Lisa
Welcome back to the Atlanta Startup Podcast. I’m Lisa Calhoun, your host, and also a General Partner at Valor Ventures. Today, I’m really excited to help you get to know Mecca Tartt, the first Executive Director at the Startup Runway Foundation. Welcome, Mecca.
Mecca Tartt
Thank you so much for having me, Lisa.
Lisa
Well, no one is more excited than I am that you join Startup Runway. I am so glad to see you take the helm at the organization. But let’s roll back the clock a little bit and start with getting to know young Mecca. Where did you grow up? What was that like? Who were you before you became the Executive Director and Startup Runway back when you were little?
Mecca Tartt
Absolutely. I consider myself a Cali peach. I was born in Los Angeles, California. That’s where all of my relatives and uncles are, we have a huge family that lives in LA, and a grandmother in South Central. For me, my early childhood started in Los Angeles. Lots of wonderful memories of coming together as a family and then we moved from Los Angeles to Atlanta. My mother fell in love with Atlanta. I was able to convince my father. We moved to Atlanta, all three of us. We’re three girls. I have loved being in Atlanta. I’ve been here ever since. I will tell you that I did get away for a few minutes and that I went to Hampton University my freshman year and I can say as an adult now that I was homesick. I would have never said that back then. But I was homesick. I transferred from Hampton University and attended Clark Atlanta University. And that’s where I graduated with a degree in Mass Communications.
Lisa
Did you feel at home in Clark Atlanta?
Mecca Tartt
Oh, I did. I did. I think there’s something so very special about being in the middle of downtown Atlanta. There were so many opportunities. I was able to intern at the corporate headquarters at UPS. I was able to intern at Coca-Cola corporate headquarters. I was able to work as a legislative aide at the State Capitol. I’ve found that being a city as rich as Atlanta with so much going on that I just have so many more experiences because of the city. That’s fabulous.
Lisa
I often wonder how things work at the Capitol myself. Is there anything as an aide at the Capitol you share with us for people who haven’t been in government that we should know?
Mecca Tartt
One thing I will say is that I had the privilege of working under Alisha Thomas Morgan, who’s a fabulous, fabulous woman and state representative. One thing that I will share about her is just her integrity and character. What I would say for anyone is that if you have aspirations of being a politician, that character and integrity will always outlast any other, I would say, your decision making and just everything. For me, I love the experience of being at the state capitol. But character and integrity are so important.
Lisa
Awesome. I’m getting a little ahead of myself here but I think our listeners will appreciate the fact that as they get to know you, you’re just a powerful advocate for women and women’s health. I know that as I come to this interview, and it makes me curious, did you work for her because you were already attracted to women in leadership, or did that develop that in you? What do you think?
Mecca Tartt
I have always been attracted to women in leadership. As a child, I used to get the Jet Magazine, Ebony Magazine. I would cut out pictures of women that I aspire to be like one day when I grew up. For me, I would even reach out to women, if there were women that were doing that had positions and jobs and accomplishments that I wanted to attain before in LinkedIn, before any type of Facebook or Instagram, I would literally find a way to reach out to these women, and just ask if I could pick their brain about their profession and learn more about what they were doing. I would say it started very early on for me.
Lisa
Awesome, natural talent. I see that and also a real skill, reaching out to people. That’s one of the skills that support you throughout your whole life. Just today looking at my morning, I must have reached out to five women I don’t know on LinkedIn with very specific things that I think they’ll find interesting. We’ll see. But that’s as a repetition. I do a lot as well. After you graduated, what happened then?
Mecca Tartt
After I graduated from Clark Atlanta University, I pursued a career in medical device sales. I didn’t know anything about medical devices. I didn’t have anyone in my family in medical device sales. The percentage of African Americans in African medical device sales is about 3%. It’s a very small number. I was the only African American woman in my division at the time when I was recruited in. That was different for me, Lisa, because I came from UPS, which was very diverse. I came from Coca-Cola, which was very diverse, and then I joined one of the largest privately-held medical device sales companies. I was the only one that looks like me and my division. But I will say that I saw that as an amazing opportunity to grow diversity while I was there. For me, I started to align myself with organizations to find the next person that was like me to recruit them into these roles being that I knew that they were qualified.
Lisa
And so that is how you got involved in the National Sales Network?
Mecca Tartt
It is. It was my bridge into the national sales network. Because there were so many times when I felt like a woman, which I know a lot of women listening to can understand this, for as a minority. I felt alone. I would go to sales conferences and there would only be me or I would go to a regional meeting and it would just be me. I wanted the mentorship. I wanted the opportunity to learn from others. I started literally typing into Google, and I was typing in African American sales groups, African American sales reps, Black sales reps, and then I came across the National Sales Network. I started taking time out of my time in the field working as a medical device sales rep and manager to actually volunteer within the organization, the National Sales Network, which is the largest organization for diverse sales professionals.
