Meta Elevate

The future is bright! Head of Meta Elevate Onika L. W. pulled up to a16z Talent x Opportunity’s Demo Day during LA Tech Week to celebrate the innovative founders of a16z Talent x Opportunity’s Fall 2024 Cohort. It was so inspiring to hear about what these founders are all building at the intersection of culture and lifestyle, and to share the room with incredible minds and their community of mentors, partners and alumni. Watch how it all went down and drop a comment below to let us know if you pulled up to any of the LA Tech Week events.

After an 8-week trip to Ghana, Anitra, founder of Reflektion Design, saw not only the gap in the market for African home decor, but the opportunity to tell stories about culture and craftsmanship through products. “Working with artisans in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda is at the heart of what I do,” she says. “Many of them, particularly women, are masters of techniques passed down through generations.” From vibrant home tours to deep dives on cultural intricate textiles and the cultures and artisans that breathe life into them, Anitra says her goal is to educate and inspire the brand’s thousands of followers through posts, stories, and Instagram Reels. “We want to help inspire people to incorporate African decor and art into their homes, so how can we use video to inspire people? Let's show landscapes of the country where their products come from. Let's show pictures of the people who make them,” she said, going on to explain how education and inspiration serve as “pillars” at the foundation of her social strategy. We're celebrating women-owned businesses like Reflektion Design from the Meta Elevate community for Women's Small Business Month - be sure to follow Anitra’s journey and learn more about she uplifts women in Africa and at home at https://lnkd.in/gTKxnPQc.

In New York’s beloved but competitive food scene, Casa Ora upscale Venezuelan menu has been a favorite since it opened in 2019. For owner Ivo Diaz, the goal has always been to blend rich culinary tradition with a fine dining experience that still felt like home. “Our goal was to showcase our culture through food in an intimate ambiance with traditional dishes that could be plated as a fine dining restaurant. We also wanted to recreate my grandma’s living room and library back home.” On their Instagram profile, you’ll find posts filled with stunning photography, from close ups of their dishes, the restaurant’s cozy interior design, and shots of the prep that goes on beyond the kitchen doors. When asked which content performs the best, Ivo explained, “definitely anything that is personal, people love to get to know us and the team behind the making of this great experience.” Follow the Michelin recommended restaurant at instagram.com/casaoranyc, and keep an eye out for their new bakery Lulla’s Bakery & Cocktails opening this month in New York.

Ready to level up your social media strategy in Q4? Join Meta Elevate this November for Boost Your Business, a 3-part live educational series on how you can leverage organic and paid strategies to reach your ideal audience on Meta’s platforms, create and share reels that grab attention and drive action, and tap into AI and Innovation to stay ahead of the curve. In addition to registering for this webinar series, 50 businesses who currently advertise on Meta’s platforms will be selected for direct coaching on Meta Ads Manager with some of Meta’s top sales, product and marketing experts. RSVP to secure your spot and to stay updated on dates and details: https://lnkd.in/gfZ4tW3e

When VAMIGAS co-founders Ann D. and Christina Kelmon launched their brand in 2021, it was in response to not seeing themselves reflected in the wellness or clean beauty space. The pair were determined to create products that were both naturally-derived and rooted in heritage. “We wanted to share what we call the “Latin American plant magic” behind our products,” they explained, their products boasting vitamin-rich ingredients like Açaí oil and Chilean rosehip. “If you don’t want to use too many products, or you have sensitive skin, there are alternatives that have been used in our communities for generations, sometimes centuries.” After joining the Meta Elevate Facebook group, they were able to find resources from other founders, attended workshops and received support to resolve technical issues on their pages. “Social media allowed us to organically create a huge community who loved our products [and that] turned into our Señora era community.” When it comes to ads across Facebook and Instagram, they’ve taken a hybrid approach to creating content that sticks; crafting content that entertains and educates at the same time. “Alongside your product videos, you’ll have to bake in personal videos that are focused on you and your journey or your background, valuable reels where you teach audiences how to do something awesome,” they explained. “You have to entertain people! You’ve got to make them laugh, feel good about themselves, and feel joy about the future.” Follow VAMIGAS Botanicals on their continued journey to bringing back wellness inspired by Latin American women: https://lnkd.in/gM34ERqf

