Forge Series Presents:
Making What Matters — with Evidence
A full-day immersive workshop for aspiring founders of color. Learn how to validate your idea, design what truly matters, and test it before you launch — all in one day.
Why the Forge Series?
Too many entrepreneurs build the wrong thing — too fast, too confidently, and too alone.
Forge Series is a bold response to that problem. It's a workshop hub designed for Black and Brown entrepreneurs, giving you the tools, mindset, and process to build businesses that are validated, intentional, and impactful.
This first workshop introduces you to the Forge Framework — a 3-step system that walks you through discovery, design, and testing with validate. In just one day, you’ll learn how to stop building on assumptions and start building what matters — with evidence.
Workshop Focus:
All Three Core Phases in One Day
1. Needs Identification & Evidence-Based Consumer Discovery
Learn how to ask the right questions, conduct live interviews, and make customers co-designers.
2. Design Specification & MVP
Turn your discovery insights into a functional blueprint. Prioritize core features, cut the fluff, and define a simple, testable version of your solution.
3. Verification, Validation & Failure Modes
Test your assumptions and explore early ways to validate your concept. What does real-world traction look like — and how will you measure it?
You’ll walk away with a full Discovery Deck, a customer persona map, a draft MVP spec, and a lean validation plan.
Workshop Schedule
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | Registration, Coffee & Check-In |
| 9:00 – 10:00 | Session 1: Needs Discovery & Interview Mapping |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | Session 2: Design Specs + MVP Feature Prioritization |
| 1:00 – 2:00 | Session 3: Validation Paths & Early Testing Ideas |
| 3:00 – 4:00 | Group Presentations + Peer Feedback |
| 4:00 – 5:00 | Reflections, Surveys, and Certificate Handout |
Meet the Speakers
Opening Speaker
Rishab Shyam, Ph.D.
Founder of bio/tech focused companies
Speaker Topic (Virtual): Funding What Matters — How Early-Stage Founders Attract the Right Capital
Rishab Shyam, Ph.D., is a biomedical engineer and venture builder helping breakthrough ideas become fundable businesses. Formerly at PureTech Ventures (now PureTech Health), he’s led the creation of biotech platforms and co-founded startups in collaboration with industry giants like Roche and Boehringer Ingelheim.
With experience at Flagship Pioneering and as an advisor to SpaceX, Rishab brings a strategic lens to capital, innovation, and growth. At The Forge Series, he opens the day with a virtual keynote to help founders raise mission-aligned capital and build with investor-ready clarity from the start.
Main Speaker
Solomon Arko Mensah, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO, Therapeutic Innovations, Inc.
Speaker Topic: Needs Identification & Evidence-Based Customer Discovery
Dr. Solomon Arko Mensah is a biomedical innovator and entrepreneurial leader driving global impact through science. As Founder and CEO of Therapeutic Innovations, Inc., he is at the forefront of creating groundbreaking health technologies that improve lives in underserved communities. Dr. Mensah earned his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where his research focused on engineering tools for regenerative medicine and therapeutic delivery.
With a passion for advancing equitable health outcomes and entrepreneurship among communities of color, Dr. Mensah is a sought-after speaker and mentor. His work spans academic innovation, product development, and translational science. Through The Forge Series, he equips emerging founders with frameworks to uncover what truly matters to customers — before building a product.
Second Speaker
Ibraheem Badejo, Ph.D.
Senior Director, Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Adjunct Professor, Drexel University
Speaker Topic: Design Specification & MVP Feature Prioritization
Dr. Ibraheem (Ib) Badejo is an innovation executive with over two decades of experience in biomaterials, smart medical devices, and front-end R&D strategy. He currently serves as Senior Director at Johnson & Johnson MedTech and an Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Drexel University. Ib is the recipient of 24 U.S. patents and has led multiple innovations from lab discovery to licensed commercial products.
Previously the Chief Scientist at Closure Medical (acquired by J&J), Ib has held research and director-level roles at Bayer, PNC, and North Carolina State University. His leadership in early-stage innovation, intellectual property, and commercialization has shaped the future of biosurgical and wound care products. At The Forge Series, Dr. Badejo offers practical insight into how to design meaningful MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) based on emotional specifications and real-world validation.
Third Speaker
Christopher Quaye
Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley
Co-Chair, Boston DEI Council
Speaker Topic: Validation Paths & Financial Readiness for Founders
Christopher Quaye is a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley, serving high-net-worth individuals, athletes, entertainers, and medical professionals with wealth and legacy strategies. With a degree in Economics and a full athletic scholarship from Rutgers University, Chris brings both discipline and business acumen to his work in financial planning and advisory services.
At Morgan Stanley, he helps clients navigate complex wealth-building pathways while also championing inclusion as the Co-Chair of the Boston Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council. Through The Forge Series, Chris empowers aspiring founders to think beyond the product — and build businesses with sound financial validation, sustainable structure, and generational impact.
“Build with intention. Test with humility. Launch with proof.”
What you'll get
- Full-day immersive training across all 3 phases
- Live coaching + small group peer support
- Printed workbook, templates, and discovery maps
- Lunch, light breakfast, and afternoon refreshments
- Certificate of participation
- Access to the Forge Circle: a post-workshop founder group
is this for you?
You're a perfect fit if you:
Have an idea but haven’t validated it with real people
Are building your first business and want structure
Launched something before and it flopped
Need tools that are simple, actionable, and proven
Want to build with people like you, not despite being you
Contact Us
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a finished business idea to attend?
No. You need a problem you care about solving. We’ll help you shape the rest.