What do you do when the platform you helped shape no longer reflects your values? If you're Phonz Terrell, you build something better. After leading award-winning social teams at Twitter, HBO, and Showtime — and getting laid off with 3,700 others — Phonz co-founded SPILL: a new kind of social platform made by and for the culture. One year later, he’s on CNN’s Risk Takers list alongside Sam Altman and Telfar Clemens. In this episode, Phonz breaks down: • Why SPILL is more than just “Black Twitter 2.0” — and how it centers the communities that shape internet culture • The moment he realized it was time to start his own platform • What it really takes to raise capital as a Black founder in tech • How he found the right co-founder (hint: it’s deeper than resumes) • The mission to create safer, more equitable digital spaces — without selling out “Culture has always been the product. We’re just finally building the platform around it.” Phonz isn’t just creating an app — he’s building a movement. Tap in for a conversation about purpose, power, and deg tech that reflects us. 594e11