Dawn’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2001 with the launch of TheUrbanStarr.com, one of the first entertainment websites in the U.S., created during the early consumer internet era. The platform grew to over 100,000 users in Central Ohio and pioneered email marketing in the region. In 2005, she co-founded D1 Consulting, which started as a marketing and events firm and has since evolved into a respected consulting agency focused on real estate development and investment across Africa.
Her university studies in Journalism and Information Technology set the foundation. She further sharpened her entrepreneurial expertise through prestigious programs including Techstars, Canopy Boulder, Brinks Hong Kong, and Nasdaq Milestone Makers. A fierce advocate for access to capital, Dawn has helped founders raise over $50 million and has served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at OneDay and a mentor with the Bola Ray Entrepreneur Institute in Ghana.
In 2011, she launched Flat Out of Heels, a women’s shoe brand that generated millions in revenue and gained celebrity endorsement. She later founded PopCom in 2017 to solve problems around data collection in retail automation. Her efforts led to historic fundraising success—becoming the first female founder globally to raise over $1 million via equity crowdfunding and among the first 25 women in the U.S. to raise over $1 million in venture capital, with over $7 million raised to date.
In 2022, Dawn relocated to Rwanda and expanded to Ghana, fulfilling a lifelong dream of living on the continent. She now lives between both countries while maintaining ties to the U.S. Her real estate ventures focus on sustainable, eco-luxury development using stabilized rammed earth construction in partnership with South Africa’s Rammteck. Since 2024, she has facilitated over $10 million in property sales in Ghana and Rwanda, including the cultural landmark Oasis Beach Resort in Cape Coast.
Her development footprint includes Asebu, Accra, Ada, Senya Beraku, Winneba, and the Volta Region. Through D1 Consulting, she also leads VIP investment and cultural tours, helping global investors and the diaspora connect with Africa through real estate and heritage.
Dawn’s accolades include Snapchat Entrepreneur of the Year, Tech Trailblazer Award, and features in Forbes, Inc., Black Enterprise, MSNBC, CNBC, and The Breakfast Club. Despite her many roles, she calls herself a “lightworker,” dedicated to uplifting communities through business and service.
Outside of work, Dawn enjoys yoga (400-hour YTT), pilates, tennis, spa retreats, biohacking, and global travel—having visited 38 countries. A lifelong plant-based eater, she’s also an angel investor and is currently building a bed and breakfast in Nymata, Rwanda. Her proudest role is being mother to her daughter Nia, whom she homeschooled from second grade through graduation.
