Steve Jones, founder and CEO of pocstock, discusses his journey from Barbados to Brooklyn, highlighting the cultural shock and educational challenges he faced. He explains the inception of pocstock, a company addressing the lack of diverse stock images, and its mission to provide positive representations of people of color. Jones shares the challenges of raising seed funding, noting the difficulty for black founders, and emphasizes the importance of having the right team and systems. He also touches on balancing family life with business responsibilities and the significance of diverse teams in achieving business success.
Timestamps:
Steve Jones’ Background and Early Life (0:00)
Adjusting to American Culture and Education (1:34)
Navigating Intelligence and Diversity in Education (4:02)
Founding pocstock and Addressing the Need for Diverse Images (5:49)
Market Reception and Challenges (9:58)
Accessibility and Inclusivity of pocstock (11:41)
Leadership and Building a Team (12:39)
Raising Seed Funding as a Black Founder (17:14)
Advantages of Having a Co-Founder (21:05)
Balancing Family and Business (25:06)
Music Preferences and Personal Interests (27:40)
Connecting with Steve and pocstock (28:46)