Lisa
When you did that, and you were looking at medical sales in particular, which I know you’re like, “Hey, this is a really high paying, very hard-charging, very difficult, very technical career, and yet why not?” Anyone who wants to do this should be able to do this. When you left the National Sales Network, did you feel like you’d been able to move the needle on diversifying some of the higher-paid sales industry?
Mecca Tartt
Absolutely. My introduction to the National Sales Network was volunteering outside of my full-time job. And then I was recruited in because of my leadership and the work that I was doing locally, I became the chapter president. From being a chapter president and growing one of the largest chapters, which was the Atlanta chapter. The CEO saw the work that I’ve done locally and decided, “Hey, we are really looking for someone to grow the organization nationally.” I was brought in as a VP of Business Development and I will tell you why. That was one of the most rewarding things not just at a professional level from recruitment, but I started the student sales and marketing conference while I was there. And in the role as Vice President of Business Development, and then Executive Director, I was able to help hundreds of students from HBCUs, that I would have never had the opportunity because these companies typically would not come to their campus, have the opportunity to bridge the gap, when it came to those high paying jobs, whether it was medical device sells, IT Sales, consumer products and exposing them to someone who looks like them that was able to secure an opportunity like this.
Lisa
You know, that pioneering experience and you’re so young, and yet you’ve already been such a pioneer. There’s a lot of pioneering work to be done. It makes me think about the individual capital industry that we’re both now a part of. How less than 3% of venture capital goes to founders of color and much less than that of our industry is made of black investors. That is an industry ripe for disruption to and so I’m really glad you chose to take a look at the Startup Runway Foundation and join us as Executive Director. What do you see as possibilities? How do you see things moving forward from your new role?
Mecca Tartt
Well, I see that there’s a major opportunity for us to come together and work to highlight some who don’t know what they don’t know. When it’s just you, and you’re thinking within your own minority, or that, well, there’s so many amazing opportunities. Sometimes you forget that the same opportunities are not available to people that are not of your particular ethnicity. I think there’s an opportunity to grow the organization nationally, in many different cities to provide opportunities for underrepresented founders, women, and minorities who are wanting to grow their business, who have amazing ideas, who are passionate about the work that they’re doing, but they don’t have the funding to make it happen.
Lisa
So we ask you, do you think that can change in our lifetimes?
Mecca Tartt
Absolutely. All it takes is one person. I really do believe that all it takes is one person. I look back at the work that I’ve been able to achieve, whether it was women’s health and wellness, whether it’s at the National Sales Network, and it takes one person to follow through to have the discipline to be able to just push forward and make it happen. A lot of times, I really find that it is truly about creating awareness around it. That’s where I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to make sure that every single person out there knows about Startup Runway, whether it’s a company that has committed to diversity inclusion. What does that look like? How are you helping out the community through community impact work, we can do that by helping a founder helping a business owner, that’s a woman helping a minority business owner because guess what? That woman’s unable to grow her community and help her community and so it helps them from just a broad standpoint.
Lisa
I couldn’t agree more. I think that the opportunity for net new wealth creation, for people who have been structurally kind of biased out of that wealth creation opportunity, will change the world. To me, it’s a win-win in a couple of ways, new innovation that better suits what is becoming the majority of America. Innovation, that’s cool. That’s enough on its own but then add to that creating a more equitable wealth creation environment. That is a win-win for our culture and our world. Speaking of your point of just communicating to people that don’t know what they don’t know, I should ask you, what is the Startup Runway foundation and what is its mission?
Mecca Tartt
Absolutely. Startup Runway foundation connects underrepresented founders, minorities, and women of color to their first tech writers. That is about organizations that are truly invested in companies that are surely invested in creating more diversity and inclusion, but allowing that to happen at the funding level, which is something that companies need and small business owners need.
Lisa
If someone who’s listening is a small business owner or a founder of a startup, why does Startup Runway Foundation matter to them? I mean, how should they get involved? What would you tell them about the organization and how it can help them?
Mecca Tartt
Absolutely, I will tell them as an entrepreneur, and I know as an entrepreneur that you were always out there connecting, sometimes you’re passionate about the work that you’re doing but there is a disconnect between the passion and the funding that you need. There’s an amazing opportunity here at Startup Runway to connect you to the funding and to connect you to the mentors that you need in order to take your business to the next level. I would say that I would love to see you at the showcase. We have several showcases throughout the year. It provides you with that opportunity and experience to push your product forward, put your best foot forward, and compete for an opportunity that can change your business.
