffany Dufu on how to negotiate speaking fees was a hit! If you are a senior executive, apply for Visible Figures membership by 02.24.24 11:59PM ET. Read more about membership tiers and benefits.

Pssst….I am offering a 50% discount on all subscription and membership fees before 01.31.2024

Townhall, Mental Health & Wellness Check-In (virtual) | 01.25.24 | Members Only

Image: Stephanie VanPutten, Founder & Executive Director of Visible Figures and Bea Arthur, Founder & CEO of The Difference will host the first official Visible Figures Townhall and Wellness Check-In for Visible Figures members.

Board Readiness with RTG (virtual) | 02.01.24 | Register Here

Image: Rich Talent Group is one of the premier executive recruiting firms in the country with Jana Rich (CEO) and Nicole Reboe (President) at the helm. In 2021, 100% of their board placements have been women, people of color, and LGBTQ professionals.

The Complex Leaders Retreat in Big Sky, MT | 02.28 - 03.02.24 | Members Only

We are convening a small, intimate group of Visible Figures leaders in Big Sky, Montana for 3 days of respite, collaboration, KPI-setting, board meetings, skiing, snowboarding, après ski, spa day, and naps. :-) This event is auxiliary to the annual NBS ‘Black Ski’ Summit.

A Number to Remember 👇🏾

Prior to 2021, only 93 Black female founders had raised $1 million or more in venture capital according to Business Insider. These numbers are really hard to verify and track, but the point is: it’s low! Check out the article to see the profiles of 71 of these amazing founders (the majority of which are Visible Figures founding members).

Be visible…

Visible Figures Speak Volumes by VFMH

Visible Figures - Volume #4