KweliTV Streams Content For the Global Black Community, Filling a Gap in the Industry
*By Conor White*
KweliTV wants to give people of color a voice on screen.
DeShuna Elisa Spencer, founder and CEO of the new streaming service, told Cheddar she came up with the idea because she couldn't relate to what was being offered.
"I remember flipping through a couple of channels, a lot of channels actually, and being really frustrated," she explained. "Not seeing stories I could relate to, not seeing enough black actors, people behind the camera, noticing they don't have a role as well, and from there I said, 'What can I do about it?'"
A study by UCLA's College of Social Sciences found that people of color represent 40 percent of the U.S. population, but they made up less than 15 percent of lead roles in 2016's top films. But Kweli is betting there is a place for films focusing on the global black population.
Spencer launched the streaming platform last September using her own money, to create a home for films, shows, and documentaries that told the stories of the African diaspora.
The selection has gotten critical notice: 98% of the movies on Kweli are official film festival selections. But Spencer said that simply being part of a film festival wasn't enough.
"People think the film has to have a black director or a black cast, but it's much more than that," said Spencer. "Kweli means truth, and so our mission is to create content that's a true reflection. So even those being in film festivals, we want to make sure it's not monolithic or demeaning or stereotypical for our community."
KweliTV's goal is to have 30,000 paying subscribers by the end of 2018.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-truth-about-kwelitv).
Ashleigh Hinde, Founder and CEO of WALDO, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss why now is a good time to make eyecare a priority, and how they are democratizing access to eyecare for all.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: WALDO CEO breaks down why now is a good time to make eyecare a priority, and how they are democratizing access to eyecare for all; COO at PetDx explains how next-generation sequencing technology is being used to detect cancer in pets early; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Inside The Mind of a Con Artist.'
Plans to add affordable housing to a development in Yellow Springs, Ohio, were squashed after comedian Dave Chappelle and other community members spoke out against the project. Chappelle threatened to pull the plug on his local comedy club and restaurant projects if the development had been approved.
Jason Moser, Senior Analyst at The Motley Fool, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to talk about the big takeaways from Disney's Q1 report, which showed the company nearing 130 million Disney+ subscribers as parks revenue ticks up.
Shares of Canadian cannabis giant Canopy Growth surged after the company reported Q3 earnings Wednesday morning, with shares up more than 15 percent at the close of the day's trading session. Despite net revenue declining year-over-year, Canopy beat analyst expectations and has ramped up efforts to develop a "THC ecosystem' in the U.S. Canopy Growth's CEO, David Klein, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the report. He noted that its brands Storz & Bickel vaporizers and BioSteel beverages showed record growth.
Florists are dreading weekend pickups for this year's Valentine's Day, which lands on a Monday. Christina Stembel, founder and CEO of Farmgirl Flowers joined Cheddar News to discuss the challenges presented by shortages caused by supply chain issues, lack of labor, and climate change and how her company is preparing for this year's holiday. “A Monday delivery is just really hard for small businesses like us," said Stembel. "Larger companies have the scale that some of the large transportation carriers will provide a Sunday pick up for Monday delivery, but for small companies like us, that's not an option. So we have to try to convince people to order early."
PLAY, a low-cost airline headquartered in Iceland, is expanding service to New York Stewart International Airport, marking its third destination in the United States. PLAY is the latest affordable carrier to fly onto the scene, debuting its first flights a little more than six months ago. Birgir Jonsson, CEO of PLAY, joined Cheddar to discuss what this expansion means for the airline and what it's been like to lead a new airline during a pandemic. "For us to get into the market now, have the availability of great, brand new aircraft at historically low prices, and basically being able to secure a low operating cost base for the future is a completely rare opportunity," Jonsson said. "We can get into the market now when our competitors are also weak."
