Angela Benton is the founder and CEO of NewME, a social enterprise that accelerates entrepreneurs with non-traditional backgrounds. Since launching in 2011, NewME has accelerated hundreds of entrepreneurs in changing their lives through entrepreneurship including helping them raise over $21 million in venture capital funding. The company focuses on helping entrepreneurs identify strengths from their non-traditional backgrounds and leverage them in business. Benton was born in Chicago, IL, and raised in Northern Virginia.
Benton graduated American InterContinental University magna cum laude in 2004 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communications with a specialization in Digital Design. Benton made a name for herself in design and technology, having worked in a number of capacities for the web giant IAC. In 2007, Benton launched BlackWeb 2.0, which to this day fills a much-needed void by becoming a vital nexus for African-American professionals and aspirants interested in the digital space.
Companies such as Goldman Sachs, Fast Company, Business Insider, Marie Claire and Ebony magazines have recognized Benton. At age 29, she was inducted into the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) Hall of Fame in 2010, the youngest to ever be inducted.
Benton has been featured in numerous national and international media outlets including CNN’s award winning documentary series Black in America: The New Promised Land: Silicon Valley, MSNBC, Bloomberg, Forbes, and the Wall Street Journal where she was a featured essayist for the paper’s 125th Anniversary edition on The Future of Entrepreneurship.
Benton continues to passionately make strides redefining what successful entrepreneurs look like in the digital/technology arena.
