A Full-Circle Moment in the LA Startup Ecosystem

Last month, Cake proudly supported Slauson & Co.'s "A Night on Slauson," an incredible celebration following their Annual General Meeting.

For me personally, it was a crazy full circle moment in my career.

Back in 2019, I was part of the team at Vector90, working to create a the first of it's kind startup incubator and cultural hub for underrepresented founders in South LA. Co-founded by Nipsey Hussle, the vision was to build spaces where overlooked entrepreneurs could thrive—starting in South Central and scaling across inner-city communities nationwide. That same year, we hosted the first "Techstars Startup Weekend South Central," led by Mandy Howard and Marquise Foster. It was at this event that Kameale C. Terry won the pitch competition with the idea that would become ChargerHelp! Since then, she and her team have raised over $20 million! It was also where I first crossed paths with Austin Clements (before Slauson & Co. became what it is today), Miki Reynolds (leading Grid110 at the time), and Cody Peterson of Orrick, who served as one of the event’s judges.

Fast forward to now—March 2025—and I had the opportunity to support the incredible work Slauson & Co. is doing through our efforts at Cake, helping founders access the tools they need to build and scale.

Huge thanks to Brittany Crockett for making it possible for us to be part of the event. Standing in that room last week, surrounded by the people who have built and continue to shape LA’s startup ecosystem, was a powerful reminder of the impact that comes from long-term commitment to community. It also reinforced something we believed at Vector90 from the start—talent is everywhere. It just needs to be nurtured. All glory to God for guiding me along this journey.

The Marathon Continues 🏁