By: Bella Fitzpatrick
Can You Share A Bit About Your Journey Into Your Industry? What Initially Sparked Your Interest In This Field?
I began my journey into tech back in college at Alabama A&M University. Realizing I was geographically far from Wall Street and lacked a strong network, I had to get real creative to land an internship with a Wall Street firm. This experience inspired me to build a website that helped students nationwide find and apply for internships, tackling the common problem of limited professional connections. My goal was to create a solution for students like myself, determined to pursue their career dreams despite networking challenges.
What Educational Path Did You Take That Helped Prepare You For Your Role as a Co-Founder Of This Company?
I received a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Alabama A&M and later attended IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. Reflecting on my academic journey, studying economics in undergrad helped me understand the interplay between government, business, and populations. I developed a knack for numbers and a passion for analyzing businesses, which led me to pursue one of the premier business programs.
What I loved most about business school was the daily case studies that offered a global perspective on business operations. However, the most impactful aspect was the people. Interacting with some of the brightest minds taught me about diverse personality types, work ethics, and values. These lessons continue to influence me as I lead Assemble every day.
How Did Your Previous Professional Experiences Shape Your Approach To Founding And Leading This Company?
While in business school, I came up with the idea to create a digital platform for personal trainers. After my first year of core studies, I decided to leave school and start my own tech company. For the next 10 years, I was fully immersed in building that company and learned so much along the way. From recruiting talent and building technology to raising venture capital and scaling globally, my experiences were invaluable. Being a black male founder in an underrepresented space prepared me for the unique challenges many black founders face, such as being taken seriously, raising capital, and creating solutions from a unique perspective. These experiences also equipped me to handle the ups and downs of running a high-growth tech startup. This journey inspired me to create “Assemble,” where I apply lessons from my first company, such as raising initial capital, selecting co-founders, understanding the business landscape, and solving the critical problem of providing underserved communities access to real-world experts and learning opportunities.
What Are The Core Technologies Your Platform Utilizes, And Why Were They Chosen?
You can view our technology platform through three lenses. First, we have a digital media component that allows users to stream in-house produced content. Second, we have a video call component that lets customers browse experts and schedule 1:1 video calls for private coaching sessions. Third, we utilize AI, which helps us add new tools to personalize each user’s journey. Whether you’re watching a video course and need to consult an assistant or finding the right expert for a 1:1 call, AI gathers data and insights to enhance the user experience.
Can You Explain The Main Challenges You Faced In The Initial Stages of Your Company, and How You Addressed Them?
When I first conceptualized Assemble, my goal was to create premium quality videos featuring notable people of color, sharing their lessons on screen. However, I quickly realized that accumulating the investment capital for such an idea would be challenging. Raising capital from investors who might not fully understand the problem we were solving made the opportunity less attractive to them. To address this, I focused on educating potential investors about the problem, the opportunities ahead, and demonstrating our deep understanding of the industry, the business landscape, and our in-house competency to execute at a world-class level. I also had to find investors that really cared about the issues we were tackling like Tiffany Haddish, Arlan Hamilton of Backstage Capital, Law Roach and Stand Together Ventures. Additionally, we faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which froze a lot of business activities. We used this time as an opportunity to prepare and focus, ensuring we were ready to move forward once things opened up again.
What Sets Your Learning Platform Apart from Others in the Market? Looking forward, What are Your Ambitious Goals for the Company?
What sets Assemble apart from others in the market is twofold. First, we provide a solution to democratize access to learning for consumers who have traditionally not been prioritized. For Black and Brown audiences, it is unique and very appealing to see experts of color on a platform sharing information and making themselves available to give advice.
Secondly, from a technological point of view, we are the only platform that offers multiple ways for individuals to learn. You can stream video courses, connect 1:1 via video calls with experts, and even submit short questions to receive personalized video or audio responses. When you think of all these features, Assemble truly becomes a full-service platform equipped to meet our customers’ needs wherever they are.
Looking forward, our ambitious goals include expanding our reach and impact, continuing to innovate with new technologies, and ensuring that we remain at the forefront of providing accessible, high-quality education and mentorship to underserved communities. Specifically, over the next three years, we aim to work alongside every single HBCU to create a learning experience that matches the elite schools in the world. We want Assemble to be the go-to platform for anyone seeking to learn and connect with experts, breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for all.
As a Leader What Advice Do You Give to Aspiring Entrepreneurs Who Wish to Enter this Industry?
As the founder of a tech space and an entrepreneur, my advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is threefold with a list of tips. First, develop a high tolerance for discomfort and pain; entrepreneurship is incredibly challenging and comes with significant responsibility. You’ll constantly need to solve problems for your business, customers, employees, and yourself.
Second, ensure you’re passionate about what you do. The journey requires immense sacrifice and discipline, and dedicating your time to something meaningful will sustain you through tough times.
Lastly, take care of yourself. Create a game plan to handle the highs and lows, and have a contingency plan for tough moments. Both good and bad times are inevitable, so having a strategy ensures you don’t get overwhelmed by the business.
Here are a few helpful tips:
Read as much as you can.
Practice identifying opportunities so that you are prepared to execute when they do come.
Develop and maintain relationships with people of all backgrounds.
Practice empathy so you can acknowledge and appreciate it when it’s shown to you.
Remember there’s a difference between doing the right thing and doing what’s right
Don’t take shortcuts.
Learn more about Assemble – www.Assemble.fyi
Instagram: @assemble.fyi
Published by: Martin De Juan
