Shanna Pearre is showing Black founders that venture capital is not the only way to raise money.
The Sensori co-founder has raised nearly $1 million from more than 50 investors. More than 40 of those investors are creators.
The non-alcoholic beverage brand also attracted athletes and what Pearre calls “everyday corporate baddies.” However, no traditional venture capital firm joined the funding round.
Instead, Pearre and Sensori COO Darean Rhodes built their funding strategy around the community they had already created online.
The approach gives creators an opportunity to become owners rather than simply paid promoters. It also allows Sensori’s founders to keep greater control over the company at its current stage.
Shanna Pearre Turns Sensori’s Audience Into Investors
Sensori’s first fundraising effort did not begin with a traditional investor presentation. It began with an Instagram story.
Three months after launching, Sensori had already sold its first 5,000 cans. Pearre was preparing to pitch investors when she saw two major beverage stories online.
One involved Patrick Mahomes investing in a beverage company. The other reported that Poppi had agreed to sell to PepsiCo for nearly $2 billion.
Pearre reposted both stories and announced that Sensori was preparing to raise money.
The response came quickly. Pearre received around 10 direct messages and texts the next day. Rhodes also heard from family members, while Pearre’s husband received messages from people in his recreational sports group.
“Honestly, that was the fundraiser,” Pearre said.
Sensori had spent months sharing its journey publicly. As a result, potential investors had already watched the company grow before they were asked to consider putting money into it.
More Than 40 Creators Invested in the Beverage Brand
The funding round eventually attracted more than 50 investors. More than 40 were creators.
That distinction matters because these investors already had relationships with audiences. They were not simply bringing money to Sensori. They could also bring their communities, influence and understanding of consumers.
Pearre believes that gives creator investors a different role from traditional financial backers.
“I actually see creators as more valuable than venture capital,” she said, before acknowledging that it was a strong statement.
One investor, Jenee Naylor, discovered Sensori on TikTok while working on her own brand. She tried the product and later became an investor.
When Sensori pitched her in May, Naylor said she already believed in the company. Her decision was based partly on how clearly the founders understood their target customer.
Why Sensori Chose Creators Over Traditional VC Funding
Sensori had interest from venture capital firms. However, Pearre and Rhodes decided against taking institutional funding at this stage.
Their main concern was control.
Rhodes said accepting traditional venture capital could give outside investors significant influence over the company. The founders also wanted to maintain control of their board, which currently consists of Pearre and Rhodes.
An institutional investment at this early stage could also come with a board seat, according to advice the founders received from consulting firm Cain & Co.
For Sensori, keeping control is part of the funding strategy.
The founders plan to consider institutional investors after the company reaches a revenue target “well beyond a million dollars.” They expect that conversation to happen in 2027.
Black Founders Face a Difficult Venture Capital Landscape
Sensori’s decision also comes against a difficult funding backdrop for Black entrepreneurs.
According to Crunchbase figures cited by Inc., Black founders received 0.48% of U.S. venture capital in 2024. That amounted to about $730 million out of $314 billion.
Those numbers help explain why alternative funding models can attract attention among Black founders.
Pearre also pointed to the experience of Ami Colé founder Diarrha N’Diaye. N’Diaye reportedly faced 150 rejections before raising venture funding.
Ami Colé closed in 2025 after investors and retailers pushed the company toward a growth path N’Diaye did not originally intend to follow. Pearre described that experience as a cautionary example of what outside funding can sometimes cost a founder.
For Sensori, the goal is not simply to raise money quickly. The founders want to reach future investors from a stronger position.
Creator Investors Offer More Than Paid Promotion
The relationship between Sensori and its creator investors goes beyond traditional influencer marketing.
Naylor said she would already talk about Sensori organically because she genuinely enjoys the product. That creates a different relationship from a typical paid campaign.
“I already enjoy this product. I will talk about it organically. You really can’t buy that,” Naylor said.
The distinction is important for a brand that relies heavily on social media and community.
A paid creator can promote a product for a campaign. An investor, however, has a direct financial interest in the company’s success.
Rhodes said the creators are not simply receiving equity as a giveaway. Instead, they have ownership and an active role in building the company.
Sensori Is Building Its Brand in Public
Sensori’s creator-funded strategy follows the way the company built its audience.
The founders documented the brand publicly from before the product existed. Followers saw the highs, the difficult moments and the progress.
That helped create a group of people who understood the company before they were approached as investors.
The strategy also reflects a wider interest in creator investing. Create & Cultivate founder Jaclyn Johnson’s Cherub platform, for example, connects creators with startup investment opportunities.
Pearre believes Sensori is positioned to benefit from that shift.
For the company, the creator economy is not only a marketing channel. It is becoming part of the ownership structure.
Shanna Pearre Says Waiting Can Give Founders More Power
Sensori’s approach has not been without challenges.
The company has sold out roughly seven of its 18 months on the market. Meanwhile, the creator funding round was still being completed.
The founders also faced a recent crisis that Pearre did not publicly detail. She said Sensori sent a transparent note to investors about what happened.
The response showed the strength of the relationship between the company and its backers.
According to Pearre, investors responded quickly with messages of support, including, “Girl, we got you.”
That kind of response is central to the founders’ argument for community-based ownership.
Sensori is betting that building a strong community first can give founders more choices later.
A Different Funding Lesson for Black Women Entrepreneurs
Pearre’s approach offers another example of how Black founders can think about raising capital.
Sensori did not reject the possibility of venture capital forever. Instead, the founders are delaying that option until the company reaches a stronger financial position.
That could allow them to approach institutional investors with more leverage and a clearer record of business performance.
For Black women building companies, the broader lesson is about understanding what different forms of capital can mean beyond the amount of money offered.
Funding can affect ownership, decision-making and who has influence over a company’s future.
Sensori’s creator-funded round shows how an existing audience can become part of that conversation. Pearre and Rhodes are using relationships built through social media to bring investors into the business itself.
Pearre believes creators have an important advantage because they influence consumers directly.
“The most important thing is that creators influence consumers,” she said. “Venture capital does not.”
