Local woman becomes first African-American woman in Tennessee to raise over 1M for startup

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A local entrepreneur is the first African-American woman in Tennessee to raise more than $1,000,000 for a start-up company. The company is called “Possip” and aims to open up dialogue between parents and teachers.

For Shani Dowell, it all started as an idea she just couldn’t shake. The former educator and current parent would hear the concerns in group chats with parents about their kids schools, and the educator in her knew that a lot of these issues could be fixed with an open dialogue.

“What if we made it really easy for district and school leaders to hear from parents and families? Sometimes it can become more, it feels like we’re not on the same page when in reality we are on the same page,” Dowell said.

So she started “Possip,” which stands for positive gossip. It’s a way for parents and teachers to make their voices heard, and districts to figure out the issues before they hit a boiling point. Or, on the other hand, hear about what they’re doing right.

“It opens it up so that, we’re as a society, we struggle to have conversations, especially around lines of difference, so to have a space to start the conversation so that you as a parent or as a teacher can say here’s my experience,” Dowell explained.

In just over two years, the business has spread to more than 400 schools in 19 states, and Dowell has become the first African-American woman in Tennessee to raise more than a million dollars for a startup.

“It’s not ideal that I’m the first or that we’re even counting, but it’s important to highlight so that other folks know it’s possible,” Dowell said.

We reached out to Metro Schools. They use Possip and say it’s been a great tool for communicating and opening up conversation. We asked other districts around Middle Tennessee what they’re doing to open up similar conversations and are waiting on responses.