Meet Gina Diggs | Social Impact Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gina Diggs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gina, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
B4 SMART City creates social impact by helping people build what often matters most-but is rarely taught: identity, relationships, and access. B4 will scale to become a social capital engine that helps businesses and individuals get seen, connected, and postured for opportunity, on a global scale. We believe opportunity flows through people–relationships are the invisible currency that helps communities grow, prosper, and thrive and B4 SMART City is creating a relationship infrastructure that addresses cultural and economic empowerment for underserved communities.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve spent 25+ years in the Aerospace industry, most of that time solving mission critical business and system problems across DoD, NASA, and FAA–environments where failure is not an option. What I realized is that while we’ve engineered highly sophisticated infrastructure for aviation and defense, we’ve never built infrastructure for something equally critical–access to opportunity. After 2020, I tested this hypothesis by launching a non-profit and conducted structured research into systemic barriers in BIPOC communities. This insight was consistent: lack of social capital is the bottleneck. B4 is the system level solution to that problem.

Although married into my name–Diggs–I often find myself Digging for solutions. During my time at Booz Allen Hamilton as a strategic consultant, I led a pro-bono initiative that took a domestic violence shelter at the brink of closure and transformed it into an award-winning organization with an increase of 80% efficiencies in under 2 years. The shelter has become a benchmark, recognized state-level for its best practices and community impact.

But I’m most proud of my children, I’m a mother of 5, and am cheering them on as they pave their way and make a positive impact in the respective spaces they are in.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in the ATL and I’m still learning all that Atlanta has to offer! Depending on our mood–we may need to wind down or turn up–and Atlanta offers it all! Some of my favorite things I’d probably like to include in a weekend itinerary would most likely include a massage, a winery, checking out a jazzy spot with some delicious eats, and of course great networking!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Who doesn’t deserve a shoutout?! Everyone person, every job, every unfavorable situation, every success helped shape me and helped refine this God-given idea! I was bold enough to walk in purpose, left corporate America in 2020, started a Non-profit to get more clarity, conduct market validation around the systemic issues and need for strategic solutions of BIPOC communities. Thankful for my husband, Daimon Diggs who supported me in this discovery phase. Thankful for the co-founders of BLACKBiz Foundations who came along beside me for a season, And thankful for my Parents who instilled in me the character and mindset that could withstand the ups and downs inevitable in any entrepreneurial journey.

Website: https://www.joinb4.com

Instagram: Be Known B4

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-diggs-5a85b55/

Facebook: BeKnownB4

Youtube: Be Known B4

Image Credits
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