Therapy for Black Girls

With over 3.5 million Black-owned businesses in America, we continue to see the landscape of Black entrepreneurship grow and expand. And as a Black entrepreneur myself, I know firsthand the importance of seeking out support in order to take your business to the next level. That’s why today, I am so happy to have Jewel Burks Solomon on the podcast. She is the managing partner at Collab Capital, an early-stage venture capital fund she launched to close the funding gap for Black entrepreneurs. Prior to that, Jewel was Head of Google for Startups US, where she created initiatives that have deployed over $45M in non-dilutive capital to Black and Latino-led businesses since 2020. She was also the Founder/CEO of Partpic, a startup acquired by Amazon in 2016, which streamlined the purchase of maintenance and repair parts using computer vision technology. 

Jewel is a seasoned expert in the venture capital space. And whether you are a business-owner looking for funding, a Black woman wanting to fund businesses you believe in, or you just want to make sense of the industry, Jewel drops a ton of gems in our conversation.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements

Kyrstin Johnson is a talented gymnast at Temple University, known for her dedication, resilience, and passion for the sport. After transferring to Temple, she quickly became a standout athlete, consistently pushing the boundaries of her performance while balancing the physical and mental demands of being a college gymnast. 

Beyond her impressive athletic abilities, Kyrstin is deeply committed to mental health advocacy, recognizing the importance of managing anxiety and prioritizing well-being as much as physical discipline in sports. As a Black woman in gymnastics, she remains determined to break through barriers, handling unjust rulings with grace and continuing to push for representation and fairness in the sport. With aspirations to make a lasting impact both in gymnastics and in her community, Kyrstin serves as an inspiration to younger athletes, showing that strength comes from both perseverance and self-care.

During our conversation, we get into her transferring from an HBCU to a PWI and learn how she has learned to deal with stressors that come with competing in a sport that is still grappling with how to make space for Black women within it.

Where to Find Kyrstin

As we close out our 400th episode celebration, we wanted to shift focus to how media representation has impacted Black women over the years and how changes in the industry inform how we will continue to see ourselves in the future. Joining me this week are The Cut’s Beauty Editor, Asia Ware, and founder of Black Girls in Media, Tasha McCaskiel. With their separate but interconnected experience as journalist and media strategist we unpack how one begins a career in journalism, how the state of the industry shifts where we find authentic Black stories, and the importance of not skipping out on “the work”. 

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements

It goes without saying that “the 92%” understood the assignment during the 2024 election, but what are we to make of it when we still end up exactly where we are today? Struggling to make sense of our place in the world with leaders and legislation increasingly being utilized against us. You can’t deny the tables have turned but how can you resist?

Joining me fresh off the release of her new book, Flip The Tables: The Everyday Disruptor's Guide to Finding Courage and Making Change, is Alencia Johnson. She is the founder of 1063 West Broad, a consultancy and media company that connects organizations to purpose-driven solutions. Serving as a political advisor and strategist for President Biden, VP Harris, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Planned Parenthood where she created the “Stand With Black Women” initiative, she is uniquely equipped to dissect exactly how we got here and what we can do about it. In our conversation we explore what it means to be a disruptor and how nuanced Black women’s roles are as we prepare for a trying four years. 

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements

How is Black girlhood defined these days? As we see fewer depictions of Black girls in the media, limited spaces for them to shop, and continuing adultification bias, it seems more difficult than ever to answer this question. Joining me to discuss the ways Black girlhood is defined is Dr. Lauren Mims, an assistant professor at NYU's Steinhardt School. Her research focuses on how sociocultural stressors impact Black children's development, and identifying strengths that can buffer the negative effects of bias and discrimination. She also served as Assistant Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans during the Obama Administration. During our conversation we discuss girlhood and womanhood through education, media representation, psychology, and even TikTok.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements