For the past eight weeks, I’ve been in Northwestern’s Venture Equity Course, learning from some brilliant minds, including Dr. Townes. One of the best parts? Connecting with other founders, especially other Black and Brown founders, who are building and dreaming big.
Being a founder can feel isolating, but spaces like this remind me that we’re all in it together—pushing, learning, and growing.
Now, this was the week of THE call—the moment when they tell us if we’re moving forward to pitch in front of investors. I didn’t get a call… which means we’re still in the game. 👀
But y’all, let me tell you. The waiting? The lack of email responses? The uncertainty? Whew, the stress is real. 😩
Here’s what I know:
They write checks up to $50,000.
We need that money.
It might be our time for a yes. (Or a no, but we’re hoping for that yes!)
So now? We wait. Fingers crossed. 🤞🏾
🎧 The First Podcast Salon Was a WHOLE Vibe
Last Friday, we hosted our first-ever Podcast Salon—and let me tell you, it was magical.
✅ Over 20 people showed up
✅ Silent headphones on, deep conversations flowing
✅ A beautiful Black-owned venue: Pen & Paper, A Joint Creative
✅ Great vibes, great wine, and a dope community
Shoutout to 77 Flavors of Chicago for being our first featured podcast. Their work documenting all 77 community areas of Chicago is unmatched. We got to talk Chicago history, podcasting, and content creation, and I even learned more about their ad process!
Then we had something special—a podcast open mic.
People got up, shared about their podcasts, and it felt like an IRL version of what The Qube is all about—helping folks discover their next favorite podcast. And y’all, it was a hit. We’re definitely doing this again.
In Chicago, get your tickets for the March salon.
🎶 We’re Putting Podcasts on Vinyl. Yes, VINYL.
Now, for the moment I’ve been WAITING to share with you. We’re pressing podcasts onto vinyl.
📀 Yes, you read that right. Podcasts. On. Vinyl.
At the Salon, I unboxed the first proof of The Podcast Salon: Volume 1 and y’all—it’s beautiful.
✨ The Qube logo spins in the middle
✨ Chicago is all over the design
✨ There’s a QR code on the back for a digital version
✨ A physical archive of Black & Brown audio storytelling
Why vinyl? Because our stories deserve to live beyond digital platforms. And this is just the beginning.
Each featured podcast will have a 2-3 minute clip on the record, and every creator gets $5 per sale. We need 100 preorders to press the first batch, and we’ve already got 10. So if you’re feeling this, let’s make some podcast history together.
What’s Next?
Waiting (and hoping) for that yes from the Northwestern venture fund.
Planning the next Podcast Salon—because the first one was too good not to do again.
Getting more preorders for the vinyl so we can bring this dream to life.
Until next week,
Anna
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