G-2LCWV30QZ8 Digital Redlining is Real: One CEO’s War Against Internet Inequality - TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective
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Published on:

24th Jun 2025

Digital Redlining is Real: One CEO’s War Against Internet Inequality

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Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/Digital Redlining is Real: One CEO’s War Against Internet Inequality

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Today on A Black Executive Perspective, hosts Tony Tidbit and Chris P. Reed are joined by Joshua Edmonds, CEO of Digital C, for a thought-provoking discussion about America’s digital divide, starting with Cleveland. They explore how decades of disinvestment, poverty, and digital redlining have cut thousands from the modern economy. Joshua shares how his nonprofit ISP is rewriting the rules, delivering high-speed, affordable internet to more than 100,000 households. From Cleveland’s forgotten neighborhoods to a national blueprint for change, this episode explores the transformative power of community-driven technology. When access means opportunity, connectivity becomes more than convenience—it becomes a civil right.

▶︎ In This Episode

00:00: Introduction to Digital Inequality

00:59: Welcome to A Black Executive Perspective

01:52: Meet Joshua Edmonds: Bridging the Digital Divide

04:12: Cleveland's Digital Landscape

07:02: The Reality of Digital Redlining

11:08: Challenges and Solutions in Digital Connectivity

17:05: The Role of Government and Community in Digital Equity

21:08: The Impact of Digital Isolation

27:24: Future Plans and Expansion

31:35: Joshua Edmonds' Journey and Vision

34:57: The Influence of Internet Service Providers

35:55: Community Organizing for Better Internet

37:48: Cleveland's Innovative Network Model

41:32: The Importance of Upload Speeds

44:04: Challenges in Digital Connectivity

55:06: Expanding Digital C's Model Nationally

57:21: Final Thoughts and Call to Action

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Transcript
Joshua Edmonds:

But if poverty is your backdrop where a third of

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:

residents in this city are living

at or below the poverty line, then

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:

the minute that 70 $80 bill becomes

90 a hundred, they can't afford it.

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:

So one, they're, they're priced out.

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:

So it doesn't matter what infrastructure's

here, they can't afford it.

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:

And then the other part that we've seen,

this is where we have the conversation

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:

about digital red lining, that the same

redlining that happened with the banks

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:

and when they were denying these, these

loans for people to live in certain

9

:

neighborhoods digitally, that same

thing happened as well because these

10

:

large internet providers were like,

look, there's only six people on this

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:

block who are realistic gonna pay.

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:

Why would we roll out

the services over here?

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:

We're not gonna get our

ROI and by the time we do.

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:

The technology is gonna be

obsolete, so let's just skip it.

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:

And so that has been a reality where

it's either not competitive, the pricing

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:

doesn't work, or the infrastructure's

dilapidated that combines together

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:

and that creates the perfect storm.

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That is the digital divide.

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:

Tony Tidbit: We'll discuss race and how it

plays a factor and how we didn't even talk

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:

about this topic 'cause we were afraid

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:

BEP Narrator: A Black

Executive Perspective.

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:

Tony Tidbit: We are coming to you live

from the new BEP studio for another

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thought provoking episode of A Black

Executive Perspective podcast, A safe

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:

space where we discuss all matters

regarding race, culture, and those

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uncomfortable topics people tend to avoid.

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:

I'm your host Tony Tidbit,

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Chris P. Reed:

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and I'm your cohost Chris P.

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Reed We always like to start out by

giving a shout out to our partners at

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Code M Magazine, code M Magazine, where

the mission is saving the black family.

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:

By first saving the

black man, check 'em out.

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:

Code m magazines two ms.com.

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:

Check 'em out.

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:

Tony Tidbit: Yeah, definitely

check our partners out.

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And today we're going to explore

Cleveland's digital in inequality

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where systemic disinvestment has shut

residents out from essential services.

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That is true.

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It's hard to believe in 2025,

our guest, Joshua Edmond, CEO of

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Digital C, will reveal how his

nonprofit ISP is bridging the digital

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:

divide, covering over a hundred

thousand households and challenging

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perceptions about affordable internet.

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With Josh, we're gonna explore how

Cleveland's history informs Digital Sea's

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mission and how they're forging a future

where connectivity empowers communities.

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Chris P. Reed:

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Before we dive too deep into

this, I want to give a little

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background of, of our guest here.

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So, Joshua Edmonds serves as a Chief

Executive Officer of Digital Sea.

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Where he is reshaping Cleveland's

digital landscape with visionary

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leadership and unyielding ambition.

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Under his guidance, Digital C has secured

$53 million in investments from public,

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private, and philanthropic sources,

enabling the nonprofit to challenge

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traditional telecom giants and address

Cleveland's historical digital divide,

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driven by a mission of equity and

innovation, digital seed tirelessly

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fosters community-based partnerships

to deliver high speed internet access

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and customized digital skills training

for the residents of Cleveland, Ohio.

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Edmond's strategic approach has quickly

transformed digital seed's network into

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a homegrown success story proving that

local initiatives can thrive even when

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we put up against corporate competition.

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He has been recognized by Forbes,

govtech, and other highly credited

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outlets for its impact extending

far beyond just connectivity.

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Utilizing his degrees from Notre Dame

College and Howard University, he has

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positioned Cleveland as a national

leader in digital equity and inclusion.

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Yeah.

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Through his forward thinking leadership,

Digital C stands as a model of

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excellence, innovation and resilience.

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Resilience.

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Joshua Edmonds, welcome to A Black

Executive Perspective podcast.

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Joshua Edmonds: Man.

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Thank you.

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That is bad.

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You did my bio justice.

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I appreciate that.

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Thank you.

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No doubt.

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I mean, it's you, you

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Tony Tidbit: did it.

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I just read it.

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It's a partnership.

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But to be be, to be fair though,

we took the five words that you

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sent us and we souped them up.

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We gp ptd it, right?

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We it.

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Alright.

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We g ptd it.

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No, we're just getting

bro, bro, you kidding me?

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You're fantastic.

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What you're doing, which we

are gonna drive, dive into,

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we're excited that you're here.

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So welcome

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Chris P. Reed:

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man.

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Before we, uh, jump into the meat and

potatoes, tell us a little bit about where

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you're currently residing and a little

bit about your, your history, your family.

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Joshua Edmonds: Yep.

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So, you know, I'm, I'm in Cleveland.

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I'm on the west side,

uh, near, near our beach.

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Uh, yes, we, so we do have a beach.

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Uh, for real.

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I use that, I use that term

loosely, but we have something.

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Um, you know, I live over there

and you know, I, I, I live alone.

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You know, I'm single.

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Uh, the, the ladies we are,

we're getting into dating season.

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So all the time I have into my

company, uh, I'm gonna have to

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maybe, maybe in the summertime.

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I don't know.

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We'll have to figure something out.

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But, um, no, I, you know,

it's just me out here.

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My family does live, uh, in,

in, in Cleveland as well.

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So in the general area, I do get to

see them on the weekends and just, my

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nephew has a track meet tomorrow, so

I'm, I'm around them, but I make time,

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Tony Tidbit: buddy.

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That is awesome.

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And you know what the, you know, uh, you

epitomize being an entrepreneur, right?

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A hundred percent into your business.

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Your baby.

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You're growing it, you're changing lives.

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You're saying the ladies can

wait for right now, right?

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Summertime, maybe.

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Um, but you are, you're on a

mission to build something special.

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And look, at the end of the day,

um, as, as Chris went through your

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bio, man, I mean, the things that

you're doing is, is transformative.

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Um, and you know, you

are on a busy schedule.

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You just got off a board meeting

just to jump on with us, right?

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You got a thousand things going on.

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So tell us why did you wanna come on

A Black Executive Perspective podcast?

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Talk about this topic,

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Joshua Edmonds: man.

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Well, I would say several reasons.

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The first thing, and this is really

conceptualizes even this year,

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the, the power of storytelling.

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I can't understate that enough.

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And I know that you all obviously

under overstand that point, but, you

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know, our company is one where if we

don't tell the story, someone else

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is gonna tell their version of it.

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And they might leave out the

details that are really important,

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uh, not just for, and, and they

might even do it intentionally.

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Uh, we can guess why.

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And so, uh, one being able to tell that

story, but two, you know, I, I want to

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shed light on the incredible work that

we're doing in Cleveland because this is

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something that, while it only exists right

now in Cleveland, the specific setup we

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have, the network that we're building, I.

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You know, the goal is to

inspire another black executive.

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And they might not be a black executive

today, but they can be one tomorrow.

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And just by way of them listening

to this, it can inspire change

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well beyond what I can see.

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So, you know, it's, it is about telling

this story from a company perspective,

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but it's really just inspiring.

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The, the next generation that I see

is they're becoming quickly ready to

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take the helm on a lot of this digital

technol technological innovations.

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Tony Tidbit: That is awesome, bro.

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I love it.

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Look at you a hundred percent.

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Give back all the time.

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So look, my brother, you

ready to talk about it?

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Joshua Edmonds: Man, I'm more than ready.

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I, I, I woke up ready.

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I saw that this was on my calendar

at the beginning of the day.

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I knew what it was.

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Tony Tidbit: Well, that's good, man.

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So let's talk about it, buddy.

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So, you know, I have to say, and I

would, I would be, I would imagine

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that people, the audience who are

watching this or listening to this,

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when we think about digital divide.

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Wow.

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In 2025, it's, that's hard to to fathom.

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Right.

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You know, the majority of people

have some type of smartphone.

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Um, you know, you could take

college courses on your laptop.

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You can do, you can build a

business out, uh, virtual.

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We meet virtually, we're

doing this podcast, right?

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You are in Cleveland?

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Uh, Chris is in Dallas.

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You know, I'm in Connecticut.

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We're doing virtually all

through the power of internet.

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Okay.

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And then specifically as

he upgraded to broadband.

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So when you hear that people don't

have access to the c connectivity,

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especially in big cities,

it's like, are you kidding me?

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Mm-hmm.

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So, talk to us a little bit, let's

kick it off about Cleveland's

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history of that digital inequality.

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What, what, what factors make

that happen today, even in:

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Joshua Edmonds: Mm mm So, man, I'll, I'll.

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The US census had what's

called the American Community

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Survey, and they still do.

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So this is where the data's coming from.

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This isn't coming from what I believe.

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This is what I know to be true.

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Cleveland has historically been ranked one

of the least connected cities in America.

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The number one driving factor for

that is, is going to be poverty.

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Our poverty rate, uh, you know, is, is

one of the highest in, in the country.

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Um, and as we begin looking at our poverty

rate, you can even compare it to rural

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poverty and see that the rural places that

are unconnected, the urban cores now, not

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everywhere within our cities unconnected,

but we do see them being under connected.

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Mm-hmm.

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And when you see them being under

connected, it might be, well, you have

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internet in your neighborhood that

charges you, you know, one year or first

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six months, it's like 30 or $40, and

by the end of the year you're paying

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90 and the next year you're paying 120.

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And you're scratching your head

saying, wait, I thought I signed

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up for, and it's like, okay, for

people who might have more disposable

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income, they're gonna stay connected.

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But if poverty is your backdrop where

a third of residents in this city are

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living at or below the poverty line,

then the minute that 70 $80 bill becomes

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90, a hundred, they can't afford it.

