As heard and seen on All Things Considered, BBC, HBR and Fortune. See media appearances.

What if everything you’ve been told about business is wrong?

Contrary to the myth of the white, male tech founder that dominates our mindshare, most new businesses are started by people who are Black, brown, female, and older. Many of them are immigrants and people who have been left out of the narrative. We call this next generation of business owners New Builders. Individually, they are strong. Collectively, they are mighty.

Meet the New Builders. They are the next generation of great entrepreneurs.

Inquire about appearances by Seth Levine or Elizabeth MacBride: [email protected]

 

Praise for ​

THE NEW BUILDERS

about the authors

Seth Levine

A long-time venture capitalist, Seth Levine is a co-founder and partner of Foundry Group, a Boulder, CO based venture firm. Easily distracted and a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship, Seth also spends time as an advisor to venture funds and companies around the world. Seth and his wife live in Colorado with their three children.

Authors

Elizabeth MacBride

An international business journalist, Elizabeth’s work has been featured in The Washington Post, BBC, MIT Tech Review, Quartz, and many other prominent publications. She founded Times of Entrepreneurship to share the stories of many often-overlooked entrepreneurs she has encountered in her reporting around the world. A writer, traveler and seventh-generation Washingtonian, she lives in Alexandria, Va., with her two daughters.

Meet the

THE NEW BUILDERS

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Booker T. Wilkins

52 years ago, taking courage into his hands, barber Booker T. Wilkins knocked on the door of a white landlord. He’s been a New Builder in Alexandria, Va., ever since.
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Carmen Portillo

Carmen Portillo fell in love with chocolate-making when she was in college -- now she runs a company that has survived two recessions.
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Claire Cheff

With her husband, Claire Cheff owns an outfitting company in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Their love of place helps create wilderness advocates across the country.
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Jill Castilla

Banker Jill Castilla backed a retail project on the East Side of Oklahoma City when no one else would.
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Sandino Thompson

Sandino Thompson used some of his social capital to get a real estate project with a white developer off the ground.
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Jasmine Edwards

commuted weekly from Tampa, Fla., to Atlanta, Ga., to get her startup off the ground. New Builders bring a whole new level of grit to the equation.
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Kirsten Quigley

Kirsten Quigley founded a market-leading brand, Lunchskins, from her kitchen table. But unlike many male founders, she didn’t find open doors when she went to seek finance and mentors.
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Jahleel Pettiford

Jahleel Pettiford is working two jobs and building his design brand on the side. Sometimes, he finds himself nodding off while fulfilling orders from his bedroom floor.
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Danaris Mazara

The cakes from Danaris Mazara’s bakery are so good that people pay $2 for a cup of crumbs.
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Isaac Collins

Isaac Collins won a pitch competition in college that gave him a leg up into the world of entrepreneurship. Now, he’s a pillar of the community.

Meet the

THE NEW BUILDERS

Booker T. Wilkins

52 years ago, taking courage into his hands, barber Booker T. Wilkins knocked on the door of a white landlord. He’s been a New Builder in Alexandria, Va., ever since.

Carmen Portillo

Carmen Portillo fell in love with chocolate-making when she was in college -- now she runs a company that has survived two recessions.

Claire Cheff

With her husband, Claire Cheff owns an outfitting company in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Their love of place helps create wilderness advocates across the country.

Jill Castilla

Banker Jill Castilla backed a retail project on the East Side of Oklahoma City when no one else would.

Sandino Thompson

Sandino Thompson used some of his social capital to get a real estate project with a white developer off the ground.

Jasmine Edwards

commuted weekly from Tampa, Fla., to Atlanta, Ga., to get her startup off the ground. New Builders bring a whole new level of grit to the equation.

Kirsten Quigley

Kirsten Quigley founded a market-leading brand, Lunchskins, from her kitchen table. But unlike many male founders, she didn’t find open doors when she went to seek finance and mentors.

Jahleel Pettiford

Jahleel Pettiford is working two jobs and building his design brand on the side. Sometimes, he finds himself nodding off while fulfilling orders from his bedroom floor.

Danaris Mazara

The cakes from Danaris Mazara’s bakery are so good that people pay $2 for a cup of crumbs.

Isaac Collins

Isaac Collins won a pitch competition in college that gave him a leg up into the world of entrepreneurship. Now, he’s a pillar of the community.

Teach

THE NEW BUILDERS

Especially for Student Founders who are Women and People of Color … 

The New Builders curriculum is available for free for use by University entrepreneurship professors and professionals. This is a case-study-based exploration of the how-to’s of entrepreneurship in the tech-enabled economy, especially for women and people of color.

 

 

Course Description

“But today's New Builders are different from the entrepreneurs who came before them. For the first time, the people often left out of the entrepreneurial narrative are walking onto center stage. If our finance and mentorship systems catch up to this new diverse reality, the New Builders will have a star turn on America's revolving stage. We believe that they will.”

– The New Builders, Chapter 16

This course explores an updated perspective on entrepreneurship for the next generation – you! While entrepreneurship has grown more popular across our cultural narrative, the reality of entrepreneurship has narrowed: fewer new businesses incorporated in recent years than in the past 30 years. We will examine the current landscape of entrepreneurship everywhere, the mindset and tactics of successful entrepreneurs, opportunities to enter entrepreneurship through community and creative capital, and how to visualize a career around starting businesses.


Curriculum material is based on text from The New Builders, authored by successful investors and entrepreneurs, Seth Levine (Foundry Group, ~$3bn AUM) and Elizabeth MacBride (Times of Entrepreneurship, MIT Tech Review, Forbes). 

ARE YOU A NEW BUILDER? TAG YOURSELF ON TWITTER OR INSTAGRAM WITH #ImANewBuilder AND JOIN THE MOVEMENT.

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Delivering The New Builders to Booker T Wilkins. #ImANewBuilder

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#IAmANewBuilder. I own a company, www.timesofe.com. Here I am with my my co-author of thenewbuildersbook, Seth Levine.

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#imanewbuilder. Today Seth Levine and I will be interviewed by #amazing Michel Martin for All Things Considered, a show on small business airing this weekend.

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