Introduction and How They Met
Taryell Simmons: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another episode of Rise Every Day, where we dive deep into the stories of Black entrepreneurs who are reshaping the landscape of innovation and courage. I am your host, Taryell Simmons. Today, we have a special guest in the building: my brother, the incredible Honorebel Walker, whose work is revolutionizing how companies approach engineering and research projects. Honorebel, it is great to have you, brother. How are you doing?
Honorebel S. Walker: I am doing well. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
Taryell Simmons: Give me the recap. How did we first meet?
Honorebel S. Walker: We first met at the Knauss School of Business at the University of San Diego during a San Diego Angel Conference event in the summer of 2022 when I was part of their accelerator. Then, I was in Barrio Logan at 9-5, the eyewear shop, looking at glasses, and you were wearing a pair of 9-5 glasses. I came up to you and asked how you liked the brand because I had been following them, and we kicked it off from there.
Taryell Simmons: We have been crossing paths in the social innovation space—you building something, and me working to create equity, diversity, and inclusion by getting more of us in front of angel investors. It has been great to witness your journey, especially with graduation happening tomorrow. How are you feeling about it?
Honorebel S. Walker: I am feeling really good. My family came down from Oakland, and my grandfather came from Nigeria, so I am super excited. Yesterday we celebrated Black Grad on campus, and tomorrow at 2 PM is the university commencement.
Taryell Simmons: You are making Nigerian parents proud. That is officially your day.
Founding Spacetime and Early Influences
Taryell Simmons: You have had a fascinating path, from studying electrical engineering at the University of San Diego to founding Spacetime. Can you walk us through what inspired you to start this venture?
Honorebel S. Walker: Looking at first principles and the foundation, I grew up in Oakland, California, and was always interested in technology, engineering, and architecture. I joined The Hidden Genius Project as part of their third cohort in Oakland. Their mission is to train and mentor Black youth in technology, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Every summer in eighth grade and high school, we visited top tech companies including Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, and Twitter. That early exposure inspired me and served as a call to action. I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur and build a major tech company. I completed an internship at EA Sports in 2018, and while studying electrical engineering at USD, I interned at Astra Space working on rockets. In 2022, I founded my company, Spacetime.
Taryell Simmons: What inspired the name Spacetime?
Honorebel S. Walker: We built Spacetime as a firm where we develop people's ideas. In Einstein's theory of relativity, the fabric of space intersecting with time produces physical reality. People have ideas—that is the space—but they often lack the time or resources to execute them. Spacetime represents that intersection where ideas, time, and resources meet to build something meaningful.
Taryell Simmons: When I first saw your logo at a pitch competition, it gave me a feeling of nostalgia and immediate connection with virtual spaces and innovation.
Honorebel S. Walker: Everything was done intentionally. We wanted something familiar enough that people could reference, while taking the best elements from top companies in our brand and operations.
Overcoming Startup Hurdles and Bootstrapping
Taryell Simmons: Transitioning from an initial idea to an operating business is a massive undertaking. What were the biggest hurdles you encountered early on?
Honorebel S. Walker: Being a full-time electrical engineering student was the first major hurdle because you are constantly competing against time and balancing coursework with events. The second hurdle is access to resources and finding people who can give you opportunities to present your work. The third hurdle is access to capital. For me, pitch competitions were the solution. Pitch competitions are a powerful form of bootstrapping that can take you from having no website to launching a platform and building a functioning prototype.
Taryell Simmons: I strongly advocate for pitch competitions. Years ago, Google and Startup Weekend invited me to attend a pitch competition during workforce development initiatives. I entered, won my very first competition, and secured immediate funding, website development, and meetings with venture capitalists.
Mentorship and Intrapreneurship
Taryell Simmons: What strategies have you employed to navigate these obstacles and achieve success?