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So one, they're, they're priced out.

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So it doesn't matter what infrastructure's

here, they can't afford it.

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And then the other part that we've seen,

this is where we have the conversation

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about digital red lining, that the same

redlining that happened with the banks

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when they were denying these, these

loans for people to live in certain

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neighborhoods digitally, that same

thing happened as well because these

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:

large internet providers were like,

look, there's only six people on this

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:

block who are realistic gonna pay.

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Why would we roll out

the services over here?

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We're not gonna get our ROI and by the

time we do, the technology is gonna

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be obsolete, so let's just skip it.

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And so that has been a reality where

it's either not competitive, the pricing

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doesn't work, or the infrastructure's

dilapidated that combines together

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and that creates the perfect

storm, that is the digital divide.

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Which is why all of those factors

that I just named are the factors

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that we are countering with the

service that we've developed.

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Because we knew, we studied

this digital divide long enough.

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We said No more.

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No more of us being the least connected.

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Like that's, that's gotta stop.

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And when we zoom out for

the case of Black America.

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Black America, yes.

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We have a very high percent of

percentage of us who live in cities.

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And when you look at the digital

divide, black people in this

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country have historically been

least likely to have a high speed

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internet connection or a computer.

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They'll have a cell phone.

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So we do index very high end cell phones.

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We will have that because

that is our lifeline and it's

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meant to be an all in one.

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So when you see a lot of black

people having the newest iPhones and

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the newest whatever, it's because

that is our all in one device.

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We might not have a laptop, we

might not have a home internet,

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but we got a cell phone.

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And so this is where we're just

trying to decouple these things

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and make it, lay it bare and say.

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This is the digital divide and the

efforts that we've done thus far of

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acknowledging it, been fruitful enough

to acknowledge, but not enough to get

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the job done, which is why we're so

excited in Cleveland that we believe

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there's replicability in this model.

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Chris P. Reed:

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Uh, let me ask you this question

because how did you get, how do you

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believe Cleveland got to this point

to be so far behind on the curve?

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And is it that you have, is that

the officials or the, the powers to

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be felt like you had more important

things to concern yourself with?

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Or is it just somebody

fell asleep at the wheel?

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What, what is your belief

that got you to this point?

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Joshua Edmonds: You know, I,

I believe, I believe America

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actually was asleep at the wheel.

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Okay.

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Um, you know, I don't think that

the digital divide is, is, is

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definitely not a local, local thing.

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I mean, NA, nationally, there was a

brother by the name of Larry Irving.

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Um, in 1998, he had coined

the term, the digital divide.

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He was working within the Clinton

administration at the time, and he was

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seeing the potential for the internet.

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And he said, if we do not have the social

infrastructure in place, when we roll

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this technology out, the haves are gonna

get it and they're gonna run with it.

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And the have-nots are gonna be stuck.

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And there will be a digital divide.

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He said this in 98, and so now that

we're in:

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morbidly speaking, but he was right.

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Mm-hmm.

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And so I believe what ended up happening

was America underestimated the power

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that the internet was going to have

as relates to access an opportunity.

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I think that initially it was meant

to be, you know, something for

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the military and then it starts to

get developed for, you know, okay,

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we can do other things with it.

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But no one thought that all

of your jobs would be online.

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No one thought that your, any type of

your training or your, your benefits

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enrollments, your social service

assistant, that that would all be

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on, that's all gonna be online.

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Or even dare I say in 2030 that

the US census is gonna be online.

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Like these are the things that, it's

like, we didn't anticipate that.

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So I think America didn't

understand the power and the depth

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that the internet represented.

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And now as a result, we're

now trying to catch up.

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And our catch up has largely been

through underfunded or poorly funded

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nonprofit efforts that like, that's not

gonna close the gap, um, anytime soon.

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And so you have to be disruptive.

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But I would absolutely believe, I don't

think that that America prioritized it.

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I think what we did prioritize was

competition, so to speak, of like,

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Hey, we want at and t over here

at Verizon, over here, T-Mobile.

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We've done a good job there.

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But no one went to or went to the place

where there was a business case that

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still had to be made for the third of

us who couldn't connect a third of us

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who can't afford a 40 $50 subscription.

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There was no business model

that was made off of that.

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It was only for the top and for all the

people that we wanted to serve, versus the

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people that we begrudgingly have to serve.

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And I'm not using we as Digital C I'm

just saying we as a telecom industry.

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Tony Tidbit: Right, right.

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You know, you just talked

about a couple of things.

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So I had read that 38% of black

or people of color, black and

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Hispanic, black and brown people,

um, don't have, uh, broadband and

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not connected to the any internet.

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And a lot of those are rural

south and stuff to that nature.

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Okay.

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However, you know, when you talked

about the poverty, which is one area,

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then you talked about the digital

redlining, that's another area.

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Right.

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And so when you think of those

things, I, and I never even thought

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about digital redlining, which once

you stated it, it makes total sense

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because at the end of the day.

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The companies that you talked about,

at and t and T-Mobile, all these

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companies, at the end of the day,

they are, uh, uh, about making money.

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And so, you know, and they

know in today's, uh, world,

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and you just broke it down.

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You gotta remember back in the day,

and I'm, when we talking back in

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the day, 15 years ago, maybe, you

know, you used to get, uh, your,

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uh, internet with your cable, okay?

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And they used to do

the triple play, right?

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Mm-hmm.

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And then if you didn't like the cable

and you called them up and you want to

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cancel, they would enhance your cable.

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Or we'll give, we'll, we'll, we'll

decrease the cable, or we'll give

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you extra sports channels 'cause

they didn't want you to cancel.

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Mm-hmm.

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Today.

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You call 'em up and say, I

don't like this cable package.

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I want to get rid of it.

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They'll say, okay, because they

know that the cable means nothing.

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Now it's the, it is the internet.

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You are not going to cancel that.

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Okay.

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Because without that, you

can't connect to everything.

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So there's a premium on that.

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And then to your point, when they start

you off at this price and you start going

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to this price and it starts escalating,

people who got, like you said, disposable

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income, they all argue about it, but at

the end of the day, there's not a lot

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of places to go to decrease that cost.

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Because to your point, the

competition, yeah, there's

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competition, but the competition

ain't, is not in every neighborhood.

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Mm-hmm.

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There's still certain providers that

own a neighborhood or own a region.

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Right.

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And now they're starting to to,

to deregulate that, break that

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down, but give us some real life.

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Experience, man, of what people, uh,

the stories that people are dealing

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with because they're under connected or

because they're not, they don't, they

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can't, their school now has become, uh,

everything online or their bank account.

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Talk a little bit real world issues

that people that you deal with and

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you hear and see on a daily basis.

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My brother,

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Joshua Edmonds: yeah, man.

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Okay.

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:

So, and, and we can use Cleveland

as a microcosm here because I do

353

:

believe like the state of black

America is in many cases a parallel

354

:

to Cleveland, where you do have black

people in positions of authority.

355

:

We have a black mayor,

black council president.

356

:

We have those things, but all at the

same time, we also have pronounced

357

:

and prominent black poverty too.

358

:

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360

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364

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366

:

Joshua Edmonds: And so when you,

that juxtaposition, I believe

367

:

is an is an American thing and

not just a Cleveland thing.

368

:

And when we begin looking at the real

world cases for the digital divide,

369

:

now we'll have people, even now our,

we offer service through Digital C.

370

:

The service is called Canopy.

371

:

It's $18 a month, 65 cents a

day, or in honor of Cleveland's

372

:

area code $216 a year, the 2 1 6.

373

:

So it works out really nicely.

374

:

Um, even with that, people

are still struggling to pay.

375

:

And why are they struggling to pay?

376

:

Uh, this could be a number of reasons, but

I, what I would see is the disinvestment

377

:

from banks in a lot of these neighborhoods

who then wanna only have online banking.

378

:

Okay, well, where bank did you

give me the opportunity to, to

379

:

have the acumen and understanding

of how your banking portal works?

380

:

That now I, who don't trust anything

because nothing went right in my life.

381

:

I'm now gonna trust this

online portal with my money.

382

:

Now I'm doing cash.

383

:

See, that is an attitude right there.

384

:

A third of Clevelanders are underbanked.

385

:

Wow.

386

:

So now a third of

Clevelanders are underbanked.

387

:

A third are struggling with,

with a home internet connection.

388

:

These po Like at some point it's like we

were gonna see, we are talking about the

389

:

same person over and over and over again.

390

:

We have the children who are within

the Cleveland Public School District.

391

:

The school district

pays for their internet.

392

:

If you live in Cleveland and

you have a kid in the school

393

:

district, it's free for you.

394

:

Now.

395

:

Because they understand how pivotal

that is, because they also understand

396

:

that if grandma, uh, grandpa,

auntie, uncle, whomever, if one of

397

:

them says in that household, yeah,

we don't like that technology.

398

:

We don't do that tech, you know,

I don't do that tech stuff.

399

:

Next thing you know, when it comes

time to pick a major or to pick a

400

:

subject, I don't do that tech stuff.

401

:

My family, we don't do tech.

402

:

My family, we, we do, and

this isn't a shot at them, but

403

:

we do nursing in my family.

404

:

Mm-hmm.

405

:

No, you had the acumen, you had the

ability to be an engineer, but just

406

:

because the presence of technology

wasn't in your home, you were limited.

407

:

You didn't see the possibilities.

408

:

Even when we get into learning in real

time, if the internet, the only thing you

409

:

think of on the internet is social media.

410

:

That, that, like, that's,

that's, that's a real thing.

411

:

What we call that in our realm,

we call that functional literacy.

412

:

Meaning someone doesn't

know how to create a resume.

413

:

Someone doesn't know how to

create a PowerPoint, but they

414

:

know how to go on Instagram and

they know how to go on Facebook.

415

:

And that's not, we're not criticizing

them, but it's more so showing them that

416

:

it's like, look, the internet to your

understanding is just this, it, it's

417

:

just a bedroom when there's a mansion,

an endless mansion of opportunity.

418

:

But if you don't see that because

you're now on this other side of the

419

:

digital divide, again, that's real.

420

:

Healthcare is transitioning from an

efficiency standpoint to be primarily

421

:

telehealth and, and digital enabled.

422

:

And again, if you don't have that

trust, you're not going going to engage.

423

:

And we already see if you can't get into

the doctor's office, 'cause they're gonna

424

:

give you a date for however long into the

future to actually see them face to face.

425

:

Now people are foregoing their

healthcare like the, the internet is

426

:

the panacea to so many things that

we've been waiting for in a city.

427

:

But the counter to it is when it's not

rolled out fairly, when it's not rolled

428

:

out equitably, we can still say that word.

429

:

It's not rolled out that way.

430

:

What we end up getting is this

continuous use case of this unboxing

431

:

of like, man, we didn't even see that.

432

:

Oh, we didn't see that.

433

:

It doesn't matter if we're talking

about wellbeing, we're talking about

434

:

banking, we're talking about healthcare,

we're talking about education,

435

:

we're talking about workforce.

436

:

Every sector in every area, you

will find a direct correlation

437

:

to the digital divide.

