Sian Morson Joins UrbanGeekz Editorial Team As VC Columnist

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Multi-talented investor, startup advisor, and successful entrepreneur Sian Morson has joined UrbanGeekz as our first ever Venture Capital columnist.

Sian will dish out advice to entrepreneurs on everything from finding your dream management team to securing the first round of startup funding. In our newly launched “Ask A VC” column she’ll also give her thoughts on some of the most topical issues in venture capital as the stories develop.

“VC capital is something I’ve been interested in for a really long time,” says Sian. “This is a great opportunity to actively engage and interact with entrepreneurs.”

Working out of the Bay Area, Sian is at the helm of Kollective Mobile. The eight-year-old software development company helps agencies and start-ups design and grow their mobile business by providing strategy consulting and building great apps.

THE RISE OF DIVERSITY FOCUSED VENTURE CAPITAL

Sian is one of the few African-American women who has had a successful exit

Still, most of you probably know Sian for Cast Beauty. The data-driven beauty recommendation platform was the only beauty app that utilized specific data points from the weather to provide users with personalized beauty product recommendations. The app received global attention and write-ups in Marie Claire, Blavity, Ebony, Redbook, PopSugar, and AdAge, among others. An undisclosed investor acquired Cast in 2015.

Cast Beauty App

Aside from being an accomplished founder, Sian is an investor and startup advisor. She’s an LP with Backstage Capital, which is dedicated to providing capital for startups founded by women, people of color, and LGBT founders. She is also Entrepreneur in Residence at Cross Culture Ventures, an early stage venture firm.

Sian is currently working on a documentary entitled “Raising” focused on the disparity in funding for black women.

We are thrilled to have Sian to join the team. Keep an eye out for her first ‘Ask A VC” column which will kick off over the coming days. Do you have a burning startup or fundraising question for Sian? Drop us a line at this email: askavc.urbangeekz@gmail.com. We’ll publish the most pertinent questions with Sian’s savvy response.

Follow Kunbi Tinuoye on Twitter at @Kunbiti

Kunbi Tinuoye

Kunbi Tinuoye is the founder and CEO of UrbanGeekz. Previously, she worked as a News Correspondent for NBC’s theGrio. Prior, she was a senior broadcast journalist for the BBC in London. Tinuoye currently sits on the SXSW Pitch Advisory Board and CES Conference Advisory Board. She is a key player in the Atlanta tech startup ecosystem and serves as a mentor for Comcast NBCUniversal’s The Farm Accelerator. Tinuoye has received several awards and accolades, including being honored with a Resolution from the Georgia Legislative.