Jenifer Daniels: “Hustle”

Michigan-based entrepreneur and marketer Jenifer Daniels was frustrated with the lack of diversity and inclusivity in the world of stock photography. In 2015, she launched Colorstock, a valuable database of original stock photos featuring people of color, intended to fill a massive void that companies like Adobe and Shutterstock were largely ignoring. As she puts it: “Colorstock was born from a pain point in marketing communications.”

Colorstock was successful from the start, but this actually ended up being an eventual problem for Jenifer: The major players in the stock photo industry were now fully aware of what they were missing out on. The prominence of Colorstock created a situation Jenifer hadn’t foreseen, which led her to make a difficult choice about its future. 

In this episode, we talk to Jenifer about how she launched her marketing career working for a minor league hockey team and how her mother significantly influenced her mindset from a young age. You’ll learn how she bootstrapped Colorstock, the lessons she learned from its success, and hear some crucial advice to people of color looking to enter an industry that is still struggling to be more authentically inclusive. You’ll also hear why it’s always a good idea to keep an updated resume handy at all times, even when attending college classes.  

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• JeniferDaniels.com
• Detroit Human Capital
• Wayne State Innovation Studio
• Wayne State Carer Services
• Jenifer’s open letter on Colorstock’s closing
• The PLUG

MUSICAL INSPIRATION FOR THIS EPISODE ON SPOTIFY:

“Hustle” by Pink

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Stayin' Alive in Tech is an oral history of Silicon Valley and technology. Melinda Byerley, the host, is a 20-year veteran of Silicon Valley and the founder of Timeshare CMO, a digital marketing intelligence firm, based in San Francisco.

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