438

:

The last one I'll say on

the wellness side, you know,

439

:

digital isolation is a thing.

440

:

Um, as people are getting older and

maybe they're getting a little bit more

441

:

insular, um, if they don't have access to

that internet, they're kind of unplugged.

442

:

And you have a whole class of Americans,

definitely Cleveland, there's Ohioans who

443

:

are not plugged in to what's happening.

444

:

And so when an election comes

around, when a deep fake goes up,

445

:

they can't tell the difference.

446

:

So you can quite literally influence

elections off of the ignorance.

447

:

And I'm not calling people on the north

side of the digital divide ignorant,

448

:

but I am saying that if you do not

have that understanding about how to

449

:

navigate this digital world and protect

yourself, you'll be duped, you'll be

450

:

taken advantage of, and people will

influence you in ways that have real

451

:

world consequences all the way up to who

is running a country, all the way down

452

:

to opportunities that we just don't see.

453

:

Chris P. Reed:

454

:

I, I had in the past, uh, a couple

days saw that you had mentioned

455

:

the commercial in particular that

kind of reemphasized the need for

456

:

children and, and, uh, education.

457

:

Um, tell us a little bit about that and

then also some of the opportunities that

458

:

have been earmarked, uh, for you to have

funding and things of that nature and why

459

:

you believe it's so difficult just to get

what's coming to you based on what we have

460

:

as an appetite nationally and locally.

461

:

Joshua Edmonds: Oh, now just, just,

just, so Chris, are you talking about

462

:

the commercial, about the 4,000.

463

:

Chris P. Reed:

464

:

No, the commercial about the kids

at Taco Bell or wherever it was.

465

:

Oh, oh,

466

:

Joshua Edmonds: okay, okay, okay.

467

:

Yeah, I'm excited about a lot of stuff.

468

:

Alright, so,

469

:

so, you know, with the kids with the Taco

Bell, you know, that was a moment of time

470

:

during the pandemic and it perfect moment.

471

:

Um, yeah.

472

:

You know, the pandemic did more for

the digital divide than really what all

473

:

of our collective efforts have done.

474

:

I mean, it really underscored

the significance and it was able

475

:

to drive home a point when you

had those kids at the Taco Bell.

476

:

Now here's the thing, we don't

have another one of those moments

477

:

that's being publicized and pushed.

478

:

So now it's like the,

479

:

Chris P. Reed:

480

:

let's explain that moment just for

people who may not have seen it.

481

:

Yeah.

482

:

Kind of set the scene there.

483

:

Joshua Edmonds: So there were children

who were at a Taco Bell, if you

484

:

all can imagine it's dark outside.

485

:

They have their homework that

they needed to do and they

486

:

didn't have internet at home.

487

:

And so they're sitting in a parking lot,

if you imagine right in front of those

488

:

parking spaces that those cement blocks.

489

:

They were sitting on one of those,

you know, on their, on their tablets

490

:

and they're just connecting to

the wifi within the restaurant.

491

:

Is the wifi, you know, high speed enough

for them to make a call, a video call?

492

:

No.

493

:

Is it high, high speed enough

for them to make play games?

494

:

No, but it was high speed enough for

them to be able to do some research

495

:

that they needed for their homework.

496

:

Now it shouldn't come to this, right?

497

:

Right.

498

:

If we're not coming to, you are

in the country that essentially

499

:

invented the internet.

500

:

You are in this country and the best we

can do for you is have kids our future,

501

:

sitting on these blocks outside in the

middle of the night doing their homework.

502

:

That was then the backdrop to

the pandemic because that didn't

503

:

just now happen in California.

504

:

That didn't just happen in California.

505

:

That's been happening for years.

506

:

There are so many McDonald's, there are

so many restaurants, neighborhoods where

507

:

people, we can see the correlation between

people who don't have home internet

508

:

access and healthy eating pattern.

509

:

Because if I'm spending all my time

in fast food spots just to get my

510

:

homework done, what am I gonna eat?

511

:

Fast food every day.

512

:

Like these are the things

where I was like, okay.

513

:

And then we wonder where heart

disease, high blood, pre like

514

:

it, it compounds over here.

515

:

Um, especially in the food desert.

516

:

And so that moment was particularly,

517

:

that moment was, was incredibly important

because it shifted the entire political

518

:

understanding of the digital divide.

519

:

What people were trying to

make the digital divide be.

520

:

Before was, it was only the people in

rural America who didn't have access.

521

:

Correct.

522

:

It was never a city.

523

:

The cities are covered.

524

:

It's like if they're covered,

then why is this happening?

525

:

And since no one could answer that

question, it resulted in over $45

526

:

billion of money being allocated

under the Biden administration and the

527

:

Infrastructure and Jobs Act to ensure

that networks could be built equitably.

528

:

That's where it was a B program,

broadband equity access and deployment.

529

:

And a lot of that money did not get

allocated under that administration,

530

:

and now it's currently getting

allocated under this administration

531

:

where the e doesn't matter anymore.

532

:

That's, and so the story that was once

said that galvanized the investment,

533

:

the investment is still there.

534

:

However, when you remove the e from

the equation, what do we have now?

535

:

And that's, that's us still

trying to figure it out.

536

:

You know, I, I don't necessarily

know where all that goes.

537

:

This is where I love where we

are in Cleveland, because in

538

:

Cleveland we had that case of those

kids working out there at night.

539

:

We don't have to deal

with that reality anymore.

540

:

Like we've built this network and

we even said, alright, if you don't

541

:

have $18 a month, you know what?

542

:

For the kids in public school,

we'll do it for you for free.

543

:

Like that right there.

544

:

I'll tell you, majority of our customers,

we have over 4,000 Now, majority of

545

:

them are from the school district.

546

:

What does that mean?

547

:

These are families who in the past were

either struggling, didn't have it at all.

548

:

We are changing trajectories in ways that.

549

:

We can't even fully understand

the scope of this because this

550

:

has never happened before.

551

:

We've never had a network that was built,

homegrown in our city, headquartered

552

:

in our city, led by over half the

team lives in the city of Cleveland.

553

:

We're now connecting our neighbors.

554

:

It's not just some random

person we see at a corner.

555

:

Like these are people that we

know and if Cleveland small enough

556

:

where everyone knows everyone.

557

:

So it's like, no, like I might not know

you, but little did I know that that

558

:

was someone's auntie who was actually

at the Cleveland Clinic for what, like

559

:

that is the type of stuff that's the

power of a community-based network that

560

:

we're unfolding right here in Cleveland.

561

:

That to, in my opinion, is the evolution

or the response to kids in fast food

562

:

places when now kids can be at the

safety and the comfort of their own

563

:

home and they don't have to worry

about, you know, doing whatever or

564

:

whatever comes with being out that

late at night just to do your homework.

565

:

Mm-hmm.

566

:

Chris P. Reed:

567

:

It is, let me, let me

just say this real quick.

568

:

Go ahead.

569

:

It seems like that's a slam dunk.

570

:

It seems like this is a godsend.

571

:

It should be a no-brainer, but I've

heard you in previous instances say.

572

:

It's not as easy as it should

be based on interdependencies

573

:

from governmental agencies.

574

:

Can you talk about why it's, it

should be easy and for whatever

575

:

reason you only have 4,000, but you

feel like you could have How many?

576

:

Joshua Edmonds: Man?

577

:

So, so

578

:

I, I, I'll tell you, so the contract,

so we did enter into a contractual

579

:

agreement with the city of Cleveland

and they had their American rescue plan

580

:

money, that was the COVID relief funding.

581

:

And they allocated $20 million,

uh, in a performance based contract

582

:

that every year we had to hit X

amount of, uh, residents connected.

583

:

And so by the end of this year,

we're shooting for 8,500 residents.

584

:

Uh, but by the end of 2027, uh, we want

to have 23,500 households in our network.

585

:

And so as we grow and we scale

this, we remember starting

586

:

at zero in January, 2024.

587

:

And you know, now that we're at the point

where we are with the, over the 4,000,

588

:

I mean, that's a point of pride for, I

mean, I'm so proud, but to your point.

589

:

The skepticism.

590

:

You know, when we talk to residents,

it's not just like, oh, it's $18, or it's

591

:

free for you, that they just sign up.

592

:

One, people who don't trust technology,

it's hard to sell someone to someone

593

:

that even if they don't, if they

don't trust it, they don't trust it.

594

:

So it doesn't matter how good it is, what

whatever they can do, they don't want it.

595

:

So it takes some time.

596

:

Just gotta build that relationship so

that the first one is just skepticism.

597

:

Um, now they're gonna have that

skepticism because if they live in

598

:

these cities where they've seen historic

disinvestment, historic things, not

599

:

working, historic, whatever, like they're

not willing to to, to trust us for real.

600

:

So you got that.

601

:

One second one.

602

:

Um, even from a government standpoint,

oh, this one's tougher because we're

603

:

consistently having to make the case,

um, to government entities and agencies.

604

:

A lot of them might get it.

605

:

But they want to get it through the

way they understand how things work.

606

:

And it's like, look, things have evolved.

607

:

Like if your understanding is well back

in the day, you know, 10 years ago,

608

:

it's like technology is always is rapid.

609

:

Like you, some fundamental things might

be there, but there is a knowledge gap

610

:

that we had to continuously fulfill

even to stakeholders who are in the know

611

:

that we had to continuously update them.

612

:

Our technology that we've been building

with in Cleveland is from Silicon Valley.

613

:

You already know how far ahead

Silicon Valley is in relation to

614

:

a Midwestern city like Cleveland.

615

:

They're way far ahead.

616

:

So it's like when we went to the

pinnacle of wireless engineering

617

:

and brought that back to Cleveland.

618

:

Oh yeah.

619

:

I mean, we still have

to explain it to people.

620

:

They still don't understand.

621

:

They still think that it's

like, well, something's fishy.

622

:

You guys are hiding something.

623

:

There's no way you guys and

government is supposed to do that.

624

:

And our job is, we're supposed to be

able to master the art of communications

625

:

and storytelling to be able to.

626

:

Get them off the fence and to be much more

advocates for what we're being able to do.

627

:

And I'll say the, the last part on

the funding side, you know, at $18

628

:

a month, it is very difficult to

sustain the momentum of this, the,

629

:

this, this company and this endeavor.

630

:

And so what we've been also doing has been

making the case to our state government to

631

:

be like, look, we are Ohio based company.

632

:

We're the one, the only

ones headquartered in Ohio.

633

:

And there are opportunities for us to

serve beyond Cleveland at some point.

634

:

Like any endeavor, you can't

just stay in your own market.

635

:

You have to expand.

636

:

And so with the expansion, we have

been reaching out to different

637

:

government bodies and we have

an eye on, uh, Appalachia, Ohio.

638

:

We want to, especially within this

Trump administration, we want to look

639

:

at some of these historically under

connected areas and say, you know what,

640

:

the same thing that they said about

Cleveland, that it was impossible to

641

:

do and that it would take forever.

642

:

What we did it.

643

:

So now I'm looking at Appalachia and

it's like, it's been taking you all

644

:

years to build out rural America and

what we did in 18 months in Cleveland.

645

:

I'm sure we can do something very

spectacular in, in, in a comparable

646

:

timeline as well in Appalachia.

