How Marcel Benson Makes the Most of His Time with the Benson Watch Company

Growing up in the vibrant, evolving neighborhood of South London, Ete Davies discovered his love for the arts and creativity, embarking on a journey that took him down a non-linear path. Meanwhile, in the lush, rugged landscapes of Galicia, Spain, nestled just north of Portugal, a young Kika Douglas cultivated her own creative passion through music, books, and writing. Their stories, shaped by two distinct cultures, highlight how a shared interest in understanding people and culture led them to build successful careers in the creative industry. Today, as accomplished executives, Ete and Kika serve as Jury Presidents for Eurobest 2024, celebrating Europe’s most groundbreaking creativity.  

In this episode, we are joined by Lara Adekoya, the inspiring CEO and founder of Fleurs et Sel Bakery, as we revisit our live show in honor of National Black Business Month. Lara shares her remarkable journey of transforming her baking hobby into a thriving business during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her story is one of transformation, community-building, and customer dedication. She opens up about the challenges she faced, from securing funding and navigating investor dynamics to balancing mental health as an entrepreneur. Listeners will gain insight into the intricate business side of the $42.2 billion bakery product industry, as well as practical advice on building strong personal connections with customers and overcoming logistical hurdles.  Lara's journey leaves aspiring entrepreneurs with powerful motivation to take charge of their ventures, empowering them to turn their passion into a successful business. In addition to Lara sharing her story, we were honored to spotlight other local LA businesses including: Crop Swap LA, Alta Adams, and Jackson McCrea Whiskey.  This episode was produced by Hauwa Otori and Osheiza Otori with music by Kevin Edwards. Special thanks to Rome Shaw of Visibooth and Jonathan Strickland of ILL Sounds.  You can follow us on Instagram (@buildingblackpodcast) and sign up for our free newsletter at www.foundersintlnetwork.org. 

Two former colleagues turned friends detail what led them to embark on their journey from being Ivy-league corporate lawyers to  building Sip & Sonder, an Inglewood-based coffee shop. It’s a story of creating a third place and empowering community through coffee in a changing neighborhood.

As a longtime fan of comic books, Shequeta Smith wanted to see herself reflected in those stories as the main characters. Today, she runs Sherocomics, a media company focused on films, comics, and gaming and is tapping into the roughly $350B gaming industry and $16B comic books market. Recorded live in Los Angeles.  This episode was produced by Hauwa Otori and Osheiza Otori with music by Kevin Edwards. You can follow BBP on Instagram, join our newsletter at foundersintlnetwork.org, and email us at [email protected].

In this episode, the Building Black Podcast’s host, Hauwa Otori, shares our 2023 theme word of the year and how we got here!

Dr. Angelique Johnson is the Founder & CEO of MEMStim LLC, a Kentucky-based startup that develops a fully automated, low cost, advanced manufacturing process for implantable nerve stimulators. In this episode, Dr. Angelique details how her upbringing put her on a path to math and science to discover her passion for innovating at the intersection of medicine and technology.

Anthony Frasier is the founder and CEO of ABF Creative, an award-winning, audio first company that’s produced podcasts for the likes of Essence Magazine as well as programming like  African Folktales series, which is a collection of traditional bedtime stories originating in Africa for kids today. In this episode, Anthony discusses how discovering computers and gaming in his childhood set him on a path of entrepreneurship that ultimately led him to launching ABF Creative. 

Ifeoma Ozoma is the Founder and Principal of Earthseed, a consulting firm that advises  individuals, organizations, and companies on tech accountability, public policy, and health misinformation among other topics. Within a year after leaving social media platform, Pinterest, she set out on a year-long campaign to fight for workers’ rights in California, specifically for people to maintain their freedom to speak up against racial discrimination in the workplace. Now, the Silenced No More Act does just that for 40 million workers in California. She’s on a mission to scale this nationally and globally. It’s a story of redemption. 

In this episode, the Building Black Podcast’s host, Hauwa Otori, looks back at 2021 and shares a brief holiday message. And, she also reveals our 2022 theme word!

Marcel Benson is the Founder of the Benson Watch Company. The company’s slogan is “Time should be spent doing what you love.” Marcel left a career in consulting to pursue his love and passion for watches. In the four years since deciding to pursue his company full time, the Benson Watch Company has developed its own pieces, been covered by major publications like the New York Times, and recently leveraged an equity crowdfunding platform to help fund the business. It’s a story of letting go of other people’s expectations to follow your passion to do what is right for you.