Landon Buford
In the realm of social networking platforms, there are few that stand out as boldly as CommunityX—a digital hub for changemakers determined to make a difference. Behind this innovative platform is Chloë Cheyenne, a visionary entrepreneur whose personal experiences have shaped her mission to effect positive social change.
In this revealing interview, we delve into the genesis of CommunityX and the driving forces behind its creation. Chloë’s journey is marked by adversity, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Raised in the crucible of Chicago’s South Side, she witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of systemic injustice and violence, with her own family bearing the scars of police brutality and loss. It was these experiences, coupled with a desire to honor the memory of her loved ones, that sparked the idea for CommunityX—a platform dedicated to empowering individuals to mobilize for change.
At the heart of CommunityX lies a powerful mission: to provide a space for changemakers to connect, organize, and take action on issues that matter most to them. Unlike traditional social networking platforms, CommunityX is purpose-built for those who seek to drive meaningful impact, offering a suite of tools and resources to facilitate everything from fundraising campaigns to grassroots activism.
Yet, despite its rapid growth and undeniable impact, CommunityX faces challenges familiar to many startups, chief among them fundraising. Chloë candidly addresses the disparities in venture capital funding and the uphill battle of securing investment as a Black woman founder—a struggle that only fuels her determination to succeed against the odds.
Drawing on her personal ethos and life experiences, Chloë’s leadership style at CommunityX is characterized by authenticity, empathy, and a deep sense of purpose. She emphasizes the importance of surrounding herself with a team that shares her core values, ensuring that every decision is guided by a commitment to social impact and positive change.
The impact of CommunityX speaks volumes, with success stories ranging from fundraising campaigns for victims of police violence to grassroots movements that have sparked national awareness. Chloë takes pride in the platform’s ability to empower users to make a tangible difference in their communities, providing a beacon of hope in an often tumultuous world.
Looking to the future, Chloë envisions CommunityX as the preeminent platform for social change, leveraging collective power to influence policy, drive systemic change, and shape the future of activism. With plans to scale and expand its reach, CommunityX is poised to revolutionize the way we mobilize for social justice in the years to come.
How did you first conceive of the idea for CommunityX? What motivated you to establish CommunityX?
Every morning when I wake up and night before I go to sleep, I think about 3 things: god, my daughter, and making a positive impact on the world. And I know exactly how I became this person. I’m a mixed race kid from the south side of Chicago. I lost 4 cousins to gun violence before the age of 18. My uncle was viciously gunned down by Chicago police on his front door step. My own father was getting ready for work one evening when Chicago police raided my grandmother’s townhome unannounced and shot my dad over 12 times – in his head and groin area. As my dad lay bleeding on the floor, police physically assaulted him and did not call an ambulance. Thank god my mom was there and rushed him to the hospital. With great skepticism, doctors operated on him and managed to save his life. However, the better part of my childhood was consumed by my dad’s physical recovery where he had to learn how to walk again and regain all of his motor skills. And by his trial where he was fighting for his innocence facing 20 years in prison. So yeah, I know exactly how I became this person. And it was never more apparent than when I was working for Google, and saw the company’s reaction to Mike Brown Jr’s murder in Ferguson, MO. Googlers everywhere wanted to make a tangible difference, but lacked a platform to enable that impact. That’s how the idea for CommunityX was born.
Can you describe the mission of CommunityX and how it differentiates itself from other social networking platforms?
CommunityX is the world’s first online community for changemakers to connect and unite around calls to action such as events, petitions, fundraisers, and more. While we have a social network infrastructure, our platform caters specifically to people who want to make positive change in the world.
As the CEO and Founder of CommunityX, what are the main challenges you face?
Fundraising continues to be our biggest challenge. Even despite all of our impact, traction, and success stories – we grew from 20,000 users to 800,000 users in 12 months! If any white cis male founder had those metrics, he would be working with millions in venture funding. But because venture capitalists only fund .02% Black Women, and those that do get funded aren’t typically building impact companies, we constantly struggle to bring in funding.
How have your experiences and background influenced your leadership style at CommunityX?
The work I do is who I am, so I like to hire people that share that same life perspective. And when it comes to leadership and management, of course we need to make sure that the work gets done. But because we all share the same core values and understand the urgency behind what we’re building, that’s never really been an issue. So I don’t really “think” about being a leader, as much as I think about being the best person I can do to my team and to our users. I believe that the rest will follow.
CommunityX has a focus on social impact. Can you provide some examples of how your platform is facilitating positive change? Can you share a success story or a milestone that CommunityX has achieved that you’re particularly proud of?
To date, our platform has processed over $1M in donation transactions, and we’ve registered hundreds and thousands of petition signatures and event RSVPs. We helped Tyre Nichols’ mother raise over $1M after her son was brutally murdered by Memphis police. We helped an indigenous family in Alaska regain custody of their 4 year old that was stolen from her tribe. We helped local activists in Hawai’i raise national awareness around a leaking fuel bunker that was poisoning their drinking water. We’ve helped immigrant families with mutual aid. Hundreds and thousands of changemakers around the world have used our platform to make a positive difference in the world.
How do you ensure that CommunityX remains a safe and inclusive platform for all its users?
We put user safety and data security first. We understand the sensitivity of our users’ needs and content, so we follow all of the standard practices to keep them safe, and we’re constantly looking for ways to be even more effective.
How do you see CommunityX evolving over the next five years?
We will definitely be the world’s leading platform for change. We just need to keep building and focus on bringing in the right partners to help scale our success.
What would you say is the most important factor in building a successful online community platform?
Tech startups definitely need a founder or pair of cofounders that have a well balanced skillset. The two big things are business acumen and engineering capability. In other words, you need someone who knows how to run a company, and someone who knows how to code.
How do you balance the need for profitability with the mission of social impact at CommunityX?
I think it’s interesting that we get asked this question so often. Facebook and Twitter weren’t monetizing until years after they gained popularity. And it took them even longer to become profitable. We’re a consumer platform so the reality is no different for us. First, we need to get to 1M monthly active users – and the good news is that we’re almost there. Once we do that, we can look at advertising possibilities and user promoted content.
How do you foresee the future of social networking and how does CommunityX fit into that vision?
For us it’s more about how we see the future of systemic change. Over the past 5 years, we’ve seen more and more policies, trials, etc. being influenced by public outrage. That’s a great sign for CommunityX. The more our App is able to build collective power, the more we will be able to have influence over what’s happening in this world.
What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who are seeking to make a social impact through their ventures?
Don’t hesitate.
How do you manage your personal work-life balance, and what strategies do you use to maintain productivity and well-being?
It’s not possible. Everything is always up in the air all at once. There’s no balance – there’s only doing your best to make sure nothing hits the floor.
What is one thing you wish you knew before you started CommunityX?
I wish that I had a rich uncle like my white cis male peers. I wish that I had a Stanford alumni network that I could tap for funding. But I don’t. And that only deepens my grit and determination to outperform everyone around me.
How do you incorporate user feedback into the development and growth of CommunityX?
We have several in app features that allow users to provide feedback. Also, users that use our platform to raise funding or petition signatures always have direct access to our team, and sometimes even my direct cell.
Finally, what message would you like to share with the CommunityX users and the wider public about your vision for the platform?
We can’t thank our users enough for trusting CommunityX with their extremely sensitive and personal needs. We do our best to give everyone the support they need to seek justice, restoration, and peace in general.
