Celebrating 28 Black Women’s Digital Sisterhood Leadership in Creative Crowdfunding Projects

Happy #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday!

Black History like Women’s History is made every day. During the month of February, Black History celebrations are held online and offline to recognize the contributions of Black people in America. Today, Digital Sisterhood Network’s Leadership, Lifestyle, and Living Well Initiative is celebrating 28 Black women who are making history as they use crowdfunding platforms to bring their creativity and dreams to life with art, books, blogs, creative learning opportunities, dramatic performances, films, music, photography, social entrepreneurship, webisode series, and travel experiences. These women represent the best of Digital Sisterhood Leadership. Their efforts are AMAZING because they inspire and empower others to dream and act bigger. They embody our 2013 theme, “Too Bold for Boundaries = Fierce Living.” See the list below.

We encourage you to get to know them and their work by visiting their web sites and blogs regularly in 2013. Talk about them to your network. Support their creative efforts. Follow them on Twitter. LIKE them on Facebook. Connect with them on Flickr, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Vimeo, YouTube, and other social media sites. Celebrate their beauty, brilliance, courage, creativity, and leadership in the digital space!

Photo Credit: David Goehst
http://technorati.com/business/small-business/article/crowdfunding-novels-possible-through-authrcom/

About Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding is a web-based financial model that allows individuals to network and pool their money in community to support projects and ventures initiated by other people and organizations. gofundme, indiegogo, and Kickstarter are three of the most popular reward-based crowdfunding platforms. PayPal is also another platform people use to collect crowdfunding donations. To learn more about crowdfunding, click here to see Ananda Leeke’s Crowdfunding Pinterest board of resources.

Celebrating Black Women’s Digital Leadership in Creative Crowdfunding Projects:

Photo Credit: girltank.org

1) Crowdfunding Projects You Should Know About

• Alexis Pauline Gumbs’ Eternal Summer of the Black Feminist Mind Blog’s Donation Station (the project uses PayPal)
• Tara Roberts, founder of girltank, a capacity-building community hub and crowdfunding platform designed to help female social entrepreneurs and changemakers grow and scale their ventures

gofundme.com

2) gofundme Campaigns

• Jessica Solomon’s gofundme campaign for her participation in the Urban Bush Woman Summer Leadership Institute (raised $731 in 2011)
• Jeshawna Wholley’s gofundme campaign for her Bahia, Brazil Study Abroad Summer Program (raised $2,920 in  2011)

indiegogo.com

3) indiegogo Campaigns

• Kathryn Buford’s LiveUnchained.com’s idiegogo campaign for Terrifying, Strange and Beautiful, an awards ceremony for women artists (still accepting donations to meet $15,000 goal)
• Alyscia Cunningham’s indiegogo campaign for Feminine Transitions photo book (still accepting donations to meet $11,700 goal)
• Numa Perrier’s indiegogo campaign for RoomieLoverFriends SEASON 2 webisode series (Numa worked with her husband and co-creator Dennis Dortch to raise $16,067 in 2013)
• Kim Williams’ indiegogo campaign for Unwritten Rules webisode series (raised $13,582 in 2013)

kickstarter.com

4) Kickstarter Campaigns

• Amy Aniobi’s Kickstarter campaign for THE SLUTTY YEARS webisode  series (raised $6,000 in 2013)
• Yaba Blay’s Kickstarter campaign for (1)ne Drop: Conversations on Skin Color, Race, and Identity photo essay book (raised $10,212  in 2011)
• Jeanine Daniels and Numa Perrier’s Kickstarter campaign for Black and Sexy TV’s THE COUPLE – THE MOVIE (Jeanine and Numa worked with their creative partners Dennis Dortch and Brian Ali Harding to raise $32,665 in 2012).
• Crystal Emery’s Kickstarter campaign for Present and Unaccounted For: Black Women in Medicine film (raised $51,906 in 2011)
• Kiratiana Freelon’s Kickstarter campaign for the Multiculti London – A Travel Guide to Multicultural London book (raised $6,047 in 2012)
• Kaneisha Grayson’s Kickstarter campaign for BE YOUR OWN BOYFRIEND: a guide to life and love book (raised $11,771  in 2013)
• Hekima Hapa’s Kickstarter campaign for FOREVER, Harriets by Hekima, a fashion line (raised $5,375  in 2011)
• Eunice Kindred’s Kickstarter campaign for “Soundtracks : Freestyle” solo art show (raised $10,686 in 2012)
• Ananda Leeke’s Kickstarter campaign for Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online book project #1 (raised $1,159 in 2010) and project #2 (raised $701 in 2011)
• Shantrelle Lewis’ Kickstarter campaign for “Black Pete, Zwarte Piet: The Documentary”  (still accepting donations – has met $20,000 goal)
• Melissa A. Matthews‘ Kickstarter campaign for Outta Context, a showcase of artwork (raised $3,725 in 2011)
• Natasha Ngaiza’s Kickstarter campaign for “Blackout” (raised $3,070  in 2012)
• Nefertite Nguvu‘s Kickstarter campaign for “In the Morning,” a feature film (raised $27,195 in 2011)
• Issa Rae’s Kickstarter campaign for The Misadventures of AWKWARD Black Girl webisode series (raised $56,259 in 2011)
• Raven’s Kickstarter campaign for “Padre!” film (raised $16,180 in 2013)
• Tiffany Russell‘s Kickstarter campaign for Colored Me: Black Women Shout from the Ivory Tower book (raised $7,235 in 2011)
• Jessica Solomon’s Kickstarter campaign for The Saartjie Project presents…”Four Women” (raised $595 in 2011)
• Sosena Solomon’s Kickstarter campaign for MERKATO film (raised $14,710 in 2011)
• Imani Uzuri’s Kickstarter campaign for The Gypsy Diaries Album (raised $19,845 in 2011)
• Monda Webb, Aimee Dixon, and Sabrina L Gray’s Kickstarter campaign for 7:33 am the Movie (raised $12,872 in 2011)

NOTE: This post is an excerpt from Ananda Leeke’s Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online (2013). If you would like Leeke to facilitate a workshop, give a presentation, or speak about crowdfunding, please contact her at kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com or 202.607.3509. Visit www.anandaleeke.com.