Decorated actress Kerry Washington has invested in Spill, a Black-owned social media platform that aims to create safer spaces for historically marginalized groups, including LGBTQIA+ and people of color.
Founded by two former Twitter employees, Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell and DeVaris Brown, Spill positions itself as a next-generation social platform that puts culture first.
Terrell told CultureBanx, he went from getting fired by Elon Musk at X (formerly Twitter) in October 2022, to securing $3 million in funding for SPILL in December 2022. The app quickly gained support from other venture capital funds inckuding MaC Venture Capital and Kapor Center. Washington is the latest to invest into the app.
“In a digital world where marginalized groups, especially Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA folks, rarely feel prioritized, Spill stands out,” she shared in a statement.
Washington has been active within the platform, hosting live video sessions—referred to as “Tea Parties”—and having conversations with the Spill community about voter registration.
As Black Enterprise reports, Terrell shared how involved Washington is as an investor.
“She’s incredibly accessible and knowledgeable, especially around these topics and is not scared in any way, shape, or form about really engaging with people directly,” Terrell shared. “I think it really does represent the kind of environment we want to cultivate on Spill … We’re all human here, too. Let’s connect.”
Washington’s investment coincides with Spill’s second anniversary and its growing success, highlighted by the popular Spades feature. Users are now spending over 30 minutes on the app to complete games, signaling a steady improvement in user retention.
SPILL has gradually become a vital platform for discovering trends like “FoodieSpill”, “MusicSpill”, and “ArtSpill”. The app has attracted an inclusive user base including celebrities, influencers, and notable brand partnership, according to the company.
“We believe that multicultural is the mainstream, and SPILL has shown that it is brimming with energy, creativity, and the right consumers, even at this early stage,” said Danielle Otero, SVP Global Paid Media & Analytics at Lionsgate.