The UrbanGeekz 50 List 2024

Independent Black-owned digital news outlet UrbanGeekz has unveiled its 2nd annual UrbanGeekz 50: Gamechangers in Tech, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship List, recognizing fifty outstanding leaders in tech, venture, entrepreneurship, and the innovation economy.

Drawing on UrbanGeekz’s work and recommendations from independent industry experts, we have sourced a trailblazing selection of innovators in various industries across three continents. Using a unique set of data points, we accessed each honoree’s reach, influence, and significance of their work.

Our list celebrates brilliant technologists, founders who’ve raised millions of dollars, and exceptional leaders of Black-led unicorns: game-changers like Candace Mitchell, Shola Akinlade, Fawn Weaver, and Lamar Tyler, to name a few.

Once again, this year’s listicle is curated into ten verticals that highlight mainly, but not exclusively, tech. The categories are Software, Venture, FinTech, AI & Machine Learning, Digital Media, Food, Climate & Health, Business-to-Consumer, Community Builders & Ecosystem Warriors, Africa, and Europe.

Most of our honorees are Black Americans. However, as we extend our international coverage, we will continue highlighting Africa and Europe’s best and brightest minds.

Much like last year, Community Builders & Ecosystem Warriors is a prominent cohort. We will continue to pay homage to disputers who provide community, mentorship, much-needed resources, and financial opportunities to help Black innovators thrive, often against the odds.

UG 50 2024 Celebrates Black Men’s Contributions To Digital Media 

This year, we exclusively highlighted Black men in our Digital Media vertical. With so many skewed narratives centered around our brothas, we want to celebrate Black men’s contributions to reclaiming their narratives with nuanced storytelling that highlights the complexity and diverse aspects of Black culture.

One notable leader in our Digital vertical is DéVon Christopher Johnson, CEO of BleuLife Media Group, a full-scale media company targeting a multicultural male audience. Johnson is also the co-founder of the Black Owned Media Equity & Sustainability Institute (BOMESI), a nonprofit organization quietly working behind the scenes to empower Black-owned media outlets to scale their operations.

The List Celebrates Exceptional Leaders

Some standout players on this year’s list include technologist Candace Mitchell, the gifted Georgia Tech alum who has diligently scaled her AI-driven hair brand into a global powerhouse for the better part of 12 years.

Other notable awardees include Asegun Henry, the founder and CTO of Fourth Power. He has spent the past decade developing new industrial-scale energy technologies to mitigate climate change. Henry’s research has led to multiple scientific breakthroughs that have redefined the limits of what’s possible.

Fawn Weaver is the founder and CEO of Uncle Nearest, the fastest-growing whiskey brand in the States. The Black-owned liquor empire is valued at an impressive $1.1 billion.

MIT alum Sam Udotong is the co-founder and CTO of Fireflies.ai, which uses generative AI to make meetings easy for participants. The company has raised over $19 million and scaled significantly over the past year.

I have worked hard to pull this together, but UG 50 2024 could not have been published without the invaluable contributions of my team: writers Stephen Oluwadara, Gugulethu Nxumalo, Zara Shepherd-Brierley, and our techie intern Linda Arthur. I also need to give a special shoutout to software developer Tia Benson, who built the web pages for the inaugural listicle, which served as a template for this year’s list.

Also, thanks to Ollen Douglas, Managing Partner at Lightship Anchor Fund, who served as an invaluable sounding board and lead industry expert among our advisors.

This year’s sponsor is SL DeBarros Law Firm, which provides legal representation in business, labor & employment, and sports & entertainment.

UrbanGeekz 50 2024

In Partnership With

SL DeBarros Law Firm