by Uchechi | Apr 1, 2017 | Blog
Kicking off National Poetry Month with the #NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) challenge: 1 poem a day.
It’s not about worrying the poem to death or making it perfect. It’s about putting it out there, being vulnerable and sharing. I am grateful for this opportunity to share my gifts as a poet, lover of language and technologist. Enjoy!
it is good to remember
that there was a time before this
i see you squatting in the corner of the public restroom
i see you having locked yourself in your room
unable to see what’s next how to leave
him how to grow yourself out of this job where
the men who say they love your work at work
want you to say you love them
it is good to remember
that there was a time before this
you my dear
belonged to some body
you my dear belonged
to someone
warmth sat beside you wrapped its arms around you pulled
you in close and the skin the contact welcomed you into the world
and that was another way to explain grace
it is good to remember
just when you feel you can’t breathe just when you’re beginning
to wonder if you can expand your chest and just exhale
everything you’ve ever wanted to say
say it now my dear
say it now
it is good to remember
there were giggles before this
all of us laughed and hollered
hyena style before this
the ones without parents
the ones with the drug addicted loved ones
the ones with the perfect family portrait
all of us will one day end up curled up in the corner
in a public restroom or our own private ones
and be unable to breathe
this is when i need you
to remember
that there was a time before this moment
when you were loved
and if it happened before
it will happen once
again
© Uchechi Kalu 2017
by Uchechi | Mar 22, 2017 | Blog
Happy International Poetry Day!
In celebration, I was inspired to write this poem.
Singing America
We started with tacos
everyone says this is the best place
she was the thing that caught my attention
she must have been my mothers age
translucent skin browned by heritage
this is Mexico
she sang
we too, are America
the light was shining down on her
the stage flamed with all she was giving us
her heartbeat shot straight out and
hit me
just as she opened her mouth for the next song
she liquified fear and spilled it for all of us
it dripped onto the floor and somehow I wanted to smear my hands
in it and cover myself in this imagination of what could be
this must be the country we dream of
maybe she is America
browned and pushing 60 and so sure of herself
that wink she gives me says everything
maybe she too is the America I’ve always loved
long dark hair rich with history and allowance of grays as evidence of our sins but there to remind us of what not to do again
maybe she too is the America
when she opens her mouth I spy a hint of metal
braces tucked of metal
braces careening out of her mouth
the awkward girl
the pimpled boy
but no we will not tease her
because she is absolutely glorious
maybe she too is the America I’ve always wanted
reminding us all that always wanted
by now we have finished the tacos
and the margaritas and I can’t leave without requesting a song
Gracias A La Vida
She bows towards me starts to pluck her guitar and the song goes
it just keeps going
Thank You Life
She is tilting her head back and singing with every muscle
I can see it
she is choosing to believe tat that life
in the end
has been good to us
On the way out she grabs my hand as I
put something in her basket
those eyes dark like plums
Yes, this is America
her awkward smile
her wrinkled skin her belief that good things do happen
her colored past her wrongs often never made right
her brownness her colored ness her other ness but sameness
her belief that she can do anything she wants including sing in a bar when she’s pushing my mother’s age
her sure eyes her love for the other
this is what I love about her
Now, I’m just asking her to come
home
© Uchechi Kalu 2017
by Uchechi | Jan 29, 2016 | Blog
#YesWeCode Chat 35
Topic: An Inside Look At What It Takes To Get Into A Startup Accelerator
1/31/16 at 8pmCT
Special Guest: Janel Alexander from Power Moves Nola
So you’ve built your tech product, gotten it out there to customers and now you’re seeing some traction and your really want to scale and go big. Or maybe you just have an idea and your need the right people to help you understand what to do next and how to get to your MVP?
Throughout the world, startup accelerator programs are providing this kind of financial and mentorship support and seeing companies go from startup stage to sustainable growth. But, how do you get in to these programs? What’s the secret and what are they actually looking for?
This week, I want to help you answer some of these accelerator related questions and bring in some experts. We’ll talk to Power Moves, a minority-focused national accelerator and fellowship program based in New Orleans but with a presence in Detroit, Atlanta, Miami and more cities every year.
