1,000 Books for Black Girls was started by Marley.

Like most 11 year olds, Marley enjoys reading books. While getting lost into different books, Marley noticed that the main characters would either be white boys or dogs. What she was noticing soon led to a bigger issue. Fewer than 10 percent of children’s books released in 2015 had a black person as the main character. Last Fall Marley decided to make a change. She was on a mission. Marley’s mission was to set a goal of collecting 1,000 books about black girls. In February #1000BlackGirlBooks was created.

She is a trailblazer and was a guest editor for Elle Magazine.

Without knowing, Marley was a huge inspiration to people everywhere. One day while she was being interviewed for Elle.com, she mentioned how she wanted to edit a magazine some day. Not long after that she was invited to create a zine for their website.

She is an amazing powerhouse and ambassador for Disney.

Marley Dias announced in February of 2017 that she will be penning a book with Scholastic scheduled to launch in January of 2018. Having collected over 9,000 books, Marley has more than quadrupled her #1000BlackGirlBooks’ goals.

She is Newark’s own.

We celebrate all things Newark and the trailblazers that come out of our city, one of the youngest, and a quick rising star is Marley Dias, the founder of 1000 Books for Black Girls and she was in =SPACE for the day with GrassROOTS Community Foundation taking in all things Art & Tech.

More On GrassROOTS Community Foundation (GCF)

GrassROOTS Community Foundation (GCF) is a public health and social action organization. We invest in our community members’ collective well-being, so that they can use their health and energy to transform themselves, their families and communities. We support, develop and scale health and wellness programs for women and girls, particularly those who are impoverished. We also advocate for policies and practices that reduce disparities and foster equity.

It was a great honor to have Marley and the GrassROOTS Community Foundation in the room with us today. We are excited to see what Marley has in store for us in the near future and all the ways we can support such an amazing foundation!

Why must innovation really be the answer to almost everything? The answer to that my friends, is, there will always be a time where some things have to change. Innovation can be viewed as the key for business incubators.

You might ask, “ why must things change in the business industry?”. Honestly, the answers can vary. It can be the business’s choice due to a desire for a new look or the business isn’t working out the way it’s founders planned so.

In these moments, our light bulb turns on and we push to innovate. This is where all the potential game changers are shared around the room and productivity fills the air. From there is only two outcomes; either the “game changing innovation” is a success or it’s just not enough and the cycle of change continues until one “hits the sweet spot”.

Incubator help guide entrepreneurs during these tough moments. At times, the battle are too strong for one opponent. You have to call in back-up and fix the problem by putting multiple minds to use. As the old saying goes, “Three heads are better than one.”

Take your space with =SPACE, here.

Art Credit: Deviant Art user: Iris Ko (Vggal)

Have you ever had trouble doing a specific task or just didn’t have the room for it? If the answer to that is “yes”, you should join a workspace. Workspaces are is self explanatory and are your best bet, if you are finding yourself needing a place to work on client projects. These spaces offer help that you can’t find anywhere else.

In a nutshell, a workspace helps you grow, progress, and complete your tasks. Just think, without a workspace as a haven to complete what needs to be done, you would be producing more sweat and tears than necessary. Entrepreneurs already produced enough blood, sweat, and tears for a whole organization. Overall, a workspace is a great solution for your needs.

Book a tour with =Space, here.

Greater Newark Enterprises Corporation is a community development corporation, and Certified CDFI, established in 2005. The Organization is exempt from income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and similar provisions of the State code.

GNEC provides financial assistance and training to small businesses in a variety of topical areas, including financial literacy for entrepreneurs, business planning and business management across a myriad of industries.

GNEC has provided structured entrepreneurial training and technical assistance since 2007 under the Urban Entrepreneurs Development Institute (UEDI), reaching more than 500 individuals each year. Services are provided to low- and moderate-income individuals in general as well as to target populations such as young entrepreneurs (aged 18-30), women entrepreneurs, small contractors, and previously incarcerated individuals. In the past three years, GNEC has graduated more than 150 individuals from its entrepreneurial training curriculum.

GNEC has roots in the Central Ward of Newark, NJ and has become a major urban business resource due to its history of providing microloans and delivering effective training and technical assistance resources. The organization is adept at identifying challenges of entrepreneurs, bringing expertise that helps the entrepreneurs address their challenges, and when possible, providing capital to help entrepreneurs start and expand their business.

Drones have been one of today’s trends and it looks like nothing is going to put a stop to it (not that it’s necessarily a bad thing). If you are a lover of drones, then here’s some good news for you. A new type of drone has been confirmed, but not something you’d expect. I’m talking about the new DJI Mavic Pro, a new compact drone that is small enough to fit in your backpack.

 This drone is fitted with 4 split rotors, it’s bendable and portable, with a slick design and compatibility with your iPhone or Samsung device. The drone comes with a small remote so a phone isn’t required. Now, getting into the inner details about the drone, yes it is bendable but what else? Well this gadget has a built in 4k camera and is said to climb over 1000 feet with a maximum speed of 27 mph.

 It must be noted that this isn’t much of a toy. Drones must be dealt with carefully and with care. Make sure that your area will allow you to fly drones. and it is also important to watch your surroundings when flying. So any drone lover out there, make sure you get your hands on one of these small yet powerful gadgets for the price of $999 and remember to fly safely!