647

:

So the good thing is the government

stakeholders, uh, were now hitting

648

:

them where the value actually

is of the things that they value

649

:

versus the things that we value.

650

:

And at some point we're gonna hit a

convergence point, but I would say we're

651

:

being very proactive with identifying the

priorities of this administration that we

652

:

know, and we're willing to skate to where

we know the p where the park's gonna be.

653

:

Tony Tidbit: Hey buddy.

654

:

So just so I'm clear though,

what, what made you get involved?

655

:

What, how did, because right now

you're a hundred percent passionate.

656

:

Um, you're, you're doing, like

I said, you're a godsend, you're

657

:

transforming lives, but you know,

prior to January,:

658

:

doing a bunch of other stuff.

659

:

So what made you wanna start Digital C.

660

:

Joshua Edmonds: Oh, no, no, no.

661

:

So sorry.

662

:

So we were January 22, January of 2022.

663

:

No, I'm sorry, November of 2022

is when I took over as CEO.

664

:

Okay.

665

:

Yep.

666

:

So that was our, I would just say

research and development and just

667

:

making sure that we had, um, the, the,

the right infrastructure, at least

668

:

right enough to be able to, um, fulfill

the, uh, contractual obligations.

669

:

However, prior to that, you

know, I was working for the, uh,

670

:

mayor in the city of Detroit.

671

:

So for four years, worked for the

mayor, um, building out infrastructure

672

:

in Detroit, and just even building

out partnerships and making the

673

:

case to the digital divide there.

674

:

And so from that, prior to that was

working in philanthropy, learning how

675

:

to invest in digital equity initiatives.

676

:

Uh, so there there's been, um,

just a lot of experience that when

677

:

I say it in retrospect, it seems

like it was just orchestrated and

678

:

I wouldn't even say, it seems I'll

give God credit, like God led me.

679

:

Um, so I, I have no problem saying that.

680

:

Um, because even at the very beginning, I

graduate my master's degree from Howard,

681

:

I moved back to Cleveland and I'm working

in public housing and I'm like, man, I

682

:

got all this student loans and I'm working

in public housing, trying to talk to some

683

:

resident about why they need the internet.

684

:

And I'm like, did I really get

my master's degree to talk to, to

685

:

someone about why they need internet?

686

:

But um, that experience at working

in public housing on the digital

687

:

divide taught me probably more than

every experience I've had since,

688

:

um, it brought me down to a level of

understanding and it ignited something

689

:

in me saying, no, this isn't fair.

690

:

And as black people, we are the

people that when we see something

691

:

isn't fair, we're gonna let you know.

692

:

And we're either gonna let you know,

we will verbally let you know, or our

693

:

efforts, our work ethic, our result

is gonna correspond to the change

694

:

that we know is gonna be the equalizer

that's needed to make the unfair fare.

695

:

Chris P. Reed:

696

:

Have you had moments, have you had

moments in your ascension because you,

697

:

you're talking about your path to where

you are now, and I was thinking about

698

:

the fact you said there were skepticism.

699

:

Now I totally understand how this

skepticism when you come to somebody house

700

:

and had them put their name on something.

701

:

But when we talk about the divided

administration earmarked these funds

702

:

and all these things are put in place

and you have a blueprint from Silicon

703

:

Valley, do you think it would be easier

if you weren't so, uh, fair skinned?

704

:

If y'all had a representative or

a puppet kind of guy or you know,

705

:

somebody to go in and tell the story,

do you think it would be easier?

706

:

Or do you think it is not?

707

:

It's just that they just are ignorant

of technology and are fearful of the

708

:

advancement as we, uh, go forward,

709

:

Joshua Edmonds: you know?

710

:

Fair, fair, fair points.

711

:

You know, very fair.

712

:

I'll, I'll say it this way though.

713

:

It is money.

714

:

I see it all.

715

:

It's all money.

716

:

It's money, money, money, money.

717

:

These telecom industries are so wealthy.

718

:

Like when, when you actually, everyone

should just look at how much, how much

719

:

portfolio these these companies have.

720

:

Like it doesn't matter what internet

service writer, I already mentioned

721

:

some, and I'm not gonna mention any

other ones 'cause I don't wanna give

722

:

them the credit, but the fact that they

not only own your internet experience,

723

:

but they also own entire content studio.

724

:

Yeah,

725

:

Tony Tidbit: absolutely.

726

:

Absolutely.

727

:

So

728

:

Joshua Edmonds: they have the

ability to influence messaging.

729

:

They have the ability to influence every

political campaign that you can think of.

730

:

And so what I'm seeing is

America oftentimes isn't

731

:

operating in its best interest.

732

:

America's operating in the

interest of money, which I get it.

733

:

Like that's how things work here.

734

:

But I can see that there's been times

we've operated in the interest of

735

:

money that one technology are one.

736

:

Internet service provider will

have so much power to speak down

737

:

on another technology that could

actually be life changing for a

738

:

city and say, that's not gonna work.

739

:

Lawmaker, that's not gonna work.

740

:

And you remember how it

was in your campaign.

741

:

So, and like they have

the ability to do that.

742

:

And that's why I try and tell people on

our side, we as Digital C as a nonprofit,

743

:

we don't have the ability to run a,

um, a commercial on the Super Bowl.

744

:

Like we, we don't have that.

745

:

Like, I No way.

746

:

What we have at the same time though,

is the ability to community organize

747

:

and to knock on these doors and use our

relationships because it's like, look,

748

:

when they go corporate, we go community.

749

:

And those are equalizing factors.

750

:

So it's like, as you look at

America's digital divide, not just

751

:

Cleveland's, then it's like, if

America wants better internet,

752

:

America has to organize for better.

753

:

And so that's the part where.

754

:

As we're seeing it, it's more time to

organize and make the case be known that

755

:

either we're not satisfied or we deserve

something better, that works better.

756

:

Or at least I can get behind that

more because I can see a theory

757

:

of change there if they're going

at me just because I'm black.

758

:

There's no theory of change.

759

:

And to me, like my mind would tell me

I'm not gonna become white anytime soon.

760

:

And so it's like if I know

that, then there's no point

761

:

in me even playing the game.

762

:

I'd rather not look at that as a

limiting factor and just say the

763

:

only limiting factor is we have not

organized effectively and we are

764

:

not educated to the degree, to the

degree at which we can make change.

765

:

And I feel like Cleveland is the

model that is then showing again, the

766

:

replicability that another city can

say, you know what X administration,

767

:

what they did in Cleveland.

768

:

I want that in every single one of

these big cities across the country.

769

:

And like that is where all someone

has to do is building it all.

770

:

Someone has to be is one to make a

two, to make a three, to make a four.

771

:

So as, as the proud one that is standing

up and as we're expanding these other

772

:

cities, you know, I believe that some

of those factors that were once working

773

:

against us can actually be pivotal parts

of our story that we tell with pride and

774

:

say, nah, no limiting factors over here.

775

:

We just didn't organize.

776

:

And that is something that we we're

learning how to do in Cleveland.

777

:

Tony Tidbit: Josh, how are you

guys able to make the connection

778

:

so inexpensive for residents?

779

:

Talk a little bit about that.

780

:

Joshua Edmonds: So how our network

works, we have fiber optic cable that

781

:

runs throughout the city of Cleveland.

782

:

If you can look outside and maybe people

are next to a radio tower, so lucky

783

:

if you can just see a radio tower.

784

:

If you're not next to one

though, imagine a tall building.

785

:

Uh, seven stories or greater.

786

:

We will take the fiber that is running

underground and it'll run up to that roof.

787

:

And then at the top of that roof

will put like an antenna and then

788

:

that antenna sees the neighborhood.

789

:

So as it's seeing the neighborhood,

we are beaming signals.

790

:

And then we'll put a box inside of a home.

791

:

It's called our cluster

and premise equipment.

792

:

And we will then run a wire into

the home and it'll have a standard

793

:

router just like you would have with

any, any other internet provider.

794

:

What makes ours more inexpensive

is we're not, uh, deploying fiber.

795

:

We're, we're taking advantage

of power that's already there.

796

:

So it's like, okay, no deployment there.

797

:

We're not running or, or digging

up something underneath your yard.

798

:

We're not running something Aly

like, uh, putting lines from

799

:

a power line to your house.

800

:

We're not doing any of that.

801

:

And so the fact that we just have

a ladder, we mount something inside

802

:

your home, wire in, that's it.

803

:

And I think that's the part where as

we're approving out the viability of this

804

:

model, it allows for us to think about

American investment from an efficiency

805

:

standpoint, that it's more efficient for

us to do it this way than for us to try

806

:

and run fiber to every single spot with.

807

:

Limited funding, and that's becoming

more limited by the day that it's

808

:

like, no, let's think smarter.

809

:

And so where I will give credit to the

current presidential administration is

810

:

the fact that you have Elon's proximity

to Trump, which many people will push

811

:

back on in the one instance where we're

not totally mad at it is in the telecom

812

:

instance because he has starlink.

813

:

And while we're not starlink,

while we do not, they use a

814

:

completely different technology.

815

:

We use what's called Next

generation fixed wireless access.

816

:

Mm-hmm.

817

:

Uh, Trump or Elon uses low earth

satellites, and so he is using

818

:

satellite internet from space beaming

down when it comes to this discussion.

819

:

Now though, historically

in America, we were cable.

820

:

So everyone had cable.

821

:

So it was like cable, DSL,

copper, whatever you had cabling.

822

:

We are not cable.

823

:

So you have the cable ones, then

you have the fixed wireless ones,

824

:

then you have the satellite one.

825

:

The fact that I can sit here today

and give you three different examples

826

:

of things that are then being pushed

within those three different examples.

827

:

You have companies who

exist in all of those.

828

:

And so what we're doing now is

we're expanding the way that

829

:

America thinks about telecom.

830

:

And I think that is a redeeming factor

about this administration because it gives

831

:

our case much more legs to stand on and

say, Hey, if you're willing to look in a

832

:

satellite, you better look into us too.

833

:

And so that's where I'm like, we're,

we don't have a seat at the table,

834

:

but absolutely we can look in the

room and be like, they're gonna

835

:

have a seat for us eventually.

836

:

They don't got one for us today, but I

see where they're making space for us.

837

:

Chris P. Reed:

838

:

In a ymax model, uh, the only dependency

is that you have to have a population

839

:

or, or a dense kind of center.

840

:

And so it can only go so far

when you're bouncing signal off.

841

:

Signal, off signal.

842

:

One of the things that I read about

you were doing, and this gives an

843

:

opportunity to educate, uh, Tony to

what I've been educated on is your 100.

844

:

100, right?

845

:

Joshua Edmonds: Yeah.

846

:

Chris P. Reed:

847

:

And so any idea of somebody

like him who owns a studio.

848

:

And has to upload.

849

:

I give our audience a taste of

the difference between the upload

850

:

and the download and why you're

able to do a hundred, a hundred

851

:

and what the standards are.

852

:

Joshua Edmonds: Oh man.

853

:

Beautiful question.

854

:

God man.

855

:

I love y'all.

856

:

Uh, alright, so like, y'all like

for real, like, okay, so the

857

:

upload speeds, I'm gonna give you

an example during the pandemic.

