UrbanGeekz 50 2025 : Venture Capital
December 17, 2025
UrbanGeekz 50 2025: Fintech
December 17, 2025
Regina Gwynn – Black Women Talk Tech
Regina Gwynn is the co-founder of Black Women Talk Tech (BWTT) and a driving force expanding access, visibility, and opportunity for women of color across the tech ecosystem. An early entrepreneur—she was selling Avon at age nine—Gwynn later studied fashion buying and merchandising at the Fashion Institute of Technology, earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Rutgers University, and completed an MBA at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, focused on marketing, entrepreneurship, and strategy.
She began her career in Macy’s product development executive training program before moving into management consulting at Monitor Group. From 2011 to 2015, Gwynn worked as a marketing executive in New York’s apparel sector, where she also launched TresseNoire, an on-location beauty booking app that blended her love of fashion, tech, and customer experience.
In 2017, she partnered with Esosa Ighodaro and Lauren Washington to build BWTT—a platform designed to help Black women tech founders scale their companies and claim space in an industry that too often overlooks them. BWTT has since grown to support more than 5,000 founders and has attracted sponsors such as Walmart Connect and SheaMoisture, creating meaningful pathways to capital, customers, and credibility. Gwynn has been widely recognized, including being named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women and one of Essence Magazine’s Top Women in Tech.
Donnie Beamer, Jr.: City of Atlanta
Before joining the city, Beamer was the general manager of LotVision Automotive at Cox2M, Cox Communications’ commercial IoT business line. Here, he was responsible for the product roadmap and strategy for their flagship vehicle and telematics platform.
Beamer was also an Atlanta tech entrepreneur who led the Monsieur team that created an automated bartending system that was deployed to movie theaters, hotels, and sports and entertainment venues. These were his experiences, although his first job out of grad was investment management at BlackRock in NY,C where he served institutional clients and earned his CFA charter.
Beamer was also a student of economics as a division l student-athlete at the Georgia Institute of Technology and also earned an MBA from the Wharton School at UPenn.
He is a results-focused business and corporate development professional with over 15 years of experience and has driven profitability through new product introduction and strategy execution. Lastly, he has dedicated the past 10 years to innovation, making analog tasks and experiences digital by implementing technology, automation, and user-centric process design.
Kathryn Finney: Genius Guild
Her entrepreneurial roots run deep as Finney founded the budget fashionista, one of the first women-led digital media companies. After successfully scaling it, she exited. Later, she built digitalundivided, and she grew it into a multimillion-dollar social enterprise. Moreover, she launched the groundbreaking #projectDiane, which became research that permanently shifted the conversation around diversity in tech and venture capital. She now leads Genius Guild, a venture firm investing in innovations that improve the health of communities and markets often overlooked.
She is also a two-time bestselling author with Random House, WSJ bestseller, Build The Danm Thing, cemented her reputation as a leading voice on entrepreneurship and innovation. She also speaks around the world, more than 40 keynotes a year, advising Fortune 500 leaders, policymakers, and high-net-worth investors on building impactful portfolios and future-proof strategies.
Her work has earned major recognition as she has received the Heinz Award, an Aspen Institute fellowship, an Obama Administration appointment to NACIE, and even a day in the Borough of Manhattan named in her honor. Lastly, the Doonie Fund, launched with a personal $10,000 donation, has now provided micro-investments to more than 3,000 Black women entrepreneurs.
Justin E Samuels: Render ATL
There is more to Samuel beyond his software work as he is the Founder and CEO of 0x42 Software Engineering Solutions, a company anchored in innovation and community impact. Through 0x42, he also leads Render-Atlanta (RenderATL), the groundbreaking tech and culture conference redefining the South’s role in the global tech scene and industry. Moreover, his team also manages Rebuild Black Business, a vital B2C platform supporting Black-owned companies, and he regularly speaks at engineering events across the country.
Samuels is a 2015 graduate of Mississippi State University’s College of Business, and he brings a rare blend of technical depth and business-driven thinking to every project he touches.
The work that Samuels does is driven by a simple belief that technology should open doors. Whether he is shipping code, building ecosystems, or elevating the underrepresented founders, he leads with intention. He is proof that true influence comes from creating spaces that allow others to thrive.
TK Petersen: The Gathering Spot
TK Petersen is the co-founder of The Gathering Spot (TGS), a private membership network and modern city club launched in Atlanta in 2016. A Georgetown University graduate who studied finance and accounting, Petersen teamed up with his college friend Ryan Wilson to reimagine what a membership community could look like—one rooted in collaboration, access, and culture for Black creatives, entrepreneurs, and professionals.
Together, the co-founders raised private capital to bring the vision to life, pooling roughly $3 million over two years. Under Petersen’s financial and operational leadership, TGS grew quickly beyond Atlanta, expanding into Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, and becoming known for blending coworking, social connection, cultural programming, and curated experiences under one roof. The brand’s growth helped create a high-trust network where relationships turn into partnerships, deals, and career-defining opportunities—while keeping community at the center.
Petersen has earned recognition from outlets including Atlanta Magazine, The Root, and EBONY Power 100, along with civic honors such as the Phoenix Award from the Mayor of Atlanta. While Wilson is often the more visible face of the company, Petersen’s recognition is a nod to the co-founders whose impact is felt deeply—especially through financial stewardship and operational decisions that keep a community thriving. Beyond business metrics, his work has always been about building intentional spaces where people can exchange ideas, expand networks, and uplift culture while creating new pathways to success.
