From Technology to Fashion: McDermott Announces Inaugural "Rise" Members
Firm Diversity Initiative Meets Program Milestone with the Selection of Initial 10 Entrepreneurs; Advances Commitment to Combat Racial Inequality
CHICAGO, Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is proud to announce that the first 10 McDermott Rise Members have been selected. Each of the McDermott Rise participants will receive access to McDermott's world-class legal services to help them launch and scale their businesses and fuel their pathway to success. The program, which was announced in July, is designed to support BIPOC business founders and their leadership teams as they start, scale and grow their ventures.
"The program is born out of McDermott's commitment to knock down unfair barriers faced by people of color and to more broadly help combat inequality," Marshall E. Jackson, Jr., Health Industry Advisory partner and member of the McDermott Rise steering committee, noted. "McDermott Rise Members will be supported by our team's passion, creativity and commitment to fighting systemic racism through the provision of world-class legal services."
The first 10 McDermott Rise Members include:
- AgentsMe – Helping consumers locate a Medicare insurance agent so they can purchase supplemental coverage, AgentsMe is an easy and effective digital platform to find and connect with a Medicare agent, read reviews, ask questions and book virtual meetings. Learn more by visiting the AgentsMe website.
- Candi – Candi is a social network that allows fans to virtually meet their favorite celebrities and influencers. Learn more about Candi through the platform's submission video, featuring owner and founder Keithan Hedrick, or by visiting the Candi website.
- Clinify Health – Clinify is a digital health company that combines healthcare expertise and analytics to unify, automate and optimize multiple forms of communication to deliver individualized, patient-oriented care. View CEO Nathan Pelzer's submission video here and learn more about Clinify on its website.
- Health In Her HUE – Health In Her HUE is a digital platform that connects Black women to Black healthcare providers, offering culturally relevant, evidence-based health content. The team strives to reduce racial health disparities by leveraging the power of technology, media and community to improve health outcomes for women. Founder Ashlee Wisdom was honored by tennis star Serena Williams as a woman of color promoting hope and optimism. See the People magazine story here.
- Base One Gaming – Base One Gaming is a gaming platform where people can engage in gaming and learn how to develop and commercialize games. The company strongly welcomes people from diverse backgrounds to dive into the world of gaming and aims to provide all people with access to the highest quality gaming experience as well as the skills necessary to develop and commercialize games.
- LionHead Real Estate Designs – LionHead is disrupting the multi-billion dollar construction industry with a technologically advanced manufacturing facility and superior products that can shorten building time with greater energy efficiency. Learn more from CEO and cofounder Tukes Ayangbile on the LionHead website, LHRED.com.
- Nour – Mae Abdelrahman created Nour, a mineral sunscreen specifically suited for the needs of Black women, after searching and failing for years to find sunscreen that matched her needs. Nour strives to create skin care that will empower people of all shades to have healthy, beautiful skin. Learn more about Nour through Mae's application video here.
- Porshair – Porshair is creating the first smart hair styling tool made especially for thicker and textured hair types. With only a handful of Black innovators in the beauty tech space, CEO Porsha Bursey plans to focus on those who have been overlooked in the current market by providing a product that is both portable and sufficient. You can find Porsha on LinkedIn.
- Supply Factory Brands – Keenan Beasley founded Supply Factory Brands, a Black-owned consumer packaged goods (CPG) venture studio to operate at the intersection of culture and innovation. The studio has "committed their efforts to finding powerhouse players across all genders, ethnicities, identities, nationalities, sexualities and intersectionalities." Learn more about Supply Factory and its brands on the venture studio's website.
- Tynt Technologies, Inc – Dynamic windows can change the amount of light transmitted through them on demand. The market for this technology is sizeable ($8.6 billion of serviceable available market) but plagued with inadequate, overpriced products. Tynt Technologies aims to revolutionize the industry with perfectly neutral color, high clarity in the transparent state and true privacy in the dark state. Tynt's first product is scheduled to launch in 2023. Follow CEO Ameen Saafir on LinkedIn here.
McDermott Rise is one of several Firm initiatives designed to advance racial equality and social justice. The Firm and Firm personnel are also donating to organizations on the front lines of this fight, including Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Southern Poverty Law Center and Equal Justice Works.
Qualified BIPOC-led businesses can learn more and apply on our website.
About McDermott
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
SOURCE McDermott Will & Emery
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