858

:

Mm-hmm.

859

:

So during the pandemic, you had

people who were like, man, we

860

:

got these work from home calls.

861

:

My kids are at home and like

my wife is in this other room.

862

:

And whenever we go on these video calls,

it's just buffering the whole time.

863

:

I can't even connect and it's

so slow, but I'm getting a, I'm

864

:

getting gigabit speed internet.

865

:

What's going on?

866

:

It's like, ha.

867

:

What you're getting is

gigabit speed download.

868

:

Once again, a lot of these internet

providers, especially the big

869

:

ones, they are content companies.

870

:

So they want you to download

content that they're putting out.

871

:

So they want you to consume, they

don't really want you to produce

872

:

'cause why would you produce?

873

:

'cause now you're competing against me.

874

:

They don't want you to compete with them.

875

:

They, they want to, you, you

should be watching our content.

876

:

So your download speeds has historically

been much greater than your upload

877

:

speeds have been much lower.

878

:

Um, the upload is, again, when you are

uploading content to the web, you're

879

:

uploading a YouTube video, you're doing

a video call because now our internet,

880

:

like it's work right now, we are all

using our upload speeds, correct?

881

:

We're not really download speed here.

882

:

And so the fact of the matter is

if you want to be a consumer, then

883

:

you're gonna focus on the download.

884

:

But if you wanna be a producer,

you're gonna focus on the upload.

885

:

And so 100, 100, the standard that we

set, and that is $18 a month, 100, 100.

886

:

We do offer 200 over 100.

887

:

We do offer other plans, but that

100 101 was significant because

888

:

in Cleveland, no one else wanted

to provide 100 symmetrical.

889

:

And that when we say symmetrical,

obviously a hundred hundred.

890

:

No one else wanted to provide that.

891

:

They wanted to do.

892

:

Well, we can do 100 over 20.

893

:

We could do, you know, a hundred over

10, but the reason why they wouldn't

894

:

want to do 100 over 100, because why

would we want to empower a producer?

895

:

I'm okay with empowering a consumer,

but I don't wanna empower a producer.

896

:

We want to, because we see Cleveland as

like, no, this is the opportunity for

897

:

any content creator, for any podcast

producer, for anybody to say, you know

898

:

what, there are no more limiting factors.

899

:

We, we, we remove them.

900

:

So now it's all on you.

901

:

It's all on your drive.

902

:

That's, that's the, the, the power

of an upload speed, because now it

903

:

forces you to say, I know what I'm

eating, but what am I producing?

904

:

Right.

905

:

Right.

906

:

If there's no question to that, then

well, there's an opportunity to start.

907

:

Tony Tidbit: Let me, you know,

I, I, I wanna, one of the things

908

:

that I've been thinking about,

you know, that's troubling me.

909

:

You know, there's obviously, there's

poverty, there's digital redlining.

910

:

There's infrastructure that's not built.

911

:

There's money from the federal government

that wasn't, you know, uh, allocated.

912

:

Right.

913

:

Um, so you, you walked us through a lot of

the issues that are outside of the people

914

:

of Cleveland or any place, their control.

915

:

But the one thing that's in their

control and specifically to, to

916

:

black people is the ignorance of

the importance of being connected.

917

:

And also the part about I don't trust.

918

:

Right.

919

:

So I'm not gonna do it, which

is self-inflicted, to be fair.

920

:

Okay.

921

:

To be fair.

922

:

Right.

923

:

And at the end of the day.

924

:

You are cutting your own nose off.

925

:

You are, you are, you are limiting, not

just you, but your kids and the whole.

926

:

So how do you ch, and I know

you said knock on door, but

927

:

how do we change that mindset?

928

:

Because if that mindset has changed,

then to your point, you have a whole

929

:

community that's out screaming,

saying, we need this, we do this.

930

:

And by doing that, you're gonna

have people say, oh, you know what?

931

:

We're gonna have to make something happen.

932

:

Or more importantly, it makes your

job a lot easier because now you

933

:

have your constituents behind you.

934

:

BEP Narrator: If you like what you hear.

935

:

And wanna join us on this

journey of making uncomfortable

936

:

conversations comfortable?

937

:

Please subscribe to A Black

Executive Perspective podcast on

938

:

YouTube, apple Podcasts, Spotify,

or wherever you get your podcasts.

939

:

Hit subscribe now to stay connected

for more episodes that challenge,

940

:

inspire and lead the change.

941

:

Tony Tidbit: Which can

help hopefully get funding.

942

:

So how do we change that mindset?

943

:

My brother?

944

:

Joshua Edmonds: Hmm.

945

:

You know, incredible question that I

think that we're still hypothesizing

946

:

and we've made headway in progress into

answering elements of that question

947

:

because really it's diversifying the value

of technology beyond what we thought.

948

:

So we would say, for example, home

internet is so important, you need it.

949

:

Okay, sure.

950

:

But that wouldn't land.

951

:

But what we did see is that we would

have residents who actually like, cared

952

:

about drones and wanting to fly drones.

953

:

Their kids, their kids would

be obsessed with drones.

954

:

And so it's like, okay, if the

drone is like the entry point

955

:

to this discussion, then fine.

956

:

Right.

957

:

Um, you know, I, I, I get it.

958

:

This is more of a more, more polished,

but I will say what's also true

959

:

too, we have some of our, especially

some of the older men, like.

960

:

Adult content is what they want.

961

:

Right?

962

:

Right.

963

:

We tell them how to like, okay,

this is what it is, and man, you,

964

:

you, you made, that's the motivator.

965

:

Tony Tidbit: That's

966

:

Joshua Edmonds: the motivator, right?

967

:

Someone was like, man, this, but that.

968

:

Now it's meeting people where they are.

969

:

Right.

970

:

What I found in this administration

that we get to do much more is

971

:

like we can step off like this high

horse of like where we need, where

972

:

we would like to see our community,

where meet people where they are.

973

:

If you wanna watch that

stuff, then here, then fine.

974

:

You need internet connection.

975

:

Rather than me saying like, you know,

for jobs and for what, it's not landing.

976

:

Like at some point, look, as much as we

would love for it to be, let's meet people

977

:

where they are, but also understand that

people grow and they change over time.

978

:

Where I started is not where I'm going

to finish, and so you might start

979

:

with just your understanding of the

internet is just Instagram or Facebook,

980

:

but we're not gonna leave you there.

981

:

But I think the thing is we have to index

un value in meeting people where they are.

982

:

And so that's just because they have a

hyper kid who just cares about drones.

983

:

Cool.

984

:

The best one.

985

:

And, and I, I was one of these

people growing up in the house where

986

:

video games really blew up and you

know, I was told Get off that game.

987

:

Get off that game.

988

:

Get off the game.

989

:

And now we see the growth in

eSports worth trillions of dollars.

990

:

Now, now all of a sudden,

now get on that game.

991

:

Come on.

992

:

Right.

993

:

You

994

:

Tony Tidbit: make some money at it.

995

:

Joshua Edmonds: Mm-hmm.

996

:

And I think it's more

of an exposure thing.

997

:

What I've seen in our community

is that the minute we understand

998

:

the value of something, the value,

that's when we will latch onto that.

999

:

And, and if someone would counter me, I

would say we saw the value of a basketball

:

00:48:41,355 --> 00:48:47,055

and, and once we saw that value, we

saw the value in music and rhyming.

:

00:48:47,490 --> 00:48:48,600

We see that.

:

00:48:48,630 --> 00:48:53,160

So now we don't have to talk, but it's

like with internet, what we've done wrong

:

00:48:53,370 --> 00:48:57,990

is we've overindexed on the internet

itself and we haven't indexed much more

:

00:48:57,990 --> 00:49:02,580

on the enabling on what this can do, how

this can bring you generational wealth,

:

00:49:02,700 --> 00:49:06,030

how you can turn your trajectories

around, like those are the things

:

00:49:06,030 --> 00:49:07,380

that we have to keep reinforcing.

:

00:49:07,620 --> 00:49:10,680

The problem is we have competing factors.

:

00:49:11,100 --> 00:49:15,870

If I were to do a crime right now to

someone, I were to punch someone outside,

:

00:49:16,170 --> 00:49:20,520

someone could call 9 1 1 and presumably

I'd be arrested or dealt with whatever.

:

00:49:21,210 --> 00:49:24,690

But when someone does a cyber

crime to someone, a Digital Crime.

:

00:49:25,950 --> 00:49:26,444

Who do you call?

:

00:49:27,029 --> 00:49:27,750

How does that happen?

:

00:49:27,839 --> 00:49:30,540

There, there are people who are

not being protected when tax

:

00:49:30,540 --> 00:49:32,399

season rolls around in elections.

:

00:49:32,580 --> 00:49:34,259

Those are big time for fraud.

:

00:49:34,350 --> 00:49:34,439

Mm-hmm.

:

00:49:34,680 --> 00:49:37,680

This people just get, man,

they, they eat 'em alive.

:

00:49:37,680 --> 00:49:39,180

They almost can tell this.

:

00:49:39,540 --> 00:49:40,770

That's a new internet user.

:

00:49:44,584 --> 00:49:44,805

It,

:

00:49:47,759 --> 00:49:51,450

Tony Tidbit: hold on, I gotta say this,

it reminds me, um, 'cause you know,

:

00:49:51,450 --> 00:49:55,980

I'm, I'm from Detroit and, and you said

you worked there, uh, for the mayor.

:

00:49:56,040 --> 00:49:58,230

Uh, was it Dugan you worked

with or it was Dugan.

:

00:49:58,230 --> 00:49:58,589

Right.

:

00:49:59,009 --> 00:50:01,290

So, but back to your, your your point.

:

00:50:01,290 --> 00:50:05,640

I remember this was years ago,

my man when, um, you know, people

:

00:50:05,640 --> 00:50:07,950

would, uh, have dogs, right.

:

00:50:07,950 --> 00:50:09,629

To protect their property, right?

:

00:50:09,810 --> 00:50:09,899

Mm-hmm.

:

00:50:10,200 --> 00:50:11,339

And, um.

:

00:50:11,880 --> 00:50:14,040

And so they had this com and

they were trying to get people to

:

00:50:14,040 --> 00:50:16,440

get, uh, security systems right?

:

00:50:16,440 --> 00:50:18,000

But people, I don't need that.

:

00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:22,589

So they had this commercial, to your

point where the commercial comes

:

00:50:22,589 --> 00:50:24,720

on, the dog dog is barking, right?

:

00:50:25,799 --> 00:50:29,190

Roro in the house, and then these

dudes break in, they roll up the

:

00:50:29,190 --> 00:50:33,240

carpet, they take the couch, and

then on the way out the door,

:

00:50:33,240 --> 00:50:35,549

they said, Hey man, I get the dog.

:

00:50:36,690 --> 00:50:38,009

So they took the dog too.

:

00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:46,290

So to your point about, oh, we

can smell a new internet user.

:

00:50:47,435 --> 00:50:47,855

Mm-hmm.

:

00:50:48,234 --> 00:50:49,470

We gonna go after them.

:

00:50:49,470 --> 00:50:52,080

That's why I started laughing

because it reminded me of that.

