By Sharelle Burt for Black Enterprise
Shark Tank billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban took some time to give key advice to Black women founders, telling them to stop looking for funding .
Before taking the stage for a panel discussion at the 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, Cuban gave some alternative ideas to Black women entrepreneurs in lieu of seeking funding. “I would tell you not to look for funding,” the shark said. “You have to figure out a way to use sweat equity to build it on your own, even if it means starting smaller and slower, because there is a learning process, and it’s twofold. One is learning about your business and making it loanworthy. Then, two is learning the language of those making the loans.”
It is a fact that there is a gap in the number of Black women founders who are finding substantial funding for their businesses. According to numbers from Stearnsbank , Black women who apply for funding are three times more likely to be rejected than other demographics, including white business owners.
