​Session Overview

​Join Shirley Williams-Toney—Emmy-nominated producer, Co-Founder of AI & The Culture, and media strategist with 15+ years across AT&T, Microsoft, Vice, and Condé Nast—and DMA Anderson—Stanford-trained producer/executive (Disney, BET, CBS, Bravo) and Founder of Korgi with multiple software patents—for a tactical session on building a strategic Funding Board for grants and capital.

​Securing funding isn’t just about a great idea. It’s about preparation.

​In this collaborative session with DMA Anderson, Founder of Korgi, we’ll focus on building a practical, organized “Funding Board” — a living system that helps you research opportunities, prepare critical documents, and approach grants or capital with clarity and consistency.

​Whether you’re building a startup, nonprofit, or creative venture, this workshop will help you move from scattered documents to a structured funding strategy.

​What We’ll Cover

​• The essential foundational business documents every early-stage founder should prepare

​• Core materials required for grant and funding submissions

​• How to research aligned funding opportunities strategically

​• Building a practical Funding Board to track research, deadlines, and cadence

​• Creating a sustainable submission rhythm instead of last-minute scrambling

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​What You’ll Walk Away With

​• A clear checklist of critical business and funding documents

​• A practical Funding Board framework you can implement immediately

​• A clearer understanding of how funders evaluate submissions

​• A repeatable system for organizing research and tracking opportunities

​• Greater confidence in preparing for grants, capital raises, or sponsorship

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​Who This Is For

​• Early-stage founders building startups or nonprofits

​• Creatives transitioning into entrepreneurship

​• Small teams preparing for their first grant or funding round

​• Anyone who wants a more organized, strategic approach to fundraising

​Experience Level: Beginner

​This session is designed for people who are new to fundraising infrastructure or who feel unclear about what documents and systems they should already have in place. No prior funding experience is required.

​About Shirley Williams-Toney

​Shirley Williams-Toney is an award-winning storyteller and AI technologist who helps individuals and organizations learn, adapt, and implement AI in practical, sustainable ways. Through workshops, consulting, and strategic advising, she focuses on making emerging technology accessible, grounded, and human-centered.

​Learn more about Shirley here: www.shirleywilliamstoney.com

​About DMA Anderson

​DMA Anderson is a veteran TV producer and executive, tech entrepreneur, and multi-sector strategic consultant. As a producer, DMA has helmed top-rated programming for CBS, Bravo, A&E, TLC and more, authored two entertainment books taught in media programs nationwide, and written, produced, and showrun over 100 hours of television.

​As an executive, she has served as Co-Head of Television for Lee Daniels Entertainment, VP of Creative Talent Development for Disney Television, and VP of Development for BET, where she developed and shepherded four seasons of cable’s #1 original sitcom, The Real Husbands of Hollywood. Her strategic consulting clients have included Netflix, NBCUniversal, the City of Berkeley, Partnership for After School Education, Ukraine’s TET TV, and the Los Angeles Public Library.

​In tech, DMA most recently launched Korgi, an AI-powered productivity platform that lets users plan, execute, and deliver projects instantly using their own apps and drives (Google Workspace™, Microsoft 365™, Gemini AI™, Zoom™, Meet™, in-app chat, and more). Korgi is her fifth commercialized app, and she has earned three utility patents for software applications.

​DMA is an active champion of excellence in inclusion across multiple industries, a graduate with distinction of Stanford University, and a career-long member of the Television Academy, the Producers Guild of America, and American Mensa.

​Learn more about Korgi at:

​korgiboard.com

​CTRL + CREATE is a bi-weekly, free virtual workshop series designed to help creatives, founders, and culture-shapers build practical confidence using AI and thoughtful systems.