Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Coleman.
Hi Jamie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, I’ve spent the last few years in Atlanta looking to create a world where tech, culture, and wellness can merge together. After graduating from Alabama State University, I worked in advertising at Google for four years. Although my main job revolved around digital strategy for retail clients, I always led projects within the DEI & wellness space.
In 2020, I wanted more of a challenge, so I started looking to pursue my MBA. Around that same time, a good friend had asked me to join him and a few others to help build out and develop this idea they had been working on. That idea turned into a startup by the name of 7th Ave that went on to raise $2.5 million in VC capital at the top of 2021. Being a part of the founding team, I departed Google in early 2021 to work on 7th Ave full time. Serving as Head of Community, I now focus on bringing our mission of cultivating brave spaces and celebrating blackness in all its forms to life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Personally, managing myself was and is the hardest struggle of all. My mind never shuts off because I’m always thinking of ways to take 7th Ave to the next level, so sleep is rare. Developing a routine around productivity, creativity, and people in 3 different time zones is tricky. And most importantly, working to keep your own self-confidence up even when your hypotheses can consistently be wrong is a skill I didn’t realize I needed developing until last year. 2021 was rough. I felt like a failure many times and questioned whether I was the right person for the job. But to see where I am today, I’m forever thankful for growth. I am more sure of myself than ever before because I have proven that I’m willing to work and not give up, willing to take risks without knowing the clear outcome, and regardless of the future, I have created an amazing support system that pours life back into me.
I honestly think had I known what all went into entrepreneurship and building a business from scratch, I may have not had the courage to leave my job. However, ignorance was on my side because being a part of 7th Ave has been the most rewarding experience. God continuously gives me enough to stretch me thin, but it builds me up for each new level. I’ve learned to give myself grace because I know that future “potential” problems are for future Jamie. Future Jamie has new skills, new experiences, and a better understanding that current day Jamie lacks. And for that, I don’t worry as much about the shortcomings.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
7th Ave is a platform providing Black communities with the tools to connect in a space that prioritizes our needs. We exist because we want black communities to stop feeling like mere convenience or an afterthought when it comes to our experiences, knowledge, and need for belonging. Same as we’ve had to carve out our spaces in the physical world, we want to create the same safe space online. Our app allows for members to share in a global group chat, ask questions anonymously and receive answers via audio short audio snippets, engage in audio rooms, and share some of their favorite content and resources on a community feed. I’m most proud of the fact that we at 7th Ave are really putting the needs of our people first. Every part of the app from the color palette to the feature set has come from feedback we’ve received from members within our 7th Ave family. We are quick to synthesize information and work to implement and iterate even quicker. I genuinely believe in what we’re creating.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think taking risks are necessary. It’s one of the only ways to really discover what we’re made of while simultaneously developing us for the next step in life. It molds not just you but everyone else around you.
One of the biggest risks I took was betting on myself and leaving Google, not knowing what was to come on 7th Ave. I knew we had a great team, capital, and a plan – but believing I could show up through the good, bad, and even through the unknown was scary. Putting out something you’ve worked so hard on for the world to judge is scary. It’s one thing to take a “risk” when the outcome in your life won’t necessarily change much; but to leave stability, face harsh criticism, and really know the fate of your future is on you – is a completely different reality. But then you realize, if you believe you will make it, nothing else matters. Always bet on yourself.
Contact Info:
- Email: jamie@pullupon7th.com
- Website: www.pullupon7th.com
- Instagram: pullupon7th
- Twitter: pullupon7th
- Other: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/7th-ave-learn-share-grow/id1550600474
Image Credits
Justin Millhouse Jay Byers