Sunday, January 31st at 8pm CT, we are speaking with Janelle Alexander from Power Moves about what her program looks for in startup founders and how you can use this information to help you the next time you’re applying. Power Moves helps high growth tech founders via a year long fellowship, initial funding, office space and mentorship.
Some of our talking points:
• What’s the most important criteria for accepting applicants? • What are some myths about accelerator programs and what it takes to get in? • How important is “traction” and how does Power Moves define that? • Why did you decide to expand nationally, and what cities are next on your list?
Looking forward to chatting with you Sunday, January 31st at 8 pm CT to talk about “Getting Into A Startup Accelerator: The Inside Scoop” with @PowerMovesNola on #YesWeCode!
by Uchechi | Jan 2, 2016 | Blog
Sunday 1/3/16 at 8pmCT
Let’s connect on Twitter: @uchechi_writes
Happy New Year and welcome to 2016! The new year gets me thinking about how to take my tech startup to the next level, and for months we’ve been talking about creating a wedOcracy mobile app.
Since launching in 2013, we’ve relied on the web based application but we’re starting to ask ourselves some serious questions (again) about mobile now that we have some funds to start building.
I believe in mobile first, and it’s a great way to optimize the user experience on desktop or mobile devices. It’s easy to think a mobile app will solve all your startup setbacks and usability issues. But will it really?
As the owners of a web development company, we’ve consulted with startups who’ve come to us believing that their first and foremost need was a mobile app. As often as not we end up working with them to find solutions that bring in more customers, optimize their social media presence and help them grow their business without building the app just yet (and without spending that large amount of cash).
As a founder, you don’t often have the capital to build something only to realize it doesn’t serve your users down the line. Maximizing time and money are essential, and so is knowing when to build your mobile product and when to hold off until you’re ready.
Questions to think about:
- How do you know if your idea needs a mobile app?
- Have you built a startup mobile app before? What was the process like? Did you have the capital to do it?
- Did you wonder if building your startup mobile app was the best choice for your company and product?
- How did you know where to start?
- What lessons did you learn about mobile app development for your startup?
by Uchechi | Dec 17, 2015 | Blog
It’s almost the end of the year, which means that the New Year is around the corner. Over the past year, I’ve hosted the #yeswecode chat and enjoyed learning from so many techies, both experts and newbies.
For the next #yeswecode chat, we’re going to talk about what the last year has been like in your world. What have been your successes? Failures? What lessons have you learned? What progress have you made?
Some questions to think about:
- What’s one thing you’ve achieved that you thought impossible a year ago?
- Did you achieve your tech goals? What were they?
- How were you able to achieve them?
- what were your setbacks? how did you overcome them
- What’s one thing you learned about yourself and/or your work in tech this year?
- What’s on your list for next year? Where do you see yourself by this time next year? What accomplishments do you hope to share with us?
- What should we as a community be thinking about for 2016? What should we be doing as a group?
by Uchechi | Nov 20, 2015 | Blog
For entrepreneurs, hustling is a way of life. Some of us have gotten to the point in our careers where our side hustle has become our full time gig, while others are still holding down another job full time while working towards a bigger entrepreneurial goal.
Welcome to Hybrid-Entrepreneurship: it’s all about working a full time job while building a business part-time. The philosophy is that you’re going to leverage your job in a way that helps you in your business but will also help you at your job.
During the next #yeswecode chat, we’ll discuss hybrid-entrepreneurship and how to transition from your full time dreams to running and owning your own business.
Join us!
Some questions to think about:
- Is it worth our time to pursue hybrid entrepreneurship?
- What are the benefits/challenges?
- What are some alternatives?
- On Shark Tank they are fond of pointing out the diff between a real biz and a hobby. Responses?
- Has anyone here been successful at it? Pls share your success stories?
- How did you finally make the transition from hybrid entrepreneur to full time entrepreneur?
- What lessons have you learned along the way?
- What advice would you give to others who want to make their side hustle into their full time entrepreneurial gig?
