About.

Black Women Raise is a platform and community designed to accelerate the ability of leading black female founders to raise growth capital, scale up and create pathways for the women behind them.

We convene business leaders, funders and advisors equally committed to tackling issues of diversity and wealth creation to provide the support, access, tools and training to help founders achieve their funding and revenue goals.

Goals.

Increase general awareness of the barriers to funding faced by black female founders. 

Build a strong community of mentors, investors and advocates.

Provide the tools, access and training to help founders achieve their funding and revenue goals.

"Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”

— Mae Jamison

Named one of Marie Claire Magazine’s 50 Women Changing the World, Dee Poku is the founder of The WIE Suite, a platform and membership community that redefines success and how women leaders achieve and experience it, ie on their own terms and in support of each other. She is also the founder of Black Women Raise, she founded Black Women Raise, an initiative designed to accelerate the ability of leading black female founders to raise growth capital, scale up and create pathways for the women behind them.

Having formerly held senior roles at Paramount Pictures and Focus Features, Dee pivoted to entrepreneurship when she realized there weren’t enough safe spaces and resources for women to accelerate their careers and learn from each other in a way that was constructive rather than competitive. Dee envisions a bold new network where women can explore, connect, learn, and most importantly, push themselves—and each other—to reach further and redefine what’s possible for women everywhere. 

Over the years, Dee has attracted numerous business and cultural leaders to her global gatherings, including Queen Rania, Melinda Gates, Mellody Hobson, Aileen Lee, Naomi Campbell, Arianna Huffington, Thasunda Duckett, Diane von Furstenberg, Nancy Pelosi, Jill Biden, Lauren Bush, Iman, Rosario Dawson and Christy Turlington.

Dee serves on the Board of Directors of the British Academy of Film & Television (BAFTA) and the Brooklyn Bridge Conservancy, and was previously on the Credit Suisse New Markets Women’s Advisory Board. She is also an advisor to several startups, including Girl Gaze, Paint Box, The Female Founders Collective and The Wonder. She also serves as a contributor to Forbes Women.