FROM MARVA WITH LOVE : Erica Molett

By Marva J. Sneed

On a recent From Marva with Love, I talked to Erica Molett, owner of Banneky.com, a Dallas-based educational technology platform that teaches STEM concepts such as gaming, coding and Esports to young learners from underrepresented communities.

Erica told us about her new partnership with Microsoft and Warner Bros. in which she will host FIND YOUR SEAT: In Tech, Gaming & Entertainment, a virtual event where students were introduced to coding tools and a new curriculum inspired by the soon-to-be- released film Space Jam: A New Legacy.

The six-hour free event was held from noon to 6 p.m. June 26th on Twitch and included panel discussions and live chats. Students will meet some of the top gamers in the country.

What an accomplishment for Erica, an African American technology founder and mother of two sons, to have partnered with Microsoft, Warner Bros., and Space Jam: A New Legacy, which hits theaters and HBO MAX July16.

MS: Erica you are an entrepreneur. Will you share with us your background?

EM: I’m a mom of two boys, 13 and 15. I lead with that because most of my entrepreneurship in the last year and a half has been focused on them. Before that, my background was in commercial banking and investments. I worked for the big banks. I worked in economic development for the City of Dallas as well as for the City of Cedar Hill. In 2017, I decided to go out on my own and start a consulting firm. We do workforce and economic development and we are still doing that to this day. In 2019, I started a non- profit called Beyond the Ball to focus on my older son who is so obsessed with basketball that I needed him to see that there were other options in case he didn’t go on to be a part of that two percent that actually made it to the NBA. So, that’s why I created the non-profit – to expose him and other kids around the country, primarily our young Black boys, who are often distracted in class because they are focused on their hoop dreams – to expose them to all the other careers that exist in the sports world.

MS: What is Banneky.com? Tell us about the company.

EM: Banneky.com is an education tech platform hyper-focused on middle and high school students who love art, sports and gaming. Our multimedia and gamified platform connects the dots between their passions, their classrooms and their future careers while helping our brilliant kids to lean in and love learning and continue to do that in areas that matter to them.

There was so much more to my interview with Erica Molett!

To hear the full interview, tune in to From Marva With Love featuring Marva Sneedon Texes Metro News’ Facebook page or on BlogTalkRadio.com. To learn more about Banneky.com, visit www.banneky.com.

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