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

<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p></p><p><b>💡 What You'll Learn</b></p><ul><li>How to find free legal help for 501(c)(3) formation through pro bono lawyer programs like Philly VIP</li><li>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</li><li>How showing up in person and telling one specific, sticky story about your business turns into inbound leads<p></p></li><li>How to balance a full-time job with building your business in the early days without burning out</li></ul><p></p><p><b>⏱️ Episode Timestamps</b></p><p>00:02 – Welcome &amp; meet Ian Kimble</p><p>00:55 – The coffee shop conversation that started Black Tech Philly</p><p>02:20 – What Black Tech Philly does today</p><p>05:20 – Is the appetite really there for tech &amp; AI literacy?</p><p>09:39 – Deepfakes, media literacy, and “trust but verify”</p><p>12:23 – Getting free legal help early through Philly VIP</p><p>16:03 – The real definition of company culture</p><p>19:39 – How a LinkedIn shoutout sparked momentum</p><p>21:15 – Turning story and “being in the field” into inbound leads</p><p>28:27 – From political science to insurance sales to code</p><p>32:23 – The moment coding became “the thing”</p><p>33:53 – Building a sales pipeline for community partnerships</p><p>35:48 – Balancing a full-time job while building the org</p><p>43:06 – Why the name “Black Tech Philly” was intentional</p><p>44:57 – What “Do Small Business Like a Big Boss” means to Ian</p><p>46:06 – Where to find Black Tech Philly</p><p><br /></p><p><b>🎤 About Our Guest</b