Pamela had risen in the graphic design world to a high-powered, high-paying position, but a lack of diversity and the inability to make an impact in her field compelled her to seek an alternate path.
She became determined to leverage her activist skills, design expertise, and tech passion to build something that would economically empower the Latinx community. But she realized that in order to do so, she’d need guidance.
Pamela first learned about digitalundivided (DID) and the BIG Incubator Program through the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Institute at Georgia State University. “I had never had a mentor who was a woman of color. That was something I needed,” says Pam.
The BIG Incubator helps Pamela develop the confidence and skills needed to create a successful startup. “It’s less about your skillset and more about believing in yourself, dealing with fear, and being organized”, says Pamela. She’s learned to step out of her own way so that her business can climb toward its potential. And for the first time in her life, Pamela feels at peace with what she is doing: “I know I’m doing my part to make things better”.
Pamela is working to see what sort of connections people want in order to determine which platform she needs to build. “If I can find a way for women to feel like they can turn to something or somebody and not feel alone”, says Pamela, “then I think I did it right”.
Until now, she has lacked a clear direction, but she says that BIG has helped her pinpoint her next move: “Being in a program like BIG that takes me through a process helps provide clarity”.