"This is a movement."

A conversation with the co-founder of Cadence Cash.

*This episode is sponsored by NC IDEA.

Hey honeys and hustlers,

Charles Inoken, the co-founder of Cadence Cash, is our first guest on season 4 of the Honey & Hustle podcast. In this episode, we’re exploring the connection between equity and access to business capital. As the child of immigrant parents who were entrepreneurs themselves, he witnessed firsthand the challenges they faced in securing capital due to their race and immigrant status. These experiences continued when he became an entrepreneur himself, further underscoring the systemic barriers that exist for minority-owned businesses. To address these barriers, he co-founded Cadence Cash with the goal of providing equitable access to capital, particularly for businesses owned by women and minorities.

Less than 1% of venture capital dollars in 2022 went to minority-owned businesses, and less than 0.1% went to women minority-owned businesses.

These statistics underscore the urgent need for alternative avenues of funding that prioritize equity and inclusion.

You can watch or listen to the new episode below.

You can also check it out on Apple Podcasts.

Cadence Cash focuses on providing equitable access to capital for minority-owned businesses through lines of credit, microloans, and grants. They plan to expand their online platform, disseminate more information about accessing capital, and form partnerships with financial institutions to improve access to capital.

Learn more about Cadence Cash at: https://cadencecash.com/

"Access to capital really is about owning the table and no longer about having a right to sit at the table.” - Charles Inoken

Here’s an update from the founder of Fearless Fund about what’s happening with their campaign and how you can help.

It’s an honor to share Charles’s powerful perspective with you — may it help you along your creative and entrepreneurship journey.

This episode is supported by NC IDEA, an independent, private foundation whose vision is to help North Carolinians achieve their entrepreneurial ambition to start and grow high-potential companies. If you’re in North Carolina and would like to be considered for the $10K Micro Grant or $50K Seed Grant, check out their website for information on qualifications and how to apply. Applications are due on February 26th. Good luck!

More Programs and Applications

• Black Girl Ventures and TikTok have announced the Innovate Together Grant. $50K in grants will be awarded to 12 recipients. Applications are due February 29th. Learn more here.

• NC Rural Center has opened applications for their Homegrown Leaders training in Pembroke, NC from April 16th-18th. Applications are due February 18th. See what North Carolina counties are eligible and apply here.

• Monkeypaw Productions, founded by Jordan Peele (yes *that* Jordan Peele), is partnering with Universal Filmmakers Project and TIFF on the NO DRAMA grant. This grant will award filmmakers creating a horror-centered story $50K to bring their monster-filled film to life. Applications are due February 29th. Apply here.

Community Spotlight

In this section, I highlight people in the community who have been kind enough to leave a review for the newsletter or podcast.

🚀 Ryan Walsh has a newsletter called Work Less, Profit More where he writes about Fulfillment and Financial Freedom (for former overachievers) on his journey to $200K/year profit while working 20hr/week. Subscribe for free today!

Quote of the day

“We might as well chase the seemingly impossible dreams. The alternative is just everyday life, which will happen anyway with no special effort at all.” - Todd Owyoung

P.S. If you’d like to be featured in this newsletter for free:

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2. Email me a screenshot.

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Please Hustle Responsibly,

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