New York 2010 Fellow Joins as Contributor to SB Newsletter
This post originally appeared on Startingbloc’s newsletter.
I’ve always seen the value of sharing. Whether it was video games, passing the ball to an open teammate on the basketball court or even sharing POGS (remember those? me neither) — as a kid I learned quickly the benefits of sharing things and experiences with others. Maybe this need to share and help others was something I was born with. Or maybe it was instilled in me by my Pastor father and school teacher mother. No matter the origin, my motivation in my professional career has always been to get the most out of my potential and help equip others to do the same.
This way of thinking inspired me to become a mentor and tutor in college to underclassmen at Columbia and high school students from the Bronx. This school of thought inspired me to created an edtech startup with the goal of connecting millions of students and mentors on an career advice marketplace. This ethos even led me to apply to a small fellowship called StartingBloc in 2009. And every since that moment, I’ve been fortunate enough to graduate business school, travel the world meeting entrepreneurs, work for accelerator programs as a startup coach, and join a venture capital firm as an investor in residence.
My StartingBloc fellowship experience has been vital in my life. It’s introduced me to so many amazing people and given me resources to tackle new business problems. Since the community has given so much to me, I would like to given back in a way. Really the best way I know how, remotely — by writing. I’ve learned a ton as a startup founder and now working directly with entrepreneur. So I’ve decided to share some of those lessons, anecdotes, and tips for the next couple of months on the StartingBloc newsletter. So to all the entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, or aspiring founders, be on the lookout for my posts for the next couple of months. If you want to check out other posts on all things startups and venture capital please check out my blog called “The Importance of Reading Earnest.”
Thanks to Katherine Smith and entire StartingBloc team for giving me this opportunity to share what I’ve learned since my fellowship.
Earnest Sweat is an Entrepreneurial Engineer for Camelback Ventures and an Investor in Residence for Backstage Capital. If you have any questions or requests please connect with Earnest through LinkedIn or Twitter.
If you liked what you read tap or click “♥︎” to help to promote this piece. #readingEarnest