Dawn Dickson Speaking Fee: $10,000 to $20,000

Channeling a lifelong entrepreneurial spirit, boundary-pushing fearlessness, and an innate understanding of the nexus of technology, commerce, and culture, Dawn Dickson-Akpoghene consistently catalyzes the companies and brands under her purview. At the helm of multiple cash flow-positive businesses, the Ohio-born entrepreneur, inventor, businesswoman, angel investor, and speaker has made history and emerged as a consumer thought leader. As the CEO and Founder of PopCom, she pioneers the connection between e-commerce and vending machines, continuing a legacy of innovation and invention. “The common thread throughout my career is the belief in using technology to create generational wealth and empower my community,” she explains. “Whether I’m using technology to help people discover events, raise money, or sell products, I’m leveraging the power of technology. Technology is more inclusive now, but I’ve never been intimidated by being the only woman or Black person in a room. I was always driven to be exceptional and to set an example for those that proceed me, to keep the bar very high.” Dawn started raising the bar as a child in Columbus, Ohio. The daughter of entrepreneurs, she moved from one hustle to the next, selling candy, old toys, and lemonade throughout grade school. She valued these experiences, which ultimately informed her path. “The culture of my neighborhood and family was, ‘If you want money, go out there and make it,’” she explains. “That was always me. I wanted my own money, so I found a way to make it.” This tenacity has defined her career. After earning a B.A. in Journalism from The Ohio State University and studying technology at DeVry University, she launched a successful online platform called TheUrbanStarr.com to highlight local entertainment and events in Central Ohio at the turn of the century. The site was ahead of its time, streaming music and videos online even before YouTube. Following years of running a successful tech startup and consulting, she launched Flat Out of Heels in 2011, offering rollable ballet-style flats as a solution to stiletto-sore feet. She distributed these stylish flats online, wholesale to retailers, and through vending machines in high-traffic locations. As the company grew, so did the need for data. In 2017, she founded PopCom to provide future-facing software solutions for vending machines and self-service retail through revolutionary technological integration and consumer data collection. By 2021, PopCom had expanded to locations nationwide. Dawn also made history as the first female founder globally to raise over $1 million through equity crowdfunding under the Reg CF of the JOBS Act. A second fully subscribed equity crowdfunding campaign and a Reg A+ campaign followed, yielding over $6 million from 8,000 investors. In March 2020, she testified before a Congressional Committee on Small Business during a hearing titled “Building Blocks of Change: The Benefits of Blockchain Technology for Small Businesses,” advocating for blockchain technology. She invented the PopShop Digital pop-up shop, which uses facial recognition and machine learning technology to gather customer data and insights. This innovation received a design patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2020. Media and culture have consistently recognized Dawn as a visionary. Forbes included her in its “Next 1000: Small-Scale Super Achievers” list in 2021, while INC Magazine named her among its “Top 100 Female Founders.” Black Enterprise featured her on its cover, and she has graced the pages of Entrepreneur, Fortune, Fast Company, Venture Beat, Huffington Post, and Essence Magazine. She has also appeared on The Breakfast Club, the CNBC/Yahoo! series The Biz Fix with Marcus Lemonis, and MSNBC’s Your Biz Elevator Pitch. Her accolades include the 2021 Black Women Talk Tech “Tech Trailblazer Award,” the 2021 Culture Shifter Award, and the 2020 OBWS Entrepreneur of the Year award. A graduate of the 2019 Nasdaq Milestone Maker program, her photo was displayed in the center of Times Square. She was also recognized as one of the “Heroes in the Movement” by the National Urban League Young Professionals. Additionally, she hosts the BARS! Podcast on Apple Music and Spotify, dispensing wisdom over a hip-hop soundtrack. As a sought-after public speaker, she shares the stage with some of the nation’s top business leaders. In the end, Dawn’s ventures serve a greater purpose. “My job title is CEO, but I’m a lightworker, first and foremost,” she says. “Everything I do is aligned with that. With all of my different ventures, I want to encourage, empower, and inspire everyone I work with. I want to be a walking example of what hard work, tenacity, and not taking the popular path can be. I’m here to be a beacon of light and help raise the vibration of the planet by being a living example of the good we can be. I’m a wife. I’m a mother. I’m an inventor. I’m a CEO. There are so many communities and roles that could define me, but ‘lightworker’ embodies who I am as a spirit and soul.”