Buzzbassador is one of 24 companies chosen for the 2023 Google for Startups Black Founders Fund and will be awarded $250,000 to support its growth as one of the Fund’s recipients.

Founded by East Dallas residents Calvin Waddy and Shelby Baldwin, Buzzbassador aims to streamline brand ambassador and influencer services for businesses across the world.

“Myself and my Co-founder, Shelby Baldwin, are both underrepresented in the venture landscape — Black and female, respectively — so this support from an organization of Google’s influence is huge,” Waddy, CEO and Co-Founder of Buzzbassador said in a statement.

Buzzbassador automates the ambassador side of business for their clients — they handle commission payments, streamline ambassador applications, track ambassador sales and generate influencer-specific discount codes.

Since the company’s beta launch in 2020, Buzzbassador has reached over $20 million in sales and reached 140,000 creators across the world.

“Buzzbassador’s acceptance into Google for Startups’ Black Founders Fund marks a pivotal milestone in our company’s journey and growth trajectory,” Waddy said in a statement. “Google’s investment and belief in our company is a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication to our mission.”

In addition to the financial support from Google, the company’s selection for the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund provides access to Google mentorship, Google Cloud credits, leadership training and access to a founder network of past and present Google for Startups recipients.