Why Digital Literacy Is the New Small Business Skill | Do Small Business like a Big Boss

Thinking about turning your side project into a nonprofit or small business? Ian Kimble breaks down exactly what to lock in early — starting with the two moves most founders put off too long. Ian Kimble is the co-founder and executive director of Black Tech Philly, a Philadelphia nonprofit expanding access to tech education, digital literacy, and AI literacy. What started as a conversation with a stranger coding in a coffee shop back in 2019 is now a program running in four Philadelphia schools, hosting city-wide Tech Town Halls, and building a growing community of tech professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs. Aisha and Ian talk through the free legal resources that helped him formalize the organization, the importance of building the right kind of culture that shaped how his team hires and holds people accountable, and how storytelling — not advertising — became his biggest lead source. 💡 What You'll Learn How to find free legal help for 501(c)(3) formation through pro bono lawyer programs like Philly VIP Why culture isn't your website's mission statement — it's the worst behavior you're willing to tolerate — and how to set that standard early How showing up in person and telling one specific, sticky story about your business turns into inbound leads How to balance a full-time job with building your business in the early days without burning out ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:02 – Welcome & meet Ian Kimble 00:55 – The coffee shop conversation that started Black Tech Philly 02:20 – What Black Tech Philly does today 05:20 – Is the appetite really there for tech & AI literacy? 09:39 – Deepfakes, media literacy, and “trust but verify” 12:23 – Getting free legal help early through Philly VIP 16:03 – The real definition of company culture 19:39 – How a LinkedIn shoutout sparked momentum 21:15 – Turning story and “being in the field” into inbound leads 28:27 – From political science to insurance sales to code 32:23 – The moment coding became “the thing” 33:53 – Building a sales pipeline for community partnerships 35:48 – Balancing a full-time job while building the org 43:06 – Why the name “Black Tech Philly” was intentional 44:57 – What “Do Small Business Like a Big Boss” means to Ian 46:06 – Where to find Black Tech Philly 🎤 About Our Guest Ian Kimble is the co-founder and executive director of Black Tech Philly, a Philadelphia-based educational nonprofit founded in spring 2020, focused on expanding access to technology, digital literacy, and AI literacy across the city. Website: https://blacktechphilly.org Ian on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/iank6 Take the free Small Business Legal Risk Self-Assessment and get clarity before a contract, a lawsuit, or a bad partnership does it for you. 👉 Grab your assessment here: www.smallbizzlegalguide.com 🔗 Stay Connected with Sedgwick Andrews: Follow us across all platforms for legal tips, business strategy, and boss-level motivation: 👉 https://linktr.ee/Sedgwick_Andrews_LC Podcast Mantra: Build the dream messy, build it scared, just don't build it small.