:

00:50:52,319 --> 00:50:54,060

Joshua Edmonds: Well, they,

and they, they, they know.

:

00:50:54,060 --> 00:50:58,920

And it's so, it's so sad because it's one

demographic that gets scammed the most.

:

00:50:58,950 --> 00:50:59,790

Correct, correct.

:

00:50:59,790 --> 00:51:02,734

Anyone who's over 65, I'm like,

man, I'm gonna pray for you.

:

00:51:02,835 --> 00:51:03,255

Mm-hmm.

:

00:51:03,335 --> 00:51:05,040

And I'm also gonna pray

for their grandkids.

:

00:51:05,040 --> 00:51:07,589

I'm gonna pray for their, their, their

children, because they're the ones

:

00:51:07,589 --> 00:51:08,700

who have to be their tech support.

:

00:51:09,060 --> 00:51:10,020

Tony Tidbit: But here's the thing though.

:

00:51:10,725 --> 00:51:16,695

Had they, I bet you those numbers

go down drastically If they became,

:

00:51:16,695 --> 00:51:18,735

if they became engaged with it.

:

00:51:19,245 --> 00:51:19,395

Yeah.

:

00:51:19,395 --> 00:51:21,105

More often, right?

:

00:51:21,105 --> 00:51:21,165

Yeah.

:

00:51:21,195 --> 00:51:24,435

And then they started learning

it and this and that, those

:

00:51:24,435 --> 00:51:25,905

numbers come down like this.

:

00:51:25,905 --> 00:51:26,955

Would you agree with that or what?

:

00:51:27,435 --> 00:51:30,735

Joshua Edmonds: Uh, well, absolute Well,

I, I agree and I think that it's happening

:

00:51:30,735 --> 00:51:35,415

because during the pandemic when all

those churches went online, correct.

:

00:51:35,655 --> 00:51:39,075

You then had to have people who, well,

all right, you're gonna miss out on

:

00:51:39,075 --> 00:51:40,665

pastor, you're not gonna see 'em.

:

00:51:41,625 --> 00:51:43,815

Then, then, then they had to figure

it out and they started plugging in.

:

00:51:44,325 --> 00:51:44,445

Yeah.

:

00:51:44,475 --> 00:51:47,415

Even if you all remember restaurants.

:

00:51:47,730 --> 00:51:49,194

Restaurants stop with giving out the menu.

:

00:51:49,194 --> 00:51:50,609

They just put a QR code on the table.

:

00:51:50,669 --> 00:51:51,089

That's right.

:

00:51:52,109 --> 00:51:56,100

So it's like these things are forcing

people, and I'm like, all right.

:

00:51:56,100 --> 00:51:58,410

Forcing might not be the best

way to do it, but it's happening.

:

00:51:58,470 --> 00:51:59,435

I mean, we need, but it's

:

00:51:59,535 --> 00:51:59,536

Chris P. Reed:

:

00:51:59,536 --> 00:52:01,649

coring at least, at least

corralling people towards.

:

00:52:01,649 --> 00:52:01,919

That's right.

:

00:52:02,100 --> 00:52:02,955

Well, next way.

:

00:52:02,955 --> 00:52:02,995

Well,

:

00:52:03,540 --> 00:52:05,190

Tony Tidbit: I think it's, see

what you just gotta finish saying

:

00:52:05,190 --> 00:52:06,091

too, which is a great point.

:

00:52:06,355 --> 00:52:07,410

I didn't even think about that.

:

00:52:07,740 --> 00:52:09,540

It's meeting people where they're at.

:

00:52:09,960 --> 00:52:10,500

Okay.

:

00:52:10,589 --> 00:52:10,680

Mm-hmm.

:

00:52:10,680 --> 00:52:13,259

So being able to watch the

pastor, I didn't wanna do this,

:

00:52:13,259 --> 00:52:14,354

but you know, I don't wanna Ms.

:

00:52:14,354 --> 00:52:16,470

Church, so I'll do it all right.

:

00:52:16,475 --> 00:52:16,674

Yeah.

:

00:52:16,710 --> 00:52:19,919

And I think to your point, that's,

I didn't even think of that before.

:

00:52:19,919 --> 00:52:21,299

That's an excellent point, right?

:

00:52:21,299 --> 00:52:25,049

When you meet people where they're at,

at least they get their foot in the door.

:

00:52:25,529 --> 00:52:28,350

And then once they getting their

foot in the door, hopefully

:

00:52:28,350 --> 00:52:29,460

they expand from there.

:

00:52:30,029 --> 00:52:30,540

Joshua Edmonds: That's right.

:

00:52:30,540 --> 00:52:35,399

And that, that's the point where I would

say we didn't get that luxury in cities.

:

00:52:35,580 --> 00:52:36,569

That didn't happen.

:

00:52:37,049 --> 00:52:40,440

It was just, Hey, we rolled

this out too, too poor.

:

00:52:40,440 --> 00:52:40,950

Skip 'em.

:

00:52:41,910 --> 00:52:45,180

Like, but when did I, when did

I actually have an opportunity?

:

00:52:45,750 --> 00:52:49,380

To play around with this incredibly

disruptive thing and treat it like Legos.

:

00:52:49,410 --> 00:52:50,880

Just, lemme, lemme just curious.

:

00:52:50,910 --> 00:52:51,660

I'm just curious.

:

00:52:51,660 --> 00:52:53,580

Lemme just play, lemme

just see what this is.

:

00:52:54,000 --> 00:52:58,980

Instead, what it is, is I log on and

here I'm thinking I'm being genuine

:

00:52:59,040 --> 00:53:05,040

and I'm Miss Barbara 63 and scammers

like, 'cause they, they, they know

:

00:53:05,040 --> 00:53:08,455

what that is and they know her

password is password, like mm-hmm.

:

00:53:08,535 --> 00:53:11,100

It's, those are the things where

it's like, man, these people

:

00:53:11,100 --> 00:53:12,390

didn't even have a chance.

:

00:53:12,630 --> 00:53:19,920

And so as a result of that, we've created

this weird thing where this digital

:

00:53:19,920 --> 00:53:25,200

divide, and there's a messy part in the

middle of it where people who know how

:

00:53:25,200 --> 00:53:29,130

to be connected, they know what they

need to do, but they just don't have any

:

00:53:29,130 --> 00:53:31,200

type of trust that's built up in this.

:

00:53:31,410 --> 00:53:35,460

And it's hard for us to then tell them

yes, because unless we're, we're willing

:

00:53:35,460 --> 00:53:38,520

to provide them 24 7 tech support for

which we don't have the funding to do

:

00:53:38,520 --> 00:53:42,000

that, then all of a sudden they're either

off on their own or they're just dependent

:

00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:43,740

on their grandkid, their grandkids.

:

00:53:43,740 --> 00:53:44,700

And I think that's the.

:

00:53:44,955 --> 00:53:48,345

The next iteration of this digital

divide of when you connect them,

:

00:53:48,525 --> 00:53:49,755

you gotta keep them connected.

:

00:53:49,965 --> 00:53:53,565

And that means protecting them online

and giving them an, in a, a digital

:

00:53:53,565 --> 00:53:56,505

experience that, you know, it's

not buffering every two seconds.

:

00:53:56,505 --> 00:53:57,765

It's not kicking you off the network.

:

00:53:57,765 --> 00:54:01,275

Like give them an experience that

they can build off of that can look

:

00:54:01,275 --> 00:54:05,085

at fondly and say, you know what,

no, no, y'all need to be doing this

:

00:54:05,085 --> 00:54:06,405

because this is what I was able to do.

:

00:54:06,405 --> 00:54:07,995

Like, make them messengers.

:

00:54:08,205 --> 00:54:12,075

And thus far, like within our space,

we've been able to do that significantly.

:

00:54:12,075 --> 00:54:17,685

I mean, we, we will teach digital

literacy, digital skilling classes

:

00:54:17,745 --> 00:54:19,185

and have Motown in the background.

:

00:54:19,335 --> 00:54:22,725

We make it enjoyable because it's like,

no, we, we know what that music does.

:

00:54:22,995 --> 00:54:25,785

And like, we'll, we'll do that

in a way where not only meet,

:

00:54:25,815 --> 00:54:27,045

we meet people where they are.

:

00:54:27,195 --> 00:54:28,935

We'll have some, some,

some hot food for them.

:

00:54:28,935 --> 00:54:29,895

We, when they come in.

:

00:54:30,195 --> 00:54:32,355

So it's like, okay, like

let's remove these barriers.

:

00:54:32,355 --> 00:54:34,005

'cause we know when you're trying

to learn things, you're hungry.

:

00:54:34,005 --> 00:54:34,605

It doesn't work.

:

00:54:34,875 --> 00:54:38,985

So the beauty about the digital

divide is that it actually makes us

:

00:54:39,285 --> 00:54:40,935

remember the things that make us human.

:

00:54:41,385 --> 00:54:45,555

And it's like basic food and music

actually goes a long way if you wanna

:

00:54:45,555 --> 00:54:49,725

teach technology and let us not be

over-indexing on the importance of

:

00:54:49,725 --> 00:54:53,595

technology and losing sight of the

things that just humans, like when

:

00:54:53,595 --> 00:54:55,815

you make it more enjoyable that

way, it's enjoyable for everybody.

:

00:54:56,940 --> 00:54:56,941

Chris P. Reed:

:

00:54:56,941 --> 00:55:01,005

You, you talked about already getting

a chance to get into the youth movement

:

00:55:01,005 --> 00:55:04,605

based on, uh, access through the schooling

system and that was something you seem

:

00:55:04,605 --> 00:55:06,585

to be very proud of, very excited about.

:

00:55:06,915 --> 00:55:10,995

And as much as this is a youthful

thing for you to usher the next

:

00:55:10,995 --> 00:55:14,655

generation into more knowledge about

connectivity and diminishing the

:

00:55:14,655 --> 00:55:19,275

digital divide, uh, it's also seeming

to me from you to be a national

:

00:55:19,275 --> 00:55:21,045

thing, not just the Cleveland thing.

:

00:55:21,405 --> 00:55:25,815

Are you prepared to take up the

mantle when another city in Ohio

:

00:55:25,815 --> 00:55:29,415

or another city in New York or

another city in Florida says, Hey,

:

00:55:29,415 --> 00:55:31,125

I'd like to do something similar.

:

00:55:31,529 --> 00:55:34,529

And I would love for you, since you've

had the blueprint and kicked over the

:

00:55:34,529 --> 00:55:38,040

rocks and stubbed your toe a couple

times, is that something that you guys are

:

00:55:38,040 --> 00:55:39,690

insulating and preparing yourselves for?

:

00:55:39,690 --> 00:55:43,140

Or is it just Right now we trying

to get our thing to be our thing

:

00:55:43,350 --> 00:55:45,180

and that's way down the line.

:

00:55:45,180 --> 00:55:48,900

Because as we know with technology,

it's fast as hell to say,

:

00:55:49,680 --> 00:55:52,920

Joshua Edmonds: you know, well,

well man, we're, we're ready.

:

00:55:53,310 --> 00:55:53,790

We're ready.

:

00:55:53,795 --> 00:55:53,944

Okay.

