There's a new position at Google, and this Howard alumna has already snagged it.
Jewel Burks Solomon was just appointed as the head of Google For Startups for the United States. She is the first person to hold this title.
The tech guru and Howard University alum will be in charge of fueling diverse startup companies with the connections, resources and practices they will inevitably need to thrive, as reported by Hypepotamus.
"I am thrilled about the opportunity to do work I’m deeply passionate about, to help level the playing field in the startup ecosystem, I have a great opportunity to highlight the work of incredible startups here and in other markets that have historically been underresourced," Solomon said.
Solomon already has an extensive track record with Google. From 2014 to 2016, she was employed with the tech giant as an entrepreneur-in-residence for diversity markets. In this position, Solomon utilized Google tools to assist underserved business owners to grow their businesses online. In 2013, Solomon founded Partpic, a company geared toward helping consumers find industrial tools, Inc. reports. In 2016 she sold Partpic to Amazon for an unreported amount.
Apart from her new title, the tech genius will also continue as a managing partner at Collab Capital. As the managing partner, Solomon acts as a liaison between Black business owners and entities who can provide financial and social backing for these businesses.
"The opportunity to bring the best of Google to startups in Atlanta and other key markets is incredibly exciting, access to the right resources and people is critical to startup success, so I’m excited to be able to share these things with startups that need them," Solomon shares.
Solomon is passionate about technology, sourcing funds for businesses and helping aspiring business owners. According to her website, she raised $2 million in funding while heading up Partpic.
Solomon is also a board member of the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project and spends her free time mentoring startup founders, as Blavity previously reported.
"Jewel’s background as an entrepreneur and investor gives her a deep amount of empathy for the founder journey and insight into what founders need to build successful businesses, her experience allows the team to ensure our work is meaningful to startups and that the metrics of success are closely aligned with the startups we work with," a Google rep told Hypepotamus.
Apart from work, Solomon also finds time to let her hair down. She is featured in a national advertisement for Pantene’s Gold Series line.
Thrilled to be featured in this new @Pantene Gold Series campaign! The most exciting part is that the decision makers on the shoot (brand, agency, hair & makeup, production, etc) were phenomenal Black women. ????????♀️ #pantenegoldseries
#youmeanbusiness
pic.twitter.com/sUc3Mm03H4— Jewel Burks Solomon (@jewelmelanie) January 7, 2020
Solomon advises that Black women need not feel awkward about being the "only" anything in any space.
"The concept is about women at work, and the tagline is ‘You mean business.’ It’s about being the only black person in the room, the only woman in the room, but still holding my own," Solomon explained as the premise for the Pantene ad.
Solomon is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. After graduating from Howard, Solomon held roles at McMaster-Carr Supply and Google Inc. She was a member of the 2019 Class of Henry Crown Fellows within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute.
Solomon and her husband Zekarias now reside in Atlanta, Georgia.
