The Tea Blend: May 11, 2026

Written By Jayde I. Powell

A blend of opportunities, events, reads, and more.

Opportunities

  • Famous Amos' Ingredients for Success program invites Black small business owners to apply for a chance to win $50,000, along with access to mentorship, educational resources, and networking opportunities. Applications close June 1st.

  • Google and Kickstarter have launched the Next Wave Fund, a joint initiative offering early-stage tech startup founders a $10,000 pledge, hands-on campaign guidance, Google training, and marketing exposure. Applications are open now on a rolling basis.

  • The Entreprenista Evolve Grant is a quarterly $5,000 grant for U.S.-based women founders with revenue-generating businesses who are ready to scale. Applications are open now.

  • ADCOLOR Leaders is now accepting applications for its 2026 program — a curated leadership development experience in Los Angeles for creative industry professionals with 15+ years of experience. Apply for your chance to be one of 30 selected participants.

  • Sprout Social is looking for creators to join their Cannes Creator Connection — a cohort of storytellers to serve as their eyes and ears on the ground at Cannes Lions, with opportunities for paid content partnerships and exclusive access throughout the festival. Apply to be considered.

  • Forbes 30 Under 30 nominations are now open for the 2027 list. If you’re 29 or younger and making moves in your industry, submit your nomination today.

events  

  • Slate is hosting The Social Social Club: SMM? More Like Media Mogul, a virtual panel on May 13th at 12pm ET, exploring how social media managers can step into their power as full media producers. Register online. - Jayde is speaking!

  • Creator Economy Live is hosting Enough With One-Off Campaigns: Rethinking Influencer Marketing at Scale, a virtual roundtable on May 13th at 11am ET for in-house influencer marketers. Spots are limited to 12, and registration is first-come, first-served.

  • AAF Atlanta is hosting an Inclusion Workshop Lunch presented by Chemistry on May 14th, focused on turning inclusive intent into impactful execution across strategy, creative, and customer experience. Join industry leaders for a panel discussion and hands-on breakout sessions in Atlanta.

  • LinkedIn and beehiiv are hosting Where Top Creators Build, an intimate evening of networking, platform updates, and creator conversations for newsletter builders and LinkedIn creators, on Thursday, May 14. Taking place at LinkedIn’s Empire State Building office in New York City. Registration is invite-only and subject to approval.

  • Lettuce is hosting the Solo Summit, a free one-day virtual event on May 14th packed with masterclass sessions on tax strategy, client pipeline building, AI workflows, and more — designed specifically for solopreneurs ready to get intentional about their business.

  • RedNote is hosting a Content Studio & Mixer Pop-Up on May 16th from 1:30 – 5pm in Central LA — a creator playground complete with free photography, content sets, a live DJ, mystery box drops, and networking with the RedNote team. Spots are limited, and RSVP is required.

  • Creator Economy NYC is hosting a Creator Spring Mixer, an evening of networking and connection for creators, marketers, and founders in New York City, on Tuesday, May 19th. Space is limited.

  • Later is hosting Made You Look Ep. 2: Celebrity Sells, Community Scales, a live conversation on May 20th at 12pm ET, unpacking how brands use creators to turn founder visibility into lasting community equity. Register online.

  • Harlow is hosting Harlow Homebase, a free one-day virtual conference on May 21st for freelancers, founders, and creators ready to grow their revenue — featuring six expert-led sessions on pricing, legal, financial infrastructure, and building a sustainable solo business.

  • Pretty Little Marketer is hosting Unpopular Opinions, a free weekly webinar series every Thursday in May featuring marketers sharing takes they actually stand behind — including LinkedIn is cool now (May 14), Long-form is so back (May 21), and What brands get wrong on Substack (May 28). Register once for the full series.

  • Adobe is hosting a series of events for creatives across multiple cities from May to June — including Philadelphia, New York, Toronto, Chicago, and New York (June).

  • Creators 4 Mental Health and The Lighthouse are hosting Realities of Mental Health in the Creator Economy on May 29th from 3:30 – 7pm, an intimate afternoon of honest dialogue, grounding exercises, and community connection for creators in Los Angeles. Registration requires host approval.

  • Jayde I. Powell is hosting her Chronically Online Virtual Social Media Summit on June 30th in celebration of Social Media Day — a full day of conversations for brand marketers, agency professionals, creators, and influencer marketing pros. Early-bird tickets are now available for purchase!

NEWS & READS

REPORTS & RESOURCES

  • Sprout Social’s 2026 Social Intelligence Report explores how organizations can turn real-time social insights into a competitive advantage — and why social intelligence is expected to surpass traditional market research by 2029.

  • Zoom’s Rise of the Solopreneur Report draws on insights from nearly 3,000 solopreneur applicants across 48 states, exploring how independent business owners are using AI to scale, grow, and compete — without a team.

  • Figma’s State of the Designer 2026 report reveals how designers are embracing AI as a creative tailwind — working faster, collaborating better, and producing higher-quality work — while leaning into craft and creative autonomy as the true differentiators.


JOBS & GIGS

Jayde I. Powell http://www.twitter.com/jaydeipowell
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The Tea Blend: April 24, 2026