:

00:55:55,020 --> 00:55:58,500

You know, if you can, and this is a phrase

that we say in Cleveland, if you can do

:

00:55:58,500 --> 00:56:00,569

it in Cleveland, you can do it anywhere.

:

00:56:01,890 --> 00:56:01,891

Okay.

:

00:56:02,605 --> 00:56:03,185

We cool.

:

00:56:03,660 --> 00:56:07,560

And the thing about Cleveland,

and we don't say that

:

00:56:07,560 --> 00:56:09,120

because Cleveland is so bad.

:

00:56:09,600 --> 00:56:13,379

We say that because the historic

skepticism, we say that even from

:

00:56:13,379 --> 00:56:15,930

a technology standpoint, we got all

these trees throughout the city.

:

00:56:15,960 --> 00:56:19,799

I mean, it's a, we call it a forest

city because there's so many trees here.

:

00:56:19,799 --> 00:56:21,480

And if we're trying to

do wireless for trees.

:

00:56:23,250 --> 00:56:26,339

So as we've been able to model

this, we had to laugh at it.

:

00:56:26,345 --> 00:56:29,940

And I, I, I remember a prayer I

said, man, God, you really prepared.

:

00:56:30,375 --> 00:56:35,745

Me and you prepared this company to be

able to expand because you made sure it

:

00:56:35,745 --> 00:56:37,694

was gonna be the hardest at the onset.

:

00:56:38,055 --> 00:56:39,495

It has not been easy here.

:

00:56:39,525 --> 00:56:43,845

Like I, I smile because I have a smiley

disposition, but for real, like, no,

:

00:56:43,845 --> 00:56:46,275

it was, it's been very, very difficult.

:

00:56:46,575 --> 00:56:49,935

But through all those difficulties, we

figured out the things that we never

:

00:56:49,935 --> 00:56:53,595

would've figured out and we would've been

crushed if we would've expanded too early.

:

00:56:53,835 --> 00:56:56,835

I believe what we've been able to learn

now and how we've been able to scale

:

00:56:56,835 --> 00:57:01,305

this and earn those subscribers, oh

yeah, now, now I'm absolutely confident.

:

00:57:01,335 --> 00:57:02,985

We got a, we have a phenomenal team.

:

00:57:03,345 --> 00:57:06,735

We legitimately have the processes

in procedures in place where I

:

00:57:06,735 --> 00:57:10,154

can treat another city like a

neighborhood now, whereas before it

:

00:57:10,200 --> 00:57:11,444

would've been a whole other thing.

:

00:57:11,444 --> 00:57:14,444

Now it's like, no, that's just,

that's just Northwest Cleveland.

:

00:57:14,835 --> 00:57:17,565

That just what happens to be, you

know, a little bit further away, man.

:

00:57:17,565 --> 00:57:18,255

Northwest Cleveland.

:

00:57:20,205 --> 00:57:21,975

Tony Tidbit: So my friend

buddy, this has been great.

:

00:57:21,975 --> 00:57:22,995

Final thoughts, man.

:

00:57:22,995 --> 00:57:24,134

Where do you wanna leave the audience?

:

00:57:24,134 --> 00:57:24,555

My brother?

:

00:57:25,754 --> 00:57:29,475

Joshua Edmonds: Uh, I, I would tell people

that during this time, uh, especially

:

00:57:29,475 --> 00:57:33,314

during this administration, uh, the

presidential one, uh, there's a lot of

:

00:57:33,314 --> 00:57:34,995

stuff that just does not make sense.

:

00:57:35,595 --> 00:57:36,734

It does not make sense.

:

00:57:37,814 --> 00:57:41,924

The digital divide, I would say, is

our greatest opportunity to be able

:

00:57:41,924 --> 00:57:46,604

to not only secure investment, but

be able to make the case for it.

:

00:57:47,084 --> 00:57:50,145

When we be, when we look at it, we're

gonna be the, some of the most impacted

:

00:57:50,145 --> 00:57:52,365

people, but therein lies the opportunity.

:

00:57:52,995 --> 00:57:58,395

AI has grown dramatically, and the near

future quantum computing is going to

:

00:57:58,395 --> 00:58:03,555

be a term that we all will be using

pretty soon, and it all starts and

:

00:58:03,555 --> 00:58:05,535

ends with an internet connection.

:

00:58:06,044 --> 00:58:10,484

And so check on your people, check

on, check on anyone over 65, check

:

00:58:10,484 --> 00:58:12,345

on them, but not even just them.

:

00:58:12,345 --> 00:58:16,544

People have kids check on them because

the first bill that goes is your

:

00:58:16,544 --> 00:58:18,555

internet bill when things get rough.

:

00:58:19,125 --> 00:58:21,285

And if you are going to.

:

00:58:22,035 --> 00:58:26,625

At any point, pause someone's growth

and development with technology.

:

00:58:26,865 --> 00:58:32,475

Just understand that from a global

standpoint, America, every year we fall

:

00:58:32,475 --> 00:58:34,515

in our rankings of connected people.

:

00:58:35,174 --> 00:58:39,884

So if black people and brown people were

able to take this, this conversation

:

00:58:39,884 --> 00:58:45,314

seriously, I'll tell you, please, please,

please make sure you are investing in

:

00:58:45,314 --> 00:58:49,365

the technology and not in just, not just

for you, but for your tribe and your

:

00:58:49,365 --> 00:58:50,865

family that we're able to move forward.

:

00:58:50,865 --> 00:58:54,555

Because if you're able to do that,

you will write the trajectory

:

00:58:54,584 --> 00:58:57,855

of a generation, because it only

takes one of us to get it right.

:

00:58:59,895 --> 00:58:59,896

Chris P. Reed:

:

00:58:59,896 --> 00:59:01,185

Good business, good business.

:

00:59:01,185 --> 00:59:03,825

Let me ask you this

before we, uh, move on.

:

00:59:04,064 --> 00:59:07,035

How could A Black Executive

Perspective podcast help you?

:

00:59:08,024 --> 00:59:09,044

Joshua Edmonds: Man, you already did.

:

00:59:09,105 --> 00:59:15,855

Um, I, I, I, one, I, I would just say

like, you know, let's, I, I would love to.

:

00:59:17,384 --> 00:59:22,665

I would love to do more with you all with

respect to even just more storytelling.

:

00:59:22,815 --> 00:59:26,775

Um, we'd love, heck, even if we

found one of our residents, like,

:

00:59:26,775 --> 00:59:29,895

or one of our customers, like, let,

we'd love to do something like that.

:

00:59:30,075 --> 00:59:35,565

Um, I know those are specifics, but

the bigger bucket is like as we're

:

00:59:35,660 --> 00:59:40,335

meeting and engaging with some of

our big tech partners, uh, Microsoft

:

00:59:40,335 --> 00:59:41,505

has been a big supporter of ours.

:

00:59:41,505 --> 00:59:46,605

We actually just did a, um, a documentary,

uh, release with them, um, for things

:

00:59:46,605 --> 00:59:49,455

like that and anything like that.

:

00:59:49,515 --> 00:59:56,060

I would love for BEP and Digital C where

we have a relationship where we can share

:

00:59:56,145 --> 01:00:01,815

and amplify because I don't want anyone

to feel like, man, when the minute a

:

01:00:01,815 --> 01:00:06,075

Google or Facebook or Microsoft approaches

them that they gotta figure out, it's

:

01:00:06,075 --> 01:00:07,245

like, no, we, we've already shown you.

:

01:00:07,245 --> 01:00:07,995

This is how you do it.

:

01:00:07,995 --> 01:00:10,455

This is how you navigate that

partnership successfully.

:

01:00:10,709 --> 01:00:14,549

And this is how you get the

replicable, uh, cyclical investment.

:

01:00:14,759 --> 01:00:17,669

And so I think that there's just

a lot of gems that, that we're

:

01:00:17,669 --> 01:00:19,319

acquiring in the work that we do.

:

01:00:19,439 --> 01:00:21,660

And I believe that this is

just a really great platform

:

01:00:21,689 --> 01:00:22,740

with respect to the viewers.

:

01:00:22,740 --> 01:00:25,439

You have what you all stand

for and empowering black

:

01:00:25,439 --> 01:00:27,480

executives to, to really kill it.

:

01:00:27,540 --> 01:00:30,209

I think that this is a, that would

be a really great opportunity.

:

01:00:30,209 --> 01:00:34,200

So, I don't know, I mean, just helping us

tell our story better as these wins come.

:

01:00:35,279 --> 01:00:35,281

Chris P. Reed:

:

01:00:35,281 --> 01:00:36,450

Where do we find the documentary?

:

01:00:37,109 --> 01:00:38,009

Is it already produced

:

01:00:38,069 --> 01:00:39,689

Joshua Edmonds: that It

is, it is already produced.

:

01:00:39,720 --> 01:00:42,419

Uh, I believe it's actually

on our website, www.Digital

:

01:00:42,419 --> 01:00:43,230

C.org.

:

01:00:43,290 --> 01:00:44,520

It's also on our YouTube.

:

01:00:44,879 --> 01:00:49,980

Um, and it's also links on our social

media, so on our Instagram Digital C org.

:

01:00:51,720 --> 01:00:52,020

Okay,

:

01:00:52,259 --> 01:00:52,649

Tony Tidbit: buddy.

:

01:00:52,799 --> 01:00:54,779

So consider it done, my brother.

:

01:00:54,810 --> 01:00:56,640

So we'll, we'll chat offline.

:

01:00:57,029 --> 01:00:58,740

We're gonna make something happen, right?

:

01:00:59,009 --> 01:00:59,609

Number one.

:

01:00:59,609 --> 01:01:03,149

I'm so impressed with you, my

man, and I'm, and I can speak

:

01:01:03,149 --> 01:01:05,459

for Chris too, what you're doing.

:

01:01:06,090 --> 01:01:08,610

Is, it is just, it's no words for it, man.

:

01:01:08,610 --> 01:01:15,090

You are, you are, you've taken a

big, um, bolder and you're moving

:

01:01:15,090 --> 01:01:19,530

it down a hill and it's only gonna,

you're gonna get more momentum.

:

01:01:19,770 --> 01:01:24,660

But for what you're doing and how

you're changing lives and helping,

:

01:01:24,990 --> 01:01:30,270

you know, people, even with their

skepticism, even with their fear, right?

:

01:01:30,270 --> 01:01:34,350

You're keeping them in the

21st century to be fair, okay?

:

01:01:34,350 --> 01:01:35,880

That's what you're doing, right?

:

01:01:36,120 --> 01:01:41,610

So I'm a big fan and whatever we

can do to support you, help you.

:

01:01:42,360 --> 01:01:43,290

It's done, my brother.

:

01:01:43,290 --> 01:01:44,460

So count as it.

:

01:01:45,270 --> 01:01:46,740

Joshua Edmonds: Absolutely, man.

:

01:01:46,740 --> 01:01:48,750

Look, I, this is beautiful.

:

01:01:48,750 --> 01:01:49,650

I appreciate y'all.

:

01:01:49,650 --> 01:01:50,730

I appreciate and thank you.

:

01:01:50,790 --> 01:01:52,590

Shout out to cold m for

making this connection.

:

01:01:53,009 --> 01:01:53,850

Tony Tidbit: Absolutely, bro.

