Access and Opportunity

Latest Episodes:

Season 6 Trailer Jul 10, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back for Season 6 of Access & Opportunity! We're staying focused on the challenges faced by women and multicultural-led businesses in accessing capital, and the overlooked opportunities they represent for investors. But this season Carla is looking at the issue through the lens of six successful relationships.

In each episode we'll talk, together, with a woman investor who is working to change the funding landscape and the leader of one of her portfolio companies. These relationships will offer new perspectives (and playbook points!) on how to make the entire investment ecosystem more inclusive. Stay tuned for Episode 1.

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

Bridging the Gaps: Racial, Social & Economic Justice Jun 13, 2020

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Today communities of color are in pain as they are forced to navigate the confluence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the continued murder of and violence against black lives. Join us for a special episode of Access & Opportunity, as we continue to try to bridge the gap between the social and economic injustices that oppress communities of color.

In this new episode we revisit conversations with black entrepreneurs and investors who have shared their playbook points for how to overcome barriers to success that exist for entrepreneurs because of the color of their skin. Through listening to and elevating their stories we can help identify the economic manifestations of racism, learn from each other and work towards a more equitable society.

COVID-19 Special: Hope Knight - Coming Back, Changed May 17, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to Access & Opportunity. In these unprecedented times of COVID-19, we're checking in with some of our favorite guests from previous seasons to understand how they're adjusting their schedules, their businesses, their outlook, and their investing styles. In this episode, Carla welcomes back Hope Knight, President and CEO of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation and a member of the New York City Planning Commission.

Ms. Knight was the inaugural guest on Access & Opportunity almost two years ago. We wanted to see how, despite the current circumstances, she continues to nurture opportunities for businesses in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, in New York City. We discuss how she's supporting her partner businesses and tenants, how she's managing the challenges of remote leadership, and her hopes for a relatively rapid recovery.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

COVID-19 Special: Freada Kapor Klein - A Time for Empathy May 08, 2020

Show notes

Welcome back to Access & Opportunity. In these unprecedented times of COVID-19, we're checking in with some of our favorite guests from previous seasons to understand how they're adjusting their schedules, their businesses, their outlook, and their investing styles. In this episode, Carla welcomes back Dr. Freda Kapor Klein, Founding Partner at Kapor Capital and founder and co-chair of the Kapor Center for Social Impact.

Dr. Kapor Klein appeared in season one and in season three, so we wanted to see how, despite the current circumstances, she continues to create opportunities for underserved communities and to close the gap in the venture funding landscape. We discuss how she's thinking about new investments, how she sees the challenges and the silver linings that many startup businesses are facing in the time of COVID-19, and specifically, how it's affecting early-stage companies, the investing community, and the VC community.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

COVID-19 Special: Jewel Burks Solomon - Opportunity for Creative Thinkers May 04, 2020

Show notes

Carla Harris checks in with Jewel Burks Solomon, head of Google for Startups in the U.S. and co-founder of Partpic, which she sold to Amazon in 2016. Jewel discusses the importance of self-care and how she's advising companies to think creatively in this time of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Special: James Rhee - Putting People First Apr 24, 2020

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Carla Harris checks in with James Rhee, CEO of the clothing retailer Ashley Stewart and founder of the FirePine Group, on how he’s managing—for himself, his employees, his customers, and his portfolio companies—in the time of Covid-19.

An Innovator’s Exit - Henrique Dubugras of Brex Dec 20, 2019

Show notes

This season we’re speaking with entrepreneurs who have successfully scaled and sold their companies with a particular focus on the exit. In the Season 4 finale we hear from someone who has experienced a wide variety of exit scenarios, Henrique Dubugras. Henrique is the co-CEO of Brex - a fintech startup valued at over two billion dollars. But Henrique’s entrepreneurial journey started while programming video games when he was a preteen living in Brazil. And while Henrique is still in his early 20s, he’s already started five companies and has so much to share with us. In this episode we make sure to dive into his decision making processes at several key moments of his entrepreneurial experience.

Thank you all for joining us for another exciting season of Access and Opportunity. While we work on Season 5, check out more of our content on the Morgan Stanley Inclusive Innovation and Opportunity page.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

Confessions of an Early Exit: Jewel Burks Solomon on Selling to Amazon Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

Host Carla Harris talks with Jewel Burks Solomon, the founder of Partpic, a startup designed to streamline the purchase of maintenance and repair parts using computer vision. In 2016 Jewel sold her company to Amazon for an undisclosed amount. But as you’ll hear, Jewel’s exit experience was far from a walk in the park. Jewel tells us why she left Silicon Valley to start a company in Atlanta, how she navigated the investing landscape, and what hindsight has taught her. Jewel’s candid explanation of the troubles she faced provide a valuable insight into the less-discussed downsides of the entrepreneur’s journey.

You won’t want to miss this one. Come on and join us for the ride.

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A Landmark Exit: Bob Johnson and BET Nov 14, 2019

Show notes

This season, we’re speaking with entrepreneurs who have successfully scaled and sold their companies with a particular focus on their exits. In this episode we sit down with Bob Johnson, the groundbreaking entrepreneur and founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET). In the late 1970s, Bob Johnson came up with what some might say was a radical idea - programming by and for African Americans. And so BET was born. Twenty years later, Bob Johnson sold the company to Viacom for almost four billion dollars, making him one of the wealthiest African Americans in the country.

We sit down for a candid conversation with Bob about how he built the company, the importance of finding investors who shared his values, and why he finally sold BET. Along the way, Bob offers some important playbook points regarding team-building and self-confidence. Finally, Bob leaves us with an analysis of the current investment landscape and provides suggestions for how underrepresented entrepreneurs can overcome obstacles that stand between them and their pursuit of capital.

Come on and join us for the ride.

Timing Your Exit Nov 01, 2019

Show notes

This season on Access & Opportunity, we’re speaking with entrepreneurs who have successfully scaled and sold their companies with a particular focus on their exits. In this episode, we’re joined by Juanita Lott, the founder of the enterprise security firm Bridgestream, Inc.

Juanita isn’t your typical tech entrepreneur. She didn’t study computer science, she isn’t an engineer, but that doesn’t mean she couldn’t start, scale and sell a company for millions of dollars. Through hard work, late nights and a keen sense of business, Juanita navigated her way through the post-dot com era before selling Bridgestream to Oracle for a reported $30 million.

Today, Juanita tells shares with us how founders can strategically position themselves to retain control of their companies and outlines a few of the unique challenges people of color face when considering an exit. Finally, Juanita offers advice and encouragement to other non-traditional entrepreneurs who are considering starting their own company.

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