business
Hosted by Fifteen Percent Pledge · business · EN · 20 episodes
When a founder begins raising money for their business, they will often start with a “friends and family round” before seeking out loans or venture capital. While this is a viable option for some, not everyone has access to a network of deep-pocketed friends and family.Enter: Friends & Family with Aurora James. We may not all have access to a “friends & family” round when launching a new venture, but on this podcast, we’re here to be YOUR friends and family in business. Whether you’re fundraising or bootstrapping, join Aurora James, founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge, alongside some of the most inspiring Black founders as they share wisdom and act as your support system while you build your business and scale for success. Friends & Family is brought to you by Fifteen Percent Pledge and produced in partnership with Alkemie Sound Lab. Our sponsor this season is Citi. Citi Financial Pathways has resources to help you meet your goals.
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Contact path
Public web form
Booking probability
24%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchWhen a founder begins raising money for their business, they will often start with a “friends and family round” before seeking out loans or venture capital. While this is a viable option for some, not everyone has access to a network of deep-pocketed friends and family. Enter: Friends & Family with Aurora James.
Friends & Family with Aurora James is hosted by Fifteen Percent Pledge. The show has published 20 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "Live from the Block Party: Sloane Stephens and Jodie Taylor In Conversation" (13 March 2026, 31 minutes), "Live from the Block Party: Black in Beauty Panel #2" (6 March 2026, 40 minutes), and "Live from the Block Party: Black in Climate Panel" (27 February 2026, 64 minutes).
Friends & Family with Aurora James publishes roughly monthly, with episodes averaging 54 minutes across 20 episodes.
Booking probability for Friends & Family with Aurora James is 24%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Friends & Family with Aurora James requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Friends & Family with Aurora James's contact route on record: public web form.
The strongest fits for Friends & Family with Aurora James are Business & Management Consulting. Friends & Family with Aurora James has a business audience.
Fifteen Percent Pledge hosts Friends & Family with Aurora James, a business show with 20 episodes published.
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Episode #18
In this special episode, recorded live from the 15th Street Block Party in LA, Sloane Stephens shares her journey from Tennis pro to founder and business owner with content creator and DEI leader Jodie Taylor.
Episode #17
In this special episode, recorded live from the 15th Street Block Party in LA, we hear from a fresh group of Black beauty founders about the ups, downs, and in betweens of running and growing a successful business...
Episode #16
In this special episode, recorded live from the 15th Street Block Party in LA, we hear the unique perspectives of Black leaders in the climate space, and explore the intersectionality of racial justice and climate...
Episode #15
In this special episode, recorded live from the 15th Street Block Party in LA, Brooke DeVard hosts an intimate conversation about the experience of founding a beauty business as a Black woman. Featuring longtime friends...
Episode #14
In this episode, host Aurora James speaks with renowned chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson about his unique journey from being adopted in Ethiopia, growing up in Sweden, and ultimately establishing himself as a...
Episode #13
This episode of Friends & Family hosted by Aurora James, explores the inspiring journey of Maya Smith, the multi-hyphenate CEO and Co-Founder of the popular haircare brand, The Doux. Maya shares her earliest experiences...
Episode #12
This episode of Friends & Family hosted by Aurora James, delves into the inspiring journey of interior designer Brigette Romanek. Brigette shares the childhood design experiences that helped spark her passion for...
Episode #11
In this episode of Friends & Family, host Aurora James and Danessa Myricks of Danessa Myricks Beauty sit down to catch up in front of a live audience. Danessa shares how she began her entrepreneurial journey as a 30...
Episode #10
In this episode of Friends & Family, host Aurora James invites Brandon Blackwood, one of American fashion’s pre-eminent designers, into her world to discuss the decade of hard work he put into his brand before his big...
Episode #9
In this inspiring episode of Friends & Family, host Aurora James sits down with acclaimed fashion designer Sergio Hudson for an intimate conversation at her LA home. Sergio shares his journey from South Carolina to...
Friends & Family with Aurora James
In this episode, recorded live from the 15th Street Block Party in LA, Aurora talks with activist, musician, entrepreneur and personal friend John Legend. John voices his unequivocal support for diversity, equity, and...
Episode #8
Maurice Harris is the founder of Bloom and Plume , a bespoke floral design studio in Los Angeles that has partnered with big name brands like Louis Vuitton, The Row, Goop, and more. He also previously ran the coffee...
Episode #7
Hannah Diop is creating her own lane in the hair care industry. As the founder of Sienna Naturals , Hannah has not only created a new hair care brand for natural and textured hair, she’s broken into the prestige beauty...
Episode #6
In this episode we hear from Bethann Hardison , the woman who paved the way for Black creatives in the fashion industry and beyond. Her prolific career has spanned decades: from starting out as one of just a handful of...
Episode #5
About Our Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Citi , which is committed to advancing financial inclusion through initiatives like Citi Financial Pathways , which has resources to help you meet your goals, regardless...
Episode #4
Justina Blakeney is a creative powerhouse. She is an interior designer, artist, author and the creative director of Jungalow , a lifestyle brand and design studio with a vast catalog of household goods featuring her...
Episode #3
In this episode, we chat with the serial entrepreneur Julia Collins , whom you may know as the very first Black female “unicorn” founder. Most recently, Julia founded Planet FWD , a company with a platform working with...
Episode #2
We’re cooking up a storm with the inimitable Jon Gray , CEO and co-founder of Ghetto Gastro . Alongside chefs Pierre Serrao and Lester Walker, Jon founded the food collective with a mission to build "community through...
Episode #1
On our very first episode of Friends & Family we welcome Emma Grede , serial entrepreneur, CEO, investor and chair of the Fifteen Percent Pledge . Tune in to hear how Emma got her first clients, how she approaches...
Friends & Family with Aurora James
Have you ever heard of entrepreneurs powering their fundraising with a "friends and family round" before seeking out loans or investment? Well the truth is, most founders don’t have access to a network of deep-pocketed...
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