Cinematica Labs

🤔Thinking about applying to the PledgeLA VC Fellowship? 🚨Don’t miss the priority application review deadline on December 15— final submissions are due by January 5: https://lnkd.in/gycsQNVM ➡️ Visit PledgLA's website to learn more about program eligibility and dates: https://lnkd.in/d3vm_Tzi 💬 Have questions? Register for the virtual program info session on December 4: https://lu.ma/d9amcry0

✨ Today, we celebrate the incredible Mentors who showed up for founders and offered their expertise throughout the Black Ambition Mentorship Program. ✨ From the start, our Mentorship Program was intentional in designing layers of mentorship to meet the needs of founders. A huge thank you to our Deep Dive and Office Hour Mentors, a dedicated community of ecosystem builders, serial founders, and investors, who each facilitated sessions focused on topics ranging from Fundraising, Legal, Sales, AI & Marketing tools, Building Community and more! Over the past 8 weeks, we invited experts across lived experiences to hold space for founders and facilitate real talk conversations on specific topic areas.  💐 Shoutout to our Deep Dive Mentors for showing up. Every session was full of conversation, information, and energy! Deep Dives are virtual sessions led by at least one mentor. Deep Dives provide founders with access to the real talk: key entrepreneurial lessons that are typically only shared in private spaces or that are harder to access in our fields... 💐 Shoutout to our Office Hour Mentors for facilitating multiple 1:1 and group office hour sessions. Office Hours are virtual conversations that enable founders to connect with an industry expert and to discuss specific challenges and opportunities for their business. 💐 Shoutout to our Lead Mentors who flexed as Deep Dive Mentors and/or as Office Hour Mentors. In addition to already facilitating multiple sessions and a curriculum with a small group of founders, they also participated in several mentorship roles. Mentors, your commitment has amplified the impact of Black Ambition and Cinematica Labs missions, helping talented founders thrive in every way. We are deeply grateful for all you do and look forward to celebrating you at Demo Day!

#mymenteesarebetterthanyours #TheSuccesspert I am blessed to be part of the 2024 Black Ambitionist Mentorship Program! As Lead Mentors, we have had the honor of guiding and supporting the next generation of underrepresented entrepreneurs these past couple of months. It has been a privilege, for my third consecutive year, to facilitate curated sessions with the goals of founder growth, company growth, and resilient relationships. A heartfelt thank you to Black Ambition and Cinematica Labs for this richly rewarding opportunity to engage emerging founders and help them achieve their dreams. Your commitment to championing diverse founders and positioning them to excel uninterrupted is truly inspiring. A special thanks to my long-time mentee and friend Brian AM Williams for joining one of my pod sessions as a guest speaker. To all the talented founders I’ve had the pleasure of working with, Sierra L. Boone, Lyndon Jackson, Aaron P. Woods, Willi Millions and Adedayo Fashanu: Congratulations on your hard work, dedication, and perseverance! Your ideas are reshaping the future, and I’m proud to be part of your journey. I look forward to continuing to be a source of mentorship, encouragement and support. #BlackAmbition #CinematicaLabs #BlackAmbitionistMentor2024 #MentorshipProgram #Entrepreneurship #EmpoweringFutureLeaders

I am incredibly grateful to be part of the 2024 Black Ambitionist Mentorship Program! 🚀 As Lead Mentors, we have had the honor of guiding and supporting the next generation of underrepresented entrepreneurs these past couple of months. It has been a privilege to facilitate curated sessions with the goals of founder growth, company growth, and resilient relationships. A heartfelt thank you to Black Ambition and Cinematica Labs for this incredible opportunity to engage emerging founders and help them achieve their dreams. Your commitment to championing diverse founders and positioning them to excel uninterrupted is truly inspiring. To all the talented founders I’ve had the pleasure of working with – congratulations on your hard work, dedication, and perseverance! Your ideas are reshaping the future, and I’m proud to be part of your journey. #BlackAmbition #CinematicaLabs #BlackAmbitionistMentor2024 #MentorshipProgram #Entrepreneurship #EmpoweringFutureLeaders