Lisa
I want to sign up myself. That was really well said, Mecca. For those companies, most of our listeners, absolutely, you all know who you are. You’re mostly founders, you’re mostly in Atlanta. But some of you are founders who are currently employed with a corporate partner, and looking for your business opportunity, so if you’re a corporate partner out there who wants to do right by inclusion, and is very interested in the latest best innovations, how can they work with Startup Runway? What does the foundation do for them?
Mecca Tartt
Absolutely. The foundation is a part of Startup Runway as a company. I say this because it really means a lot to me, as a woman, as a minority, as a person who has worked with over probably 100 companies that have been invested in diversity inclusion, I would say ask yourself, “What is the work that our community impacts social responsibility, our foundation, what are we truly doing to impact change within our community?” And I truly believe that Startup Runway is one of those components that will allow for you to reach and to truly create change. The way in which you can get involved as a partner of Startup Runway is by funding the organization, funding with a partnership to help support these underrepresented founders.
Lisa
Awesome. Any examples of companies that are partnered with you today?
Mecca Tartt
Yes, I do have examples of companies that have partnered with us that have surely made that commitment to make a difference to have said, “You know what we’re just not saying that we’re apart, we’re about diversity and inclusion, we’re going to show you through our actions that were truly invested in diversity inclusion.” We have Georgia Power that has committed in a big way. We have Cox that has committed as our presenting sponsor, which we’re very excited about. We have a band of ventures, which is also committed to partnership with Startup Runway, we have Valor Ventures, which has partnered and committed to the partnership. So I ask you for every single person that’s listening to my voice, you may think that you don’t have a role within the company to have a voice but if you work for a company, you do have a voice. I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to speak to the person within your foundation or within diversity inclusion to ask, how can we surely make an impact? I believe that impact starts with Startup Runway.
Lisa
Well, you’ve been creating a lot of impact for a long time at different levels and organizations. I want to switch a little bit to more of a personal topic. How does a powerful woman like you recharge? How do you come back to yourself and get this amazing and beautiful energy to go out there and make changes in the world?
Mecca Tartt
Self-care is very important. I believe that a lot of professional women, a lot of powerhouse women, go through this moment where they believe that they should always have on the cape. And then I see the superhero case, and I also hear a lot of people say, “Oh, well, you know, I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” No, you will die early if you do not sleep, right? There has to be a blend of both. I will say that I do believe that social media has allowed for social comparison to really explode in a good way and in a negative way. In a negative way, because you may feel that you always need to be doing something. Oh, she wrote a book then she started a business, she has a full-time job, and she has a family. Well, maybe that’s not what you’ve been aligned to do in this particular period in her life. How do I recharge? One thing I will say is that being married is that a good partner is able to be your reflection in the mirror and is able to see what you do not see about yourself and what you can improve on. My partner lets me know like, “Hey, it looks like you’re going towards the burnout.” If I’m not aware of that myself, and then for me, it’s been being in my word. I’m a Christian woman. Being in my word is also been making sure that I work out. Exercise is so very important to your self-care. Also the time with family and friends, social connections are so important. You cannot go through this life thinking that you will do things alone, because you’re not. We’re not meant to be that way. Making sure that you put yourself first unapologetically, whether you have mommy guilt or not, I’ve been there. I’ve done. You have to create the space for yourself and say that it is okay that you cannot get done everything today. That is okay. There is always tomorrow. But you have to ensure, and this is an important topic to me because I do so many talks and summits for women around self-care and wellness, and health. I know because I’ve been there where I’ve been burned out where I’ve pushed myself to the max, and I was proud of myself. But at the same time, my body internally was just in a really bad place. Because I didn’t take that time out for self-care.
Lisa
What are some of those triggers that we should all be aware of that you would say from your work in health care, which has been on multiple levels of medical devices working in and out of hospitals, but also, you’ve launched a number of seminars around women’s health, specifically relationship health, physical health, what are some of those triggers for burnout that people should really be sharp to?
Mecca Tartt
I will say this, and I think I’m talking to the powerhouse woman that is always on the go, trying to make it happen, do not ignore the signs of just you being tired or restless. You have so much going on that you can’t go to sleep. You’re thinking that she needs to be up pedaling afterward, doing 1000 things, whether it’s domestically inside the house, or something else that you need to stay up late every night. I would just say be aware of that restlessness. I believe that every single woman should have a board of advisors. That board of advisors could be a component of your mentor, your spiritual mentor, it may be your business mentor. For me, I added my psychologist, I added my life coach, my life strategist to that because you should have a board of advisors that you trust enough. That’s going to be able to tell you, “Hey, you look different. Something’s not right.” Because women, as long as we look great on the outside, we’re like, “Oh, it’s fine.” But what people don’t see, especially for women, is that the hair is shedding a lot. The hair is falling out and then it’s like, “Oh, my goodness, something’s happening.” Yes, something’s happening inside your body. It’s screaming, it’s telling you to stop. But because you’re not stopping it’s now going to say, “Well, let me show up so I can get her attention.’
