“They’re looking for a particular type of startup founder, and I’m different from that in many many ways.”
– Sonja Ebron
In June, following the public lynching of George Floyd and nationwide protests against police brutality, Google committed to spending more than $175 million on racial equity initiatives. As part of that commitment, the company launched the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund, an initiative to award $5 million to startups led by Black founders.
On Wednesday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the recipients of that $5 million. Courtroom5 was amongst the 76 awardees, receiving $50,000 in non-dilutive funding, or funds that don’t require payback or the sale of company stock.
Jewel Burks Solomon, head of Google for Startups US, said, “We are committed to helping Black founders who have been deeply impacted by COVID-19 and who are disproportionately locked out of access to the funding they need to succeed… By combining cash awards with Google for Startups mentorship and programming, we hope to help create a more level playing field for these founders, who are building amazing companies and making an impact on their communities.”
In a company-wide announcement, Courtroom5 CEO Sonja Ebron said the funds from Google would be devoted to enhancing our support for pro se litigants and helping more people represent themselves effectively, especially as COVID-19 drags millions more into court without a lawyer.
Courtroom5 is grateful for Google’s support, and for the important signal it sends to the tech industry and to the nation.