Honorebel S. Walker: In 2022, I met the Google CEO and pitched my company to Google Ventures and Capital G. They discussed intrapreneurship and Google's Area 120, which allows employees to build new products internally like Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works. You do not always have to be an outside startup founder; intrapreneurship inside a large company is another viable route. In terms of overcoming hurdles, I am a huge proponent of mentorship. I identified core business functions—technology, product, people, and marketing—and secured an experienced mentor for each area. Building a team is challenging, so having mentors who have successfully raised capital and scaled businesses provides immediate frameworks whenever challenges arise.
Community Impact and Problem Solving
Taryell Simmons: Spacetime connects technical talent to solve complex problems quickly. Can you share a specific success story and the impact of your work?
Honorebel S. Walker: Spacetime connects technical talent—scientists, researchers, and engineers—to technical problems by crowdsourcing talent from both inside organizations and external third-party partners. For example, we worked with the Hayward Unified School District in the Bay Area. They faced community challenges around crime and homelessness and asked for a framework to address them. We hosted a workshop for students, educators, and innovators, turning those challenges into opportunities and developing actionable solution frameworks in real time.
Taryell Simmons: Changing the frame of thought and unlearning outdated systems is essential to creating effective new solutions.
Agile Mindset and Ethical Engineering
Taryell Simmons: Reflecting on your journey, what are some key lessons you have learned?
Honorebel S. Walker: Continuous improvement is paramount. In software development, the waterfall method tackles a massive scope linearly, while the agile method divides work into one- or two-week sprints. I use agile principles to improve fractionally—getting one percent better every single day. Furthermore, solving complex problems like building an airplane requires multidisciplinary perspectives beyond just engineers. Multiple viewpoints lead to faster, more robust solutions.
Honorebel S. Walker: We also emphasize an ethical engineering framework. In instances like Boeing's MCAS software failures, engineers often flag safety concerns that business leaders override for profit. At Spacetime, we ensure that ethical standards and technical integrity remain central.
Advice for Entrepreneurs: Research and the Step-Down Approach
Taryell Simmons: What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly within Black and Pan-African communities?
Honorebel S. Walker: First, understand the difference between having a job to make ends meet and building a professional career. Second, learn from industry leaders rather than reinventing the wheel. Before forming a company, study established players—like Upwork, Fiverr, and David Kelley at IDEO—and analyze their case studies to de-risk your venture from the high failure rates in entrepreneurship.
Taryell Simmons: Calculated risks and informed decisions are far more effective than relying solely on hope.
Honorebel S. Walker: To take actionable steps, I use the step-down approach. Instead of only reaching out to C-suite executives, go two levels down. Connect with associate engineers and mid-level managers on LinkedIn or via email. Ask questions, request case studies, and learn about the products they build. When speaking to investors, you can demonstrate credible market intelligence based on direct conversations with industry practitioners.
Taryell Simmons: When you execute that strategy, your reputation precedes you. People begin practical conversations before you have even entered the room.
Honorebel S. Walker: Exactly. When I hosted a pitch competition at USD with over one hundred attendees, it established me as a resource for engineering entrepreneurship on campus, enabling me to help dozens of students build drone and construction ventures.
Podcasting and Crowdfunding Campaign
Taryell Simmons: Tell us about your new podcast and your upcoming fundraising campaign.
Honorebel S. Walker: As a young Black founder, establishing credibility with major corporations requires creative approaches. I launched an engineering podcast and invited leaders from NASA and Microsoft. Those conversations opened doors for enterprise partnerships and allowed me to recruit incredible advisors from NASA. Additionally, Spacetime launched a crowdfunding campaign on our website seeking to raise sixty thousand dollars. The funds will support hiring marketing talent, advancing our technology, and expanding operations into Q3.
Taryell Simmons: Where can our listeners follow you and support Spacetime?
Honorebel S. Walker: Visit https://spacetimesocial.com to learn more and support our fundraising campaign. You can follow our company on Instagram and Twitter at @spacetime.social, and follow my personal Instagram at @honorebel.walker.
Taryell Simmons: Thank you, Honorebel, for sharing your insights and journey. To our listeners, subscribe to Rise Urban Nation, keep rising, and join us next episode.