Lisa
Absolutely. Okay, I better move on or we’re going to go into a total counseling session our listeners don’t need to hear. But really wise words and you know, board of advisors, that kind of reminds me a little bit of how Startup Runway, the foundation, has really been blessed in the advisors who’ve been attracted to the platform. I think of amazing leaders like Mike Ross and Veronica Sheehan. There are some people that have really just, from the beginning, seen a change and seen a spark in Startup Runway, and brought it forward for the last five years. As you look at the next five years as the leader of the organization, what are some of the types of people and opportunities that you’re working to attract in case any of our listeners would like to jump on board and help?
Mecca Tartt
Absolutely. So as we grow this organization, there’s an opportunity to also grow the board. Grow people who are truly invested in the work that we’re doing in Startup Runway and I believe that board should be reflective of the world. It should be reflective of the world of women and people of color. Because so many times, and I will say it because I like to call it out, is that when we look at boards specifically of corporations, there are not any women on the board. There’s no one of color on the board. I will say as a woman that we are powerful human beings, and we have birthed this nation. We are totally capable of anything that we go after. I think a lot of times, to have a lack of presence of minority and for women on the board surely speaks volumes about the company and I believe even that our Gen Z’s have taken it to the next level. Our Gen Z’s sees, I’m an older millennial, but the Gen Z’s I’m holding on to that last couple of years that I just made it in there. But the Gen Z’s, they’re asking corporations, before they decide to be a part of someone as an employee, they look and see they go to the website and see to someone look like me there. Am I going to be a part of something that’s going to push me to grow where I can become an executive? And if they don’t see themselves, then they start to question the company. I would say for us, for Startup Runway, for our founders that we aligned with that are part of our showcase for our board members is going to be reflective of inclusivity, diversification, and of this world.
Lisa
Absolutely. Oh, that’s a tremendous way to grow the organization. I’m really glad at the stand Startup Runway has taken in investing around only putting founders of color and female founders on our stage and only giving grants to demographics that have been historically underrepresented. It was leading five years ago, people are starting to get it now. It’s just really exciting. In closing, is there anything else you’d like to share with our audience today? I really appreciate your time and making time for this interview.
Mecca Tartt
No, thank you so much for having me. What I will say is that it takes one person to make a difference in someone’s life to just take the opportunity to invest in that person to make a difference. You may think, “Oh, well, my company may not do this or may not do that.” You don’t know if you just don’t ask. And if your company right now is tamping behind diversity and inclusion and wanting to make a difference, then I would say there’s a phenomenal way to do that. And to not only impact one person by funding or helping a small business owner but that impact for that one person impacts an entire community and that person’s family. I would say, make sure that you’re asking the question that you’re part of the change and that you’re a part of making an impact at your corporation.
Lisa
I love it. How can people get in touch with you?
Mecca Tartt
Well, I am pretty much an open book. I’ve always been that way for anyone who wants to contact me. You can go to startuprunway.org but you can also email me. That is just how comfortable I would share my information and that’s mecca@startuprunway.org. You can reach out to me that way. But I would love to connect with you all. I would love to see those amazing founders and support you on the stage. I would love to have conversations with companies that are truly leading the way in diversity inclusion, and I just look forward to connecting with you all.
Lisa
Well, thank you for sharing your light with the world, Mecca. It’s been a joy to talk with you. I look forward to all of your leadership at Startup Runway and the upcoming showcases. Have an awesome day. Thanks for being with us.
Mecca Tartt
Thank you.
Lisa
Thank you for listening to the Atlanta Startup Podcast. You know, we’re not just a podcast, we’re a community, and we’d love to see you at one of our digital or physical events, go to valor.VC and sign up for an event that makes sense for you. We have events for founders and the investors who back them. Another event you might enjoy is Startup Runway. The Startup Runway Foundation is a Valor organization that provides $10,000 grants to founders who are women or people of color building next-generation software products. Applications are free and we’d love to hear from you at startuprunway.org. And as always, thank you so much to the organizations that make this podcast possible. Not only Valor Ventures, but also Write2Market, a tech marketing and PR agency in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Startup Runway Foundation and Atlanta Tech Park Valley’s headquarters, and also headquarters for over 100 local entrepreneurs, building global businesses. See you next week. Please bookmark the podcast and join us.
