Reaching Back to Help the Next Generation

Maya Penn started a company at eight years old and she’s kept growing from there. We hear from Maya and from her mentor Phyllis Newhouse who, along with venture capitalist Isabelle Freidheim, created the first-ever female-led SPAC, Athena Technology Acquisition.

On this episode, we’re talking about the importance of reaching back to help others on their business journey and how alternative sources of investment can help women of color take their companies to the next level. We hear from Maya Penn, founder and CEO of Maya’s Ideas, a slow fashion brand she started at just eight years old. She shares what she's learned about raising funds as a young, black, female entrepreneur, and the help she’s received along the way. Then, host Carla Harris sits down with Maya’s mentor, Phyllis Newhouse, to hear about her role as the first Black female CEO of a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, alongside fintech founder and venture capitalist Isabelle Freidheim. We talk about how alternative investment can help bolster women of color owned companies. Come on and join us for the ride.

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