Frustrated with seeing women-empowerment events with the same people, a certain type of "influence," or just not enough black women who they can identify with. Lex and Jasmine were determined to create a space where they could bridge the gap between where the heavy hitters and the up and comers meet. Heavily inspired by Issa Rae's quote "We have a tendency of trying to network up, but it's really about networking across," they came up with Up&Coming. A dinner series that will feature various curated conversations based on the career struggles and personal development of millennial black women. With the intention to create a cross-promotional sense of community.

(Jasmine Milton and Lex Hawkins - Founders of Up&Coming). Photo Credit: M4RZ

We got the chance to catch up with Lex and Jasmine on their thoughts of inclusion, the importance of networking and the mission behind Up&Coming!

The following has been edited for continuity purposes.

1. What drove you to create Up&Coming?

Well, the idea was created on Cinco de Mayo. Six and I were getting ready to attend an event and we were randomly discussing our frustrations with women-empowerment events and how they always have the same people, with a certain type of “influence,” or just not enough black women who we could identify with. That following week we had a brainstorming session and crafted the concept of what we saw our first event looking like all in one night. From there we continued to send each other ideas and worked diligently to create a space where we could bridge the gap between where the heavy hitters and the up and comers meet.

Issa Rae’s quote “We have a tendency of trying to network up, but it’s really about networking across.” is a huge inspiration for us and something we make sure to keep at the forefront of what we are building.

2. The successes of black women are often overlooked, why do you think this is the case?

I actually don’t agree that we are overlooked, in fact, we are watched very closely but our ideas are then taken and repurposed. Black women are the inspiration of society and culture, we just don’t receive the credit we deserve, which is why spaces like Up&Coming are necessary. It’s imperative that as black women we put more of a priority on highlighting each other instead of waiting for anyone outside to validate and praise us.

3. How do you envision Up&Coming making an impact and creating roles and increasing diversity and inclusion in the workspace?

We believe that Up&Coming will make an impact and increase diversity and inclusion in the workspace by showing women they can exist and occupy the spaces they desire to be in. Being that all achievements first starts in the mind, creating an access point to women that have done the same or something similar we can effectively inspire a shift in the mindset of black women everywhere.

Our goal for Up&Coming is to bridge the gap where the heavy hitters and the up and comers meet, which means providing a space where our guests can network and cultivate relationships with the women who they look up to or are in positions that they are currently striving towards.

4. How did/does Up&Coming the dinner select its target community?

From our inception, Up&Coming has adopted a “For Us By Us” business model. When selecting our target audience it was important for us to be exclusive versus inclusive because having a network who directly looks and reflects your reality is important as a black woman. We really want our community to be able to be black without bounds.

5. What was the feedback from the last dinner series?

The feedback from our last dinner was great, it was our first event where we had a featured guest and our attendees appreciated being able to have an intimate moment with a veteran in the game. Our conversation touched on various topics that we as black women face on a day to day basis, so having an elder to give us insight on how to navigate things and still be authentic to ourselves was priceless.

If you are interested in learning more about Up&Coming and how you can be a part of our community, feel free to follow us at @UpxComing on Instagram and sign up for our mailing list for more exclusive content!