April is here and I couldn't let it pass without talking about what I'm watching happen in real time.

 

We're LIVING in the era of the Solopreneur.

 

Not the side hustle. Not the gig economy. 

 

I mean the era where one person with the right skills, the right tools, and the right positioning can build something worth a ton of money. Without a team, without permission, and without the traditional playbook.

 

AI has changed the game completely. The same tasks that used to require a team of 10 can now be done by one person in an afternoon. Platforms like Gumroad and Stan let you sell while you sleep. Claude, Lovable, Notion, Canva…. these are your co-founders right now.

 

 

 

I talked about the rise of the portfolio career in my last issue, this is the evolution of that. The portfolio career gives you optionality, the solopreneur era gives you ownership.

 

Before I drop these opportunities, a quick note:

 

 

Because YOU ARE THE JOB. Below you'll find some of the best funding opportunities and fellowship programs to get into builder mode. I'll be back with options for my 9-5rs next month.  

 

Now let's get into it. You know what to do.

 

— Ariel 💚

 

 

 

🟢 NAACP × L'Oréal Inclusive Beauty Fund

For: Beauty entrepreneurs — salons, spas, stylists, makeup artists, beauty schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

🟢 Cartier Women's Initiative

 

 

🟢 Famous Amos Ingredients for Success

 

 

🟢 Women Founders Network — Fast Pitch Competition

 

 

🟢 Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Science

For: Nonprofits, social enterprises, and academic institutions using AI for health/life sciences or climate resilience

 

 

🟢 AWS AI & ML Scholars Program

 

🟢 Constellation Astra Fellowship

 

 

🟢 a16z Growth Engineer Fellowship ⚡ APPLY FAST