:

01:01:54,150 --> 01:01:55,590

That's what we do, right?

:

01:01:55,590 --> 01:01:56,460

That's what we do.

:

01:01:56,910 --> 01:01:58,080

So my brother.

:

01:01:58,920 --> 01:02:01,529

Josh Edmonds, CEO of Digital C.

:

01:02:01,529 --> 01:02:04,740

We want to thank him for being on A

Black Executive Perspective podcast.

:

01:02:04,890 --> 01:02:09,660

So now I think it's time for

Tony's Tidbit and the tidbit today.

:

01:02:10,440 --> 01:02:17,129

What good is technology, if it leaves

the most vulnerable behind the future for

:

01:02:17,160 --> 01:02:20,220

digital equity is the fight for justice.

:

01:02:20,609 --> 01:02:26,730

Ensuring everyone has a voice

in the digital age, and that

:

01:02:26,730 --> 01:02:29,549

we move forward together.

:

01:02:30,359 --> 01:02:33,600

And you heard a lot of that from

our, our partner, our friend

:

01:02:34,259 --> 01:02:36,450

Joshua Edmonds, CEO of Digital C.

:

01:02:38,190 --> 01:02:38,191

Chris P. Reed:

:

01:02:38,191 --> 01:02:40,860

This has been a powerful,

powerful episode and we, we

:

01:02:40,860 --> 01:02:42,750

absolutely enjoyed our guest here.

:

01:02:42,750 --> 01:02:46,140

We wanna remind you at this time

we have other powerful content,

:

01:02:46,200 --> 01:02:47,610

you know, that you can tune into.

:

01:02:47,610 --> 01:02:51,410

So need to know with Nsenga, don't

miss, need to Know with Nsenga, with Dr.

:

01:02:51,410 --> 01:02:54,765

Nsenga Burton on A Black Executive

Perspective podcast where Dr.

:

01:02:54,765 --> 01:02:58,230

Burton dives into timely and crucial

topics that also shape our community

:

01:02:58,230 --> 01:02:59,850

and our world tune in weekly.

:

01:02:59,850 --> 01:03:01,890

You absolutely do not

wanna miss the sister.

:

01:03:02,070 --> 01:03:02,820

She is powerful.

:

01:03:03,000 --> 01:03:03,660

Tony Tidbit: Absolutely.

:

01:03:03,660 --> 01:03:07,500

And you don't wanna miss the next

episode of Pull Up, Speak Up, where

:

01:03:07,500 --> 01:03:11,400

our round table gets together and

talks about the most provocative

:

01:03:11,400 --> 01:03:14,370

issues, real talk, real perspectives.

:

01:03:14,370 --> 01:03:16,200

You don't wanna miss it.

:

01:03:16,200 --> 01:03:18,870

This is not just an

episode, it's a revolution.

:

01:03:19,080 --> 01:03:20,610

So check out, Pull Up, Speak Up.

:

01:03:20,610 --> 01:03:24,180

The next Pull Up, Speak Up here on A

Black Executive Perspective Podcast.

:

01:03:24,450 --> 01:03:24,509

Yeah.

:

01:03:25,500 --> 01:03:25,501

Chris P. Reed:

:

01:03:25,501 --> 01:03:28,560

And then as we close out, we always wanna

remind you of the reason why we do this.

:

01:03:28,560 --> 01:03:30,990

Our goal is to eliminate

all forms of discrimination.

:

01:03:31,049 --> 01:03:34,890

And to achieve this, we ask

everyone to embrace LESS.

:

01:03:35,370 --> 01:03:38,009

And so we start off with

the first L for learn.

:

01:03:38,339 --> 01:03:41,609

Educate yourself on racial

and cultural nuances.

:

01:03:41,609 --> 01:03:42,540

We learned today.

:

01:03:42,870 --> 01:03:46,439

Ab, I learned about uploading down

those speeds and learned about, you

:

01:03:46,439 --> 01:03:50,640

know, how we are headed towards a census

that's gonna be completely online.

:

01:03:50,945 --> 01:03:54,845

Therefore we're not gonna be counted,

which is gonna encourage the voting

:

01:03:54,845 --> 01:03:57,995

and all these, it is gonna cascade, as

the brother said to different things.

:

01:03:57,995 --> 01:04:00,365

So that was a beautiful

lesson for me today.

:

01:04:00,515 --> 01:04:01,205

Tony Tidbit: Absolutely.

:

01:04:01,205 --> 01:04:05,165

And then after you learn, you have the

letter E, which stands for empathy.

:

01:04:05,375 --> 01:04:08,015

So you wanna understand

diverse perspectives and

:

01:04:08,015 --> 01:04:09,425

put yourself in their shoes.

:

01:04:09,515 --> 01:04:14,165

And again, to, Josh was saying that

poverty, there's a lot of people who

:

01:04:14,165 --> 01:04:17,375

cannot afford the internet, right?

:

01:04:17,465 --> 01:04:21,125

Not that they don't want it,

but they can't afford afford it.

:

01:04:21,215 --> 01:04:23,645

So when I think it, I'm putting

myself in their shoes and I

:

01:04:23,645 --> 01:04:25,535

understand where they're coming from.

:

01:04:26,975 --> 01:04:26,976

Chris P. Reed:

:

01:04:26,976 --> 01:04:30,965

The first S is for share, share

your insights and enlighten others.

:

01:04:30,965 --> 01:04:32,885

And this is what his mission is all about.

:

01:04:32,885 --> 01:04:34,445

Connectivity, which is sharing.

:

01:04:34,709 --> 01:04:36,419

So make sure that you share this.

:

01:04:36,419 --> 01:04:37,500

Don't hide it, divide it.

:

01:04:37,830 --> 01:04:38,549

Tony Tidbit: Absolutely.

:

01:04:38,549 --> 01:04:40,589

And the final S stands for Stop.

:

01:04:40,830 --> 01:04:45,089

We wanna stop all forms of

discrimination as it walks in our path.

:

01:04:45,330 --> 01:04:50,879

So if Uncle Joe or Auntie Jenny says

something inappropriate at the Sunday

:

01:04:50,879 --> 01:04:55,770

dinner table, you say, uncle Joe,

aunt Jenny, we don't believe that.

:

01:04:55,919 --> 01:04:57,209

We don't say that.

:

01:04:57,390 --> 01:04:59,189

And you stop it right there.

:

01:04:59,399 --> 01:05:07,140

So if everyone can incorporate less, LESS

will build a more fair, more understanding

:

01:05:07,140 --> 01:05:12,810

world, and we'll see the change that we

wanna see, because less will become more.

:

01:05:13,350 --> 01:05:13,351

Chris P. Reed:

:

01:05:13,351 --> 01:05:14,819

Thank you guys for tuning in.

:

01:05:14,819 --> 01:05:17,850

We definitely wanna make sure that

you tune in for previous episodes,

:

01:05:18,029 --> 01:05:21,569

future episodes, go to the website,

sign up for the newsletter.

:

01:05:21,600 --> 01:05:22,980

Leave us a review.

:

01:05:23,130 --> 01:05:26,190

Talk to us about what you learned here and

what you'd like to learn in the future.

:

01:05:26,370 --> 01:05:29,670

Make sure you rate and subscribe

wherever you have, uh, access to us.

:

01:05:29,670 --> 01:05:31,440

Make sure you like and thumbs up, Tony.

:

01:05:31,440 --> 01:05:32,250

Where can they find us,

:

01:05:32,279 --> 01:05:32,940

Tony Tidbit: my friend?

:

01:05:32,970 --> 01:05:37,830

You can find A Black Executive Perspective

podcast on YouTube, apple, Spotify,

:

01:05:38,069 --> 01:05:40,110

or wherever you get your podcast.

:

01:05:40,110 --> 01:05:45,029

And you can follow us on our socials

of LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook,

:

01:05:45,360 --> 01:05:50,940

Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at a

black exec for our fabulous guest, the

:

01:05:50,940 --> 01:05:54,600

CEO of Digital C Joshua Edwin Edmonds.

:

01:05:54,839 --> 01:05:58,319

For the co-host with the most,

my boy down in Dallas, Chris P.

:

01:05:58,319 --> 01:06:00,089

Reed I'm Tony Tidbit.

:

01:06:00,360 --> 01:06:01,620

We talked about it.

:

01:06:01,770 --> 01:06:03,060

We learned about it.

:

01:06:03,240 --> 01:06:07,200

We're still gonna strive about it

and we're gonna thrive about it.

:

01:06:07,259 --> 01:06:08,250

We love you.

:

01:06:08,490 --> 01:06:09,240

And guess what?

:

01:06:09,360 --> 01:06:09,810

We're out

:

01:06:14,009 --> 01:06:16,620

BEP Narrator: A Black

Executive Perspective.

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About the Podcast

TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective
Reshaping Leadership & Diversity in Corporate America
About the Podcast: "TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective" offers a deep dive into the corporate world through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hosted by Tony Franklin, aka Tony Tidbit, this podcast shines a light on vital conversations around race, leadership, and diversity, fostering understanding and change.

https://ablackexec.com

Meet Your Host: Tony Franklin has over three decades of corporate experience and provides transformative insights into diversity and inclusion, making each episode a journey of learning and empowerment.

Why You Should Listen:
- Diverse Perspectives: Insights from a variety of voices on challenges and triumphs in the corporate sphere.
-Action-Oriented: Practical advice for advocating equity and allyship in the workplace.
- Educational & Empathetic: A focus on empathy and education to drive impactful change.

What to Expect: #BEPpodcast brings powerful transformations, empowering voices, addressing barriers, and delving into topics reshaping Corporate America. It's a platform uniting diverse voices and making a significant impact.

Stay Connected:
Follow @ablackexec on social media for insights and visit ablackexec.com for updates and additional content.

Listen & Subscribe:
"TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective" is available on:
Apple Podcasts: https://ablackexec.com/apple
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Other Platforms: https://ablackexec.com/listen

Join us in transforming the narrative on race, leadership, and diversity in Corporate America. Your participation matters!

#BEPpodcast #TonyTidbit #CorporateDiversity #Inclusion #Leadership #RaceInCorporate #DiversityMatters #DEI

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About your host

Profile picture for Tony Franklin

Tony Franklin

Tony Franklin, the esteemed host of "TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective," is a dynamic and insightful leader with over 30 years of experience navigating the complexities of corporate America. With a career marked by leadership roles across various industries, Tony brings a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective to the podcast. His journey is one of resilience, determination, and an unwavering commitment to driving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.

A passionate advocate for change, Tony initiated the groundbreaking "Conversations about Race" series in his workplace following the social unrest of 2020. This series laid the foundation for the podcast, offering a platform for open, honest discussions about race and the Black executive experience in corporate America. Through his engaging conversations with guests, Tony explores themes of adversity, exclusion, and implicit bias, while also highlighting the strategies that have helped break down racial barriers.

Tony's approachable style and depth of experience make him an influential voice in the DEI space. His dedication to fostering an inclusive environment is evident in each episode, where he provides actionable guidance for being a better advocate and ally. "TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective" is not just a podcast; it's a movement towards a more equitable corporate landscape, led by Tony's visionary leadership and empathetic voice.