Jenifer Daniels: "Hustle”
This Week's Guest: Jenifer Daniels
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Michigan-based entrepreneur and marketer Jenifer Daniels was certainly not the first person to notice the lack of representation and diversity in the world of tech and B2B, but she would be the first to actively push back on one problem: poor representation of people of color in stock photography.
In 2015, Jenifer launched Colorstock, a hub for original stock photos featuring people of color and captured by people of color. The groundbreaking platform offered a way to purchase high-quality photos that offered better and more accurate representation, sourced from a network of emerging photographers who received fair compensation for their work.
Colorstock was an instant success, garnering plenty of attention (and sales) from the start. But this success would later create a dilemma she hadn’t anticipated, presenting her with a difficult choice about its future.
In our second episode of season four, we discuss how Jenifer got her start in marketing, the complexities of Colorstock’s story, and the ongoing challenges of bringing more inclusivity into the tech space. You’ll also hear about Jenifer’s ruthless devotion to her hometown sports teams of Detroit, how her mother influenced her mindset at a young age, and why it’s always a good idea to keep your resume handy—even while attending college classes.
Images from Colorstock
LINKS AND ARTICLES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Jenifer’s open letter on Colorstock’s closing
More About Our Guest
Founder, Detroit Human Capital; Colorstock, Organizational Design Strategist, and Director of the Wayne State University Innovation Studio
Jenifer Daniels designs, builds, and invests in innovation. She is a serial entrepreneur and founded Colorstock, the first diverse stock photo marketplace, and she founded Detroit Human Capital, an investment vehicle for Detroit's people, places, and purpose. Jenifer advises ThePLUG: smart reporting on the black innovation economy, and manages an angel investment portfolio of underrepresented startup founders.
She’s built and led organizations through periods of contraction and expansion — including 2 recessions — extracting insights, creating value, and driving change. Jenifer has delivered talks at TEDxCharlotte, Netroots Nation, and Net Impact. Her words and photos have been featured in The New York Times, Mashable, HuffPostLive, BBC News, Essence, SiriusXM, BELT Magazine/Publishing, and Detroit Stock City.