Today, we honor the dedicated Lead Mentors in the Black Ambitionist Mentorship Program, a program Cinematica Labs has had the privilege of leading in partnership with Black Ambition for the third consecutive year. From the start, our Mentorship Program was intentional in designing layers of mentorship to meet the needs of founders. Thank you to our Lead Mentors, a dedicated community of ecosystem builders, serial founders, and investors, who each facilitated over 10 hours of deep engagement. Over the past 8 weeks, our Lead Mentors have: 💐 Facilitated invaluable sessions, sharing their expertise and wisdom. 💐Tackled systemic barriers and guided founders to overcome them. 💐 Leveraged their networks to bridge opportunity gaps. 💐 Prioritized founder well-being, ensuring a holistic approach to success. 💐 Fostered supportive and inclusive spaces. Your commitment has amplified the impact of Black Ambition and Cinematica Labs’ mission, helping gifted founders thrive in every way. We are deeply grateful for all you do and look forward to celebrating you at Demo Day! Here’s a quote from a founder to demonstrate the impact our mentors have had: “What I enjoyed most about my Black Ambitionist Mentorship Program experience was the invaluable connections I made with fellow founders and mentors. These relationships created a supportive community where we could share our challenges and celebrate our successes together... The networking opportunities and interactions with mentors were particularly enriching. Their willingness to share their experiences and insights fostered a sense of trust and camaraderie, making it easier to seek advice and feedback. These connections not only provided practical guidance but also inspired us to push our boundaries and think bigger. Overall, the relationships I built during the program were a highlight of my experience, as they transformed what could have been a solitary journey into a shared adventure filled with learning and growth.” ~ 2024 Black Ambition Founder 100+ mentors, 750+ founders. Ownership + Stewardship by us, for all is not possible without Mentorship. #MentorAppreciation #BlackAmbition #CinematicaLabs #BlackAmbitionist #BusinessMentorship #Community #Leadership #Mentorship #Mentors #Programming #EcosystemBuilding #Ecosystems

This week, we are excited to kick off our 2024 PledgeLA VC Fellow Spotlights! 🎉 Up first, join us in welcoming Alan Cortez and Sabah Harris into our community 🤝 Get to know more about these trailblazing fellows below! ⬇️ Alan is currently a full-time MBA student at the University of California, Riverside — A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management.💫 Following his undergraduate studies, he served as Assistant Director of Career Services at La Sierra University, where he found his passion for supporting individuals and institutions alike in their development. After business school, he plans on working in aiding individuals and organizations through consulting in order propel small and medium businesses towards success. 🚀 ⭐ This summer, Alan is interning at Supply Change Capital! Sabah is a current MBA student at Loyola Marymount University with a background in education and a keen interest in the world of venture capital and entrepreneurship.⚡ Her experience as a teacher and mentor in under-resourced schools equipped her with valuable skills in collaboration, leadership, and strategic thinking. Beyond her professional endeavors, Sabah is passionate about fitness, beauty, and fashion. She is eager to immerse herself in the dynamic startup ecosystem, contributing her unique perspective and expertise while learning from industry leaders. ✨ ⭐ This summer, Sabah is interning at Emmeline Ventures! We are thrilled to have these incredible fellows as part of our network! 👏 #VentureCapital #EmergingVCs #VCLeaders #VentureInternship #LosAngeles

