How these non-technical female founders are paving the way

We are excited to have mother daughter duo & Co-Founders of Mixtroz, Kerry Schrader & Ashlee Ammons, on our podcast! Ashlee & Kerry were the 37th and 38th black female founders to close a venture round of more than $1 million or more. Their HQ is in Birmingham, AL where Delia grew up & where Alison lives. They came to Birmingham for the Velocity Accelerator at Innovation Depot where they won the Birmingham Rise of the Rest competition (This was started by AOL Founder, Steve Case. Mixtroz is the only business from Alabama to win the competition) and ended up moving the headquarters to Birmingham. Kerry is an honoree of the 2019 CEO Awards from the Birmingham Business Journal, and they have won many other awards as well. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Here is the video of Alison & Kerry’s discussion on the joys & frustrations of aging: 

Mixtroz has been featured in Birmingham Business Journal, CNN, Bham Now, AL.com, StyleBlueprint, Business Insider, Birmingham Times, Forbes, and so much more!!

Here are the questions we ask in this interview:

• What is Mixtroz? How does it work?
• How did the idea come about?
• How did you know how to start, grow & run a company?
• Any networking tips?
• How do people often approach traditional networking at big events?
• What is it like working in the tech industry as a non-technical founder?
• In your opinion, what is the importance of one’s network?
• What is it like working as a mother daughter duo? Explain “The Millennial Plus”!
• Being an entrepreneur is HARD! What keeps you going?
• How did you stay strong through any & all barriers, biases, etc. in your way?
• What are some challenges you’ve faced in growing your business, and how did you overcome them?
• Kerry – what are some of the top things you learned getting your MBA?
• Imperfect conversations: what are they, when is the next one & how can people join?
• What are some things you’d like for allys to keep in mind?
• What is your hope for the world? Lockdown has created the perfect platform/storm for really creating change. What are some of the top wishes for change?
• As the recent article you were featured in on Forbes stated, “As recently as 2017, less than 1 percent of total VC funding went to women of color. And when women of color do get a shot, they’re often scrutinized far beyond what the average white man goes through to gain funding.” Talk us through the process of raising money. Any challenges you faced because of your gender or race?
• Did you always want to start your own company?
• What has been your favorite moment since starting Mixtroz?
• How have you built your team?
• How have you pivoted during COVID-19?
• Any tips for how to “turn it off” as an entrepreneur & take care of yourself or relax?
• Advice for someone who wants to start their own business?
• In a world that can be angry & negative, how are you staying positive?
• What’s next for Mixtroz?
• Where can people find you?