Morgan DeBaun has never been afraid to build her own table. As the founder and CEO of Blavity Inc.—the media company she launched from her San Francisco apartment in 2014—she’s built a cultural empire that centers Black voices, scales multi-million dollar brands, and shapes the future of tech and media.
But despite the accolades, the investments, and the milestones, DeBaun admits something didn’t feel quite right. “I used to think success meant doing more,” she writes. “More hours. More output. More pressure. But after a decade in business, I realized the real goal isn’t to do more—it’s to feel more aligned.”
That revelation became the foundation of her first book: Rewrite Your Rules: The Journey to Success in Less Time with More Freedom, released by Penguin Random House this spring. Equal parts personal manifesto and practical playbook, the book invites readers to question the hustle-hard dogma—and to instead build lives and businesses that prioritize strategy over stress, clarity over chaos, and purpose over burnout.
“This book is for the builder who’s asking, ‘Why does this feel so hard?’” DeBaun says. “It’s for the founder, the side hustler, the team leader who’s ready to move with intention, not overwhelm.”
DeBaun’s approach centers on a three-part framework:
- Master Yourself: Uncover your core values, passions, and purpose.
- Master Your Method: Design systems that align daily action with long-term vision.
- Master Your Growth: Embrace evolution as a strategy—not a disruption.
The book took four years to write, and in that time, DeBaun says she rediscovered the fierceness that fueled her early days. “I remembered the grit I had at 24,” she told HOT97. “I remembered how hard it was—and how powerful I was. Even when I didn’t like myself as a CEO, I knew I had the ability to evolve.”
Rewrite Your Rules isn’t about small tweaks—it’s about a radical reimagining of what success can look like. DeBaun encourages readers to dismantle outdated standards and become, as she puts it, “the rule makers of their own lives.”
Since founding Blavity with co-founders Jonathan Jackson, Jeff Nelson, and Aaron Samuels, DeBaun has grown the company into a cross-platform juggernaut. From launching AfroTech and 21Ninety to acquiring Shadow and Act, Travel Noire, and most recently RnB House Party, Blavity Inc. continues to amplify the future of Black media and entrepreneurship.
But DeBaun’s newest mission may be her most personal yet: helping others design a life that honors both their ambition and their well-being.
“Success should feel good,” she says. “It should leave space for joy, for family, for ease. That’s what Rewrite Your Rules is about—it’s the guide I wish I had when I was building Blavity, raising capital, and trying to keep myself whole.”
Early praise supports the book’s resonance. Tiffany Aliche, New York Times bestselling author of Get Good with Money, calls it “a must-read for anyone ready to take bold action and build the life they deserve.”
For DeBaun, that life starts by questioning the systems we’ve inherited—and writing new rules from a place of authenticity, alignment, and courage.
Morgan DeBaun’s Rewrite Your Rules: The Journey to Success in Less Time with More Freedom is available now wherever books are sold.
Who is Morgan DeBaun?
Morgan DeBaun is an accomplished African American entrepreneur, corporate advisor, and author. She is best known as the founder and CEO of Blavity Inc., a leading digital media company focused on Black culture and millennials. Founded in 2014, Blavity has grown into a global platform with influential brands such as AfroTech, Travel Noire, Shadow and Act, and others, reaching over 100 million readers monthly. The company also hosts events like AfroTech, one of the largest tech conferences for Black innovators.
DeBaun was born in 1990 in St. Louis, Missouri, and showed an entrepreneurial spirit early in life. She attended Washington University in St. Louis, earning a degree in Political Science with minors in Entrepreneurship and Education. Her idea for Blavity was inspired by her experiences as a student observing the unique cultural dynamics among Black students on campus.
Before founding Blavity, DeBaun worked at Intuit in product management and business development. She left to focus on Blavity full-time after being motivated by the lack of diverse media coverage during significant events like Michael Brown’s death.
In addition to Blavity, DeBaun is involved in several other ventures:
- She is the creator of WorkSmart, a program that supports Black entrepreneurs through advising, podcasts, and retreats.
- She co-founded Blavity.org, a nonprofit aimed at advancing Black economic empowerment through grants and mentorship.
- As an angel investor, she supports startups such as Golde and Ness.
DeBaun has received numerous accolades, including recognition on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list, The Root’s “100 Most Influential African Americans,” and Inc.’s Female Founders list. She is also the author of Rewrite Your Rules, a book offering strategies for achieving success while maintaining balance
