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Homegirls in the City

Homegirls in the City is a series of first person audio memoirs balancing radical introspection with comedic relief.

$10,025
pledged of$10,000 goal
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Project Description

My name is Ivana Renee (Scorpio Moon, Scorpio Sun, iykyk). Growing up, I wanted to be named Ashley, like the Ashleys in the 90s cartoon Recess, but my mom had a vision and gave me a bad bitch name instead. She saw the vision. Shoutout to her. 

Anyways, I am the creator of Homegirls in the City. Homegirls in the City, as it formerly existed, is a narrative audio series written and narrated by me, Ivana Renee. When I first started writing the series in 2017, I was 24. I was unemployed in New York City, living off of bodega sandwiches, bottom shelf open bars, and credit card debt. 

For a little extra cash (and I do mean a little), I nannied an 8 year old white baby on the Upper Westside. I’d line up on the sidewalk of his private school each afternoon alongside an assortment of other black and brown nannies to collect my white baby. He’d throw me the suit jacket he wore as part of his school uniform, and I would carry it and his backpack as I escorted him to soccer practice. 

I’m sorry, but for me, this was rock bottom. If this was what making it in NYC was all about, it was time to go.

But again, the category is drama. I couldn’t just move out of New York. That would be basic (remember it was 2017, and being basic was close to the worst thing that you could be). Instead, I had to give the girls a mic drop moment. I had to make an exit. So as a sort of “goodbye letter” to NYC, I put out the first episode of Homegirls in the City and begrudgingly began planning my outro from New York.

To my surprise, this dramatic “goodbye letter” quickly morphed into a broader narrative project inspired by my own experiences, the experiences of my self-identified homegirls, and of course, the tea that circulated the social circles we found ourselves in.

One episode turned into another and another, and after about three episodes, my homegirls and a few homeboys were really feeling it. I pitched at Made in New York Media Center’s first annual Podcast Pitch Night thanks to a push from my homegirl Nicole Cone. And you guessed it, Homegirls in the City took home the grand prize.

Alexa, play Rags2Riches

Just kidding, the prize didn’t come with any money, but still, I was re-energized. I wasn’t done with the city just yet.

In the months that followed, I’d continue pushing out over 10 episodes of the series. I’d also produce merch, curate homegirl events (shout out to Breania Smith), and shoot a pilot episode for a digital series (shout out Milana Edwards Brooks). 

In phase one of Homegirls in the City, the podcast received roughly 20,000 organic downloads. Listen, that is  with no marketing, no production team or trained producers, and no budget at all. The homegirls were doing numbers. 

 

The initial success of Homegirls in the City ushered me into producing audio professionally. I produced projects across genres: everything from a Webby award-winning series exposing wrongful convictions to celebrity chat shows to YA audiobooks. I honed my production skills, and in 2022, I started my own production company, Moso Haus, with a former colleague and friend Samiah Adams. 

Now, with a greater understanding of the media industry, I am ready to bring Homegirls in the City back…but better. This time around, I plan to hire writers, producers, and sound designers, develop a marketing strategy, design cool merch, and bring Homegirls in the City to an even wider audience. Concurrently, I plan to use the success of this crowdfunding campaign as part of my pitch to potential partners with even greater production and marketing resources to continue to turn this thing up.

It’s giving the Awkward Black Girl to Insecure pipeline, okay. 

When you listen to the first iteration of Homegirls in the City, you might notice that the stories are fire but the production quality can stand an upgrade, and that is exactly what we intend to do.

There is a wide open space for engaging short form, narrative audio storytelling. This is your chance to join the movement, support the homegirls, and be a part of the next groundbreaking media project. 

 

Updates

The Campaign FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Where can I listen to the first iteration of Homegirls in the City? Homegirlsinthcity.com or wherever you listen to podcasts
  • I want to get involved with this project. How can I reach out? Hit us up at [email protected]

 

April
04/22/2023
Monetary Contribution
$367
Kendra White
04/22/2023
Monetary Contribution
$35
B
04/22/2023
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$35
holly cole
04/22/2023
Monetary Contribution
$50
K
04/22/2023
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$35
Sharice
04/21/2023
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$35
Wesley Adams
04/21/2023
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$100
Regina & Floyd Cromwell
04/21/2023
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$50
Shantavia Spicer
04/21/2023
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$35
Ivanna Solano
04/21/2023
Monetary Contribution
$100
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About the Entrepreneur

Atlanta, GA
Created 1 Campaign

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50.00 USD
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Just Because I Care

89 Supporters
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35.00 USD
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Just Because I Care

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100.00 USD
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Just Because I Care

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