The saying “be the change you want to see in the world,” rings true for DFlash founder and CEO, Laura Mignott. As Essence reports, at a time when women of color are looking to occupy spaces that were not originally curated for them, Mignott finds a way to bring them front and center on stages across the nation for a vast range of topics and events.

PHOTO: Forbes

DFlash was born out of Mignott’s frustration regarding marketing companies lack of representation and diverse content that spoke to people like her at their events. In the beginning, she was not sure what direction she and her co-founder would go in, but after quitting her 9-to-5 and using a majority of her savings to help kickstart the company in 2011, DFlash became a reality.

The purpose of the agency, according to their website, is to" serve as an event marketing and production company which leads clients to partnerships/opportunities which are beneficial to both sides of the connection." In an exclusive interview with Forbes, Mignott revealed one of the biggest surprises she noticed by going into work for herself was the level of access she was granted.

“As an account director at an agency, there was a ceiling to the type of client interactions I would have. Having my own company, I've had the chance to work directly with C-level executives from Fortune 500 brands to billionaires and I’ve learned one thing: they're all just people, trying to get work done. Do a good job for them and they will respect you,” Mignott told Forbes.

The respect Mignott and her team earned has afforded them the opportunity to host over 400 events, help with campaigns for companies such as Netflix, Bose and Samsung, and put together transformative platforms such as YurHouse, which was a two-day event at the 2018 South by Southwest (SXSW).

Video courtesy of: YurHouse 2018 SXSW Sizzle Reel – Final from Table Rock Productions on Vimeo.

According to Essence, the DFlash team put together this conference in 48-hours through the power of social media and networking. As an end result, 48 women speaker (including 60% black women, two trans women and an 11-year-old girl with one arm) showed and participated in the tech-focused event. Some of the topics of discussion included: entrepreneurship, being a podcaster, blockchain and more.

“I design spaces to make people feel welcomed because I’m always amazed by the connections and the magic that happens when you bring people together. So for me, if I can be that plug, that connector it makes me happy,” Mignott said to Essence.

While Mignott prides herself on being a connection plug, she also shared with Essence a key for Black women being scouted as a speaker for an event is to build your brand, openly highlight your greatness and promote yourself on all social media platforms.

“They can’t say they don’t see you, if they see you,” Mignott explained to Essence.

Photo: DFlash

And Mignott does not only give out helpful advice, she leads by example. Her podcast, The Reset, let’s her use her personal knowledge and give a mic to friends/colleagues within the marketing, business, and/or government divisions to provide the behind-the-scenes info needed to make sense of these industries.

DFlash's next big project will take them to the 2019 Cannes Film Festival which previews films of all genres globally.

“We’re doing the biggest diversity event in the world on June 19th. It’ll be called Inkwell Beach Cannes at the Cannes Lions Festival. It will be the very first cultural creativity summit at the Cannes Lions with the full support of the Cannes Lions,” she shared with Essence.

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