In 2023, Kindred Futures partnered with Village Micro Fund for the fall cohort of its Flourish Fellowship, in which entrepreneurs like Blvck Spades and Dope Heart Media Company founder E. Mackey gained practical skills while connecting to a legacy of Black economic thought and innovation. At the conclusion of the program, Kindred Futures awarded three entrepreneurs with $25,000 in grant capital.

Kindred collaborates with a diverse and growing network of grassroots, civic, academic, philanthropic, and private sector partners that help us deliver on our mission to build Black wealth and power including Business Support Organizations like Village Micro Fund.

For Mackey, a serial entrepreneur who believes in putting relationships over revenue, involvement in the cohort was a valuable steppingstone in continuing to build out his brand. “None of us has gotten to where we are alone,” he says. “And, in the context of the Black community, there is an understanding that if we don’t do it for ourselves, who else will? We also owe it to those who will follow to leave a legacy that they can build upon as well.” 

Kindred: You’ve been a content creator, videographer/photographer and now founder – what’s next?
EM: In addition to Blvck Spades, I own a creative agency called Dope Heart Media that provides photography, video production, graphic design, and more. Right now, my primary focus is on building a spades app, Blvcker, through Blvck Spades’ sister company, Blvck Haven Studio. We are currently in beta and hope to have the app officially launched by early to mid-October.  

Kindred: What inspires you to keep pressing as you share your brand?
EM: My favorite word is posterity. So, I’m always thinking of what I can do to ensure that my life has a positive impact on future generations. I think that’s what motivates me most. I just want my existence to have made life better for people and to continue to do so long after I’m gone. 

Kindred: You were a part of the Village Micro Fund cohort, which we have been a partner on. What are your thoughts on organizations like this supporting entrepreneurs?
EM: I think that organizations like Village Micro Fund, with the support of Kindred Futures, play a critical role in preparing small businesses for future growth. Speaking for myself, I was very confident in what I was building with Blvck Spades, and I had the core components in place. However, Village Micro Fund was vital in teaching me many of the things that I didn’t know that I didn’t know. I was in that cohort about 2 years ago, and what I learned there is at the core of many of the opportunities that I have had since. I can’t even communicate how beneficial that program was for me and my business(es).