Up next in our 2024 PledgeLA VC Fellow Spotlights series are Jordyn Hill & Tatiana Jackson! 🙌 Get to know more about these brilliant fellows below! ⬇️ Jordyn is a recent graduate of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at UC Irvine. Prior to business school, she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Economics from Howard University. 🎓 With a particular interest in professional sports, Jordyn is interested in venture capital funds that specialize in sports and entertainment, such as sports-tech, sports media, or entertainment funds overall. Upon graduating, she will be continuing her education at Columbia University to receive her Master’s of Science in Sports Management. 🏆 ⭐This summer, Jordyn is interning at Sunset Ventures! Tatiana is a recent graduate of the Masters of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program at California State University-San Bernardino, concurrently completing the Reserve Officer Training Corps to commission as a United States Army Officer. 💪  A proud native of South Central Los Angeles, she pursued post-secondary education at the California State University Northridge as a first-generation college student who received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Child Development and graduated in just three years while remaining debt-free. Her passion has always been to help others achieve their goals no matter their cultural background, financial status, or gender, and is the founder of Future Wealthy Minorities, Inc. ✨ ⭐ This summer, Tatiana is interning at Avivar Capital! Join us in welcoming these outstanding fellows! We are beyond excited to have them in this year’s cohort. 👏 #VentureCapital #EmergingVCs #VCLeaders #VentureInternship #LosAngeles

It’s time for our next 2024 PledgeLA VC Fellow Spotlight! 🎊  We’re proud to introduce Miranda Lee and Siani Mora Mak. 🚀 Get to know more about these powerhouse fellows below! ⬇️ Miranda is pursuing her Master’s of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at California State University-San Bernardino, deepening her expertise in entrepreneurial endeavors, and is on her way to becoming an accredited investor. 💼 She is an accomplished Learning and Performance Manager with over 15 years of experience in operations, training, program design, and business operations. As Founder and Principal Learning Designer at LX Labs, an experiential learning agency, Miranda has collaborated with renowned brands like Cisco, F5 Networks, Southern California Edison, Microsoft, and others. 🤝 ⭐ This summer, Miranda is interning at Kaya Ventures! Siani, a recent graduate of California State University, Los Angeles with a master’s degree in economics, is deeply passionate about economic equity and community revitalization. 🎓 Her interest in venture capital and investing stems from her work with LEEAF.LA at Cal State LA, where she supported cohorts of innovators, mainly business owners of color, to overcome barriers and catalyze economic opportunity across LA County. Siani aims to champion investments that yield financial returns while catalyzing social transformation, particularly focusing on inclusive investment strategies for BIPOC women-led businesses. ⚡ ⭐ This summer, Siani is interning at VamosVentures! We are thrilled to welcome these amazing fellows into our community! 👏 #VentureCapital #EmergingVCs #VCLeaders #VentureInternship #LosAngeles

✨ Cultivating the Future We Want to See ✨ We’re honored to have collaborated with PledgeLA to build a more inclusive and representative venture ecosystem in LA. Leading and co-facilitating the PledgeLA VC training program for this group of talented masters grads from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds (identity, socioeconomic, educational, and other lived experiences!) was a true pleasure. We had the privilege of not only designing a training program for fellows to break into venture, but also one that provided agency to define their personal missions and to imagine how they want to shape the present and the future of venture capital. Creating a space for each fellow to thrive in their curiosity around venture was deeply rewarding. After 3 months of intensive training in venture capital, these fellows are now ready to work alongside incredible venture firms, leaders, and peers this summer. We’re excited to watch them contribute their unique perspectives and talents to the venture ecosystem. 🎉🎉🎉 ➡️ Click here to read more about the program and to learn about the fellows: https://lnkd.in/eq8WsMyZ

Our Director Marcia Chong Rosado participated in a community effort to design and co-host the Latine/x Startup Hub Tour Pitch Competition sponsored by @Inicio Ventures. This pitch competition was a part of @ AmplifyLatinx’s ALX Business Summit co-chaired by Senator Warren and Senator Markey. It was an honor for us to be involved. Congratulations to the entrepreneurs who put themselves out there, pitched, and received funding @Omze Authentic Tequila Merge-Tek @Manka EcoAuto Early Intervention Systems (Techstars ‘23) And thank you to peer ecosystem builders Amplify LatinX Boston Impact Initiative Inicio Innovation Studio Mendoza Ventures MassChallenge Investors of Color Cinematica Labs was founded to build entrepreneurial ecosystems through community, capital, connectivity, and culture — and this includes centering Latine/x entrepreneurial ecosystems!