Hey founders! 👋🏾 We’re sharing two really great opportunities from a16z Talent x Opportunity, a fund and accelerator program for entrepreneurs, that you should know about. ➖ a16z TxO is partnering with AWS to run their first ever AWS Impact Bootcamp on October 1st and 2nd in SF. The 2-day bootcamp will focus on fundraising, community building, and networking with investors. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/dGuWrcmU ➖ Are you building something fresh in art, fashion, food, music, sports, or another lifestyle sector? a16z TxO is also currently accepting applications for their Spring 2025 cohort dedicated to helping you level up as a founder and accelerate your company’s growth to hit your next key milestones. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eihe69U4

For Jesse Íñiguez, the idea of opening a coffee shop was a vision over 20 years in the making. ☕️ After walking into a coffee shop his freshman year in college, he started to wonder why nothing like it existed in his own community on the southwest side of Chicago. By 2016, Jesse and co-founder Mayra Susana Hernandez opened Back of the Yards Coffee Co. — named after the neighborhood it calls home. Like many brick & mortar businesses during the start of the pandemic in 2020, Jesse started thinking of ways to pivot. It was then that he discovered Meta Elevate. “One of the things for us that really helped us survive was reaching out to our community [through social media],” he said, crediting his partnership with Meta Elevate for gaining a better understanding of the digital tools he had at his fingertips. The brand started hosting Facebook and Instagram Lives, and creating ads for their online store, expanding their reach beyond the doors of the shop. “Advertising on Facebook and Instagram really helps level the playing field and use the tools that the big businesses are using,” he added. Look out for their new location opening this fall and follow their journey at https://lnkd.in/gwbC6CWh.

Over 30,000 entrepreneurs gathered over one weekend 🌟 Invest Fest 2024 was a whole entire vibe. Head of Meta Elevate Onika L. W. was on the ground in ATL for the #InvestFestival experience, watch her recap and let us know if you were in attendance. Thanks to the entire Earn Your Leisure team for being incredible hosts and for building an event dedicated to empowering and uplifting our community. This was the perfect way to end off Black Business August! #earnyourleisure #ontherisetogether

For Riot Swim, luxury and inclusivity go hand in hand. ✨ Known for bold designs and striking details, founder Monti Landers envisioned a brand everyone could connect to. “We all deserve to look and feel amazing in what we wear,” she explained. “We want everyone to see themselves in our pieces and feel confident and stylish. That’s what makes Riot Swim unique.” Her social strategy has focused on authentically bringing her audience into the heart of her brand’s world—one that includes plenty of posts showcasing their designs on a wide range of body types. “We knew we found the right formula when we started seeing real engagement and genuine connections. Our followers responded positively to our inclusive content and loved seeing a variety of body types represented,” she said. “It’s been all about staying true to our values and listening to our community. The right formula is a mix of authenticity, inclusivity, and a little bit of fun.” It’s a formula that stretches beyond the brand’s organic posts to their paid ads, which Monti says have been crucial for business growth. “Ads on Instagram and Facebook have been a game-changer. They’ve helped us connect with a wider audience and grow our community.” Riot Swim is part of our Meta Elevate Advanced Access program, where they work with their dedicated account manager, Vanessa, to help with strategic marketing and advanced support. “Vanessa has been incredible, always introducing us to different testing opportunities and giving us pointers on how to up our game,” Monti said, adding that the insights and support have been invaluable. When it comes to their success with ads, Monti shared, “we saw our engagement skyrocket, website traffic increased, and most importantly, our sales went through the roof,” also noting high returns on ad spend, significant boosts to conversion rates, and reduced customer acquisition costs. “Overall, running ads on Meta’s platforms has been crucial for our growth, and we’ll definitely keep leveraging them to keep pushing Riot Swim to new heights.” Share this story with a business owner who needs inspiration, and follow Riot Swim at instagram.com/riotswim to stay up on their journey.

How will Meta’s AI tools help businesses operate more efficiently online? We caught up with Meta’s Engineering Director Aaron Russell after his Fireside Technology Chat at Invest Fest to share what business owners need to know about the benefits of integrating AI into their daily operations. Have you started using any of Meta’s AI tools yet? 👇🏾