);

 

Listen from yourfavorite podcast spots or read the full transcript  here.

OUR SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE: The Plug
(get $10 off an annual subscription to TPInsights with code “unfound“)

HELPING mILLENIALS CONNECT TO THE CONTINENT IN EXCITING WAYS

 

Cheraé Robinson has one of those personalities. Five minutes into a conversation with her and you quickly realize how people gravitate to her passion instantly. Her company, Tastemakers Africa,  is on a mission to change perspectives and perceptions of Africa. As she puts it, Africa is more than a place to volunteer or be in the Lion King. Cheraé was generous to do our podcast in the midst of the Corona virus pandemic. Her startup, with a foundation in travel, is evolving day-by-day. She wanted to share this season with others, in real-time as the story unfolds.

 

“…you sort of know that you need to be a different level of excellent.
~ Cheraé Robinson

Cheraé and Dan talked about her startup journey, as well as:

  • Benefits and challenges of attending an HBCU
  • Lifelong calling to Africa, installed by her family
  • Leaving her corporate office the day she knew she wouldn’t ever be back
  • Dealing with the radical changes required from the COVID-19 crisis
  • Discovering our mutual friend Erik Blachford
  • Being a black woman founder

 

Episode Shout Outs:
Flybridge Capital
Precursor Ventures
She Leads Africa
Helene Gayle, AA Exec legend

 

“McKinsey wasn’t recruiting at Morgan, so there were so many things that I didn’t know were an option.
~ Cheraé Robinson

 

MORE on CHERAÉ and TASTEMAKERS AFRICA

CHERAÉ:
twitter.com/sasyrae
linkedin.com/in/cheraerobinson/

instagram.com/sasyrae/

TASTEMAKERS AFRICA:
twitter.com/tstmkrsafrica
tastemakersafrica.com

 

“…it was the discomfort of the bro world.”
~Cheraé Robinson

 

 

 

 

Listen from yourfavorite podcast spots or read the full transcript  here.

OUR SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE: Trajectory Series

 

CONNECTING MENTAL HEALTH AND THE TALE OF JOHN HENRY

 

As a public health advocate and consultant, Kevin Dedner was well aware of the disparities in the health and longevity of black men in America. African American men have the lowest life expectancy of any group…67 years of age. This number is in stark contrast to their white counterparts who see life spans into the early 80s on average.

Dr. Sherman James described this impact as “John Henryism” based on the folktale of steel driver John Henry. As the story goes, John was a black man and the best in the land at driving steel into mountainsides – necessary for the building of railroad tunnels. He was challenged to race a machine – a steam-driven hammer. He defeated the machine, and then had a heart attack and died.  Dr. James saw this as a metaphor for the life of the American black man. Basically: work at full capacity ALL THE TIME, with all the extra stresses and striving, which results in a shorter life.

So with this as a backdrop, Kevin undertook his own personal journey in mental health. His epiphany from the experience: finding a provider is a big challenge AND cultural context of your therapy matters.

When his co-founder Oliver asked him if he as interested in digital mental health Kevin knew what his calling would be. Henry Health (named for John Henry) was born in 2018. The company is building a digital platform that provides culturally sensitive teletherapy services. Their first community is, as you would expect, black men. Dan and Kevin talked about his background, the origin story of Henry Health, and certainly the current situation with the Coronavirus pandemic.

What else did they cover? Listen in and find out!

 

“And so, when I was choosing a therapist, it was literally like eeny, meeny, miny, moe…
~ Kevin Dedner

Kevin and Dan talked about his startup journey, as well as:

  • Attending the high school where Brown vs Board of Education was tested
  • His personal journey with mental health
  • How Kevin and his team are coping with COVID-19 crisis
  • A shout out to the Transparent Collective
  • The “questions behind the questions” from investors

 

Episode Shout Outs:
Transparent Collective
Startup Health
 Morgan Stanley Multicultural Innovation Lab
Dr. Sherman James

 

“We have pointed out a 100 year old problem that payers,
public health leaders are all aware of…
~ Kevin Dedner

 

MORE on KEVIN and HENRY HEALTH

KEVIN:
https://twitter.com/kdedner
linkedin.com/in/kevin-dedner-mph-
HxD Conference Video

 

HENRY HEALTH:
https://twitter.com/HenryHealthApp
https://www.henry-health.com

“I lost so much time by not having a technical person…”
~Kevin Dedner

 

 

 

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