Meet Shavonnah Tièra Collins: Fulfilling Her Passion at RedFlint

Shavonnah Tièra Collins, a longtime innovator and doer within the startup community in Las Vegas, was recently named as the Managing Director of the RedFlint experience center. The center is on track to open in downtown Las Vegas this month.
As part of our Meet VegasTech Community Members series, we talk with Collins about the new role and how you can support her efforts in the community.
“This role came about by simply showing up,” said Collins. “From hosting grassroots and non-profit events around starting companies to working with UNLV as an instructor for a course in the Global Entrepreneurship Experience, all of these opportunities evolved from simply showing up. I didn’t have to do any of these things to achieve my goals, but doing them has definitely accelerated my growth.”
Collins noted one thing that can happen when you show up time and time again is that you can spread yourself thin or be pulled away from your purpose – and quickly.
“What I love about this role with RedFlint is that finally, I’ll be able to apply all of my energy towards a project that will help me fulfill all of my interests,” she explained. “That’s organizing great events, developing learning opportunities, bringing in the best of our community to share their knowledge and helping startups and small businesses grow.”
Collins says a challenge for her in her new role will be sharing the story on how the entrepreneurial and startup in Las Vegas intends to be a partner within the larger ecosystem in Southern Nevada.
“Our mission is to democratize our community’s access to education and synchronize the knowledge and skills for the 21st century economy,” she said. “It’s up to us to tell that story through action, on how we will help our participants achieve success and that starts with inviting everyone in.”
Anyone interested in technology or business (or both!) are invited to come into the RedFlint experience center, take a tour, play with the tech in their showcases, or attend a workshop or event hosted by the greater community.
“We’ll build on additional workshops and skill-builders as we get the know what our community needs,” said Collins. “We’ll also celebrate the successes individuals and teams coming through RedFlint are experiencing in order to drive a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem here in Las Vegas. None of that can be achieved without the mutual support of individuals or local institutions, many of which we’ve already started to partner with.”
The rest of 2016 is looking to be a busy time for the RedFlint experience center. From Technology and Business showcases to a Speaker Series and Hackathons.
“Iron Yard Venture Accelerator teams are recruited and are building transformative products for the hospitality, entertainment, and gaming industries,” added Collins.
Help Collins and the RedFlint experience center achieve success. Collins encourages community members to bring forward your ideas.
“Let’s work together to spark innovation,” she said. “We have a lot of space with the latest technology for events, meetings and off-sites. If you already have a meetup and are looking for a new innovative environment, are thinking of starting one or are an expert and want to create content for entrepreneurs, come and chat with us: [email protected].”