Community Spotlight: Dujon Smith of Accenture’s Black Founder Development Program
Our July 2024 Community Spotlight features Dujon Smith. Dujon is the Global Investment Lead for Accenture’s Black Founder’s Development Program, aiming to amplify wealth creation in Black communities and usher in the next wave of entrepreneurs. His expertise in linking corporations and startups was refined as the Midwest Lead for Accenture Open Innovation, where he fostered collaborations between major companies and dynamic startups.
Outside of this role, he is the Founder & CEO of My Block Skin, where he’s transforming sun care for melanin-rich individuals, ensuring access to quality SPF protection.
Pen Howell, Head of Community @ BLCK VC: What inspired your journey into VC/Startups?
Dujon: I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the unique pleasure of living, working, and traveling in 55 countries. This wouldn’t have been possible without my entrepreneurial drive. I’ve always been passionate about technology and education, which has led me to find the intersection of my passion and purpose by seizing opportunities. My journey has included diverse roles: finance and accounting, tax work with Deloitte, being a parliamentary researcher at the UK Houses of Parliament and the House of Commons, working for a startup LED manufacturer in China, casting for reality TV production companies in LA, and finally joining Accenture in 2016.
At Accenture, my focus on innovation introduced me to Accenture Ventures, which invests in and partners with startups in the enterprise tech space. Through this exposure, I realized it was where I wanted to be. I joined the team in 2019 in a sales and go-to-market role. After the events of 2020, including the pandemic and the George Floyd movement, I became the program lead for the Accenture Black Founders Development Program in 2021. Recently, my boss, a fellow Jamaican, retired, and now I’m the Global Investment Lead for the program, focusing on cash, contracts, and community to support Black founders.
Throughout my corporate career, I’ve also pursued entrepreneurial endeavors, from mobile apps to luggage companies, and now suncare. My affinity for entrepreneurship remains strong. At Accenture, I’ve concentrated on enterprise tech, and my work now revolves around supporting Black founders.
PH: Talk us through your work at the Accenture’s Black Founder’s Development Program. As you support enterprise-ready technology Founders, what trends are you seeing in the space? What opportunities seem most promising?
Dujon: The Black Founders Development Program is part of Accenture Ventures, aiming to level the playing field for Black enterprise tech founders. This initiative ensures Black founders get their fair share of VC funding, mentorship, and opportunities with Accenture’s leaders, business partners, and clients.
We focus on cash, contracts, and community. We make Seed/Series A investments in Black-founded and run companies, helping them secure contracts with Fortune 500 clients and other services like skills exchange and intellectual property support, accelerating their product-market fit.
Community is crucial. We ensure Black founders gain access to spaces they’ve historically been excluded from by taking them to conferences and removing barriers that prevent them from prioritizing such opportunities due to limited resources.
Key trends include generative AI, space tech, quantum computing, and robotics. Generative AI is reshaping the relationship between humans and machines in the workforce. The environmental impact of running large language models also needs consideration. Overall, my role involves increasing Black founder representation, ensuring their voices and experiences shape the future of technology.
PH: You’re also a Founder yourself — how did you create the idea for My Block Skin? How has your VC experience been most valuable as you grow?
Dujon: I love being in the beauty, CPG, and suncare space. Inspired by brands like Black Girl Sunscreen, Supergoop, and Dune, I saw a gap in the market for a brand that authentically includes men of color in the SPF conversation. Bob Marley died from melanoma, and studies show lower survival rates for men of color with skin cancers. I wanted to create a brand to educate and include men of color, emphasizing the importance of SPF for everyone.
My role at Accenture fuels my passion by connecting me with inspiring Black entrepreneurs and ecosystem leaders. Balancing my deep tech work during the day with tangible suncare projects at night has been fulfilling. I’ve learned firsthand the challenges Black founders face in securing funding. My VC experience helps me empathize and understand the struggle, as CPG founders often need significant sales before VCs invest.
Overall, being a Black founder, supporting Black founders, and being inspired by Black founders is a community effort. It takes a village to succeed.
PH: In a time where both corporate DEI commitments and global investing are decreasing, how are you navigating this moment as both a Founder and an investor in other Black Founders?
Dujon: It’s challenging. Many organizations made commitments during the pandemic and post-George Floyd, but some are now rolling back. I’m fortunate to work for a firm doubling down on its commitment to supporting Black and underrepresented founders. It’s crucial to have passionate internal change agents ensuring these strategies become part of the organization’s DNA.
People often focus on headlines, but lasting change requires internal advocates integrating these commitments into the organization’s fabric, regardless of public attention. In North America, the system defaults to white men. We need to reprogram these settings to be more inclusive. By being persistent internal change agents, we can ensure progress continues and real change happens.
