Clare V.’s Post

"Our actions speak louder than our words. And people are watching and learning," says Tricia Warrick, Co-founder BEAM Collaborative. Great things can happen when people come together to inspire real change. This month we celebrate #blackhistorymonth and those who are working to make a more equitable future for all through learning from the past. #collaborationsuccess #visionaryleaders #equitablefuture #vistage https://lnkd.in/eMxw3Ebe

This is why we do what we do at Nobellum - and why hosting events like the BIS Summit is critical for increasing representation at all levels of leadership and industry. Black female fund investors are a fraction of 1% of all financiers. That being the case, what chance do you think female founders have - particularly ones that are bringing products and services for the black community to market like Rochelle Smith and Tosin Olivia During? At the current rate of economic mobility, it’s estimated that it’s going to take black households 320 years to reach parity with white ones. We refuse to accept that as fact, and are going to encourage as many investors and entrepreneurs as possible to think BIG and make their impact on the innovation economy. Our mission is simple: 💥Bring awareness and resources to black founders 💥Lead by example as black female angel investors and VCs 💥Advocate for policy that protects and supports diverse founders and funders 💥 Be at the table when it comes time to write a cheque and support the growth of diverse founders and pro-social companies Want to get on board with this? Tickets to the BIS summit are FREE - link in comments. #blackinnovation #blackexcellence #venturecapital #bissummit #nobellum #entrepreneurship Melisa Ellis

If female founders, especially Black female founders, got funded at the same level as male founders, (only 1.7% of all VC funding last year went to female founders, and virtually none of that went to Black female founders); if female founders, especially Black female founders, got the same opportunity as male founders to be championed, doors-opened, influential-investor-intro-ed, promoted, talked about, written about, celebrated, recommended, exited, acquired, IPO-ed; if female founders, especially Black female founders, because of that equalization of opportunity were able to scale, exit and IPO our unicorns for billions of dollars..... Black women would be calling the shots and flexing their funds in Silicon Valley, and the future of democracy would be assured. TechCrunch Margaux MacColl https://lnkd.in/eGDpdU6w #FundFemaleFounders #FundFemaleFoundedFunds

This is why we do what we do at Nobellum - and why hosting events like the BIS Summit is critical for increasing representation at all levels of leadership and industry. Black female fund investors are a fraction of 1% of all financiers. That being the case, what chance do you think female founders have - particularly ones that are bringing products and services for the black community to market like Rochelle S. and Tosin Olivia During? At the current rate of economic mobility, it’s estimated that it’s going to take black households 320 years to reach parity with white ones. We refuse to accept that as fact, and are going to encourage as many investors and entrepreneurs as possible to think BIG and make their impact on the innovation economy. Our mission is simple: 💥Bring awareness and resources to black founders 💥Lead by example as black female angel investors and VCs 💥Advocate for policy that protects and supports diverse founders and funders 💥 Be at the table when it comes time to write a cheque and support the growth of diverse founders and pro-social companies Want to get on board with this? Tickets to the BIS summit are FREE - link in comments. #blackinnovation #blackexcellence #venturecapital #bissummit #nobellum #entrepreneurship Melisa Ellis

In 2023, companies founded solely by women accounted for 2% of the total capital invested in venture-backed startups and black founders received less than 0.5%. The TruStage Ventures Discovery Fund challenges industry standards, allocating 34% of its investment dollars to women founders and 66% to BIPOC founders to date.   “For the past three years, we’ve supported and invested in companies offering solutions to improve the financial health of communities underserved by the traditional financial system. It is making a real difference, and we are proud to commit to continuing these investments and improving industry standards.” - Elizabeth Coston McCluskey, Director of the Discovery Fund.   Check out the second annual report detailing the impact of the Discovery Fund since created in 2021 here: https://bit.ly/3Oz0IUc

A few favorite takeaways from our Black Women Shaping Entrepreneurship and Investment event earlier this week. ✨ From the Founders… 🚀 Bias within the VC industry is real - if you’re getting “no” after “no”, it’s not necessarily a reflection on your or your company. Unfortunately, when most Black women walk into a room they are not seen, so you want to find those people who see you and support you. Stop chasing people who will never get to a “yes”. 🚀 Don’t waiver on those who don’t see your value or your worth. Remember that you’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to your company - so do your due diligence on potential investors and know what you’re signing up for. 🚀 Lean on your founder community because you can ask other founders you’re connected with to make warm investor introductions. It’s so important for Black female founders to support each other. From the investors… 💰 Traction doesn’t necessarily have to be monetary - it could be the number of people on your waitlist or customer surveys you’ve done, so if you are pre-revenue, work on getting scrappy and creative with your data. 💰 VC funding is not for every business or problem, so ask yourself if this business is positioned to scale to a certain level, or is it better to take non-dilutive capital. 💰 Create a good system for yourself around the hard times, but don’t put yourself in hard times just because. The narrative around Black women being praised has been based on how much they’ve survived or struggled, so don’t work so hard because you think you have to. A huge thank you to Lauren T. Wilson - CEO & Founder of Dora Maar, Alyse (Uh-lease) Nicole Dunn - Founder & CEO of CareCopilot, Ashlee Wisdom, MPH - Founder & CEO of Health In Her HUE, Melissa Mitchner - Founder & CEO of The Bark Shoppe, Chi Achebe - Founder & Managing Partner of Achebe Capital, Tracey Amara Thompson - Vice President of SoGal Ventures, and Layla Alexander - Investor at Female Founders Fund for speaking to our community. Visit www.herworkplace.com for future founder and investor events. 🎉 #storytelling #femalefounders #networking

😊Wolberg is #25 on "The List" published by the Albany Business Review of Family-Owned Businesses in the Capital Region. The List includes the oldest multigenerational family-owned companies in the region, ranked in order by years as a family-owned company. In 2025 Wolberg will celebrate 100 years in business! 🥳🎉🎊 #wolberg #albanybusinessreview #familyownedbusiness #centennialanniversary

Despite being the fastest-growing cohort of entrepreneurs, black women receive less than 0.5% of venture capital funding.  Our friends and collaborators at How Women Invest, an early-stage VC firm focusing on the intersection of female founders and female investors, are committed to reimagining this system.     Join them on February 14th for a transformative conversation on how Black women are shaping the future, featuring a lineup of guest speakers who will explore the innovations reshaping the venture landscape and how Black Women are reclaiming their power through venture. Learn more and register below!  https://lnkd.in/ghPuuDuj #blackhistorymonth #blackfounders #womeninventure #womeninvestors

Augustine Wiah , what an impressive initiative! Thanks for launching BLCK VC in Charlotte, NC and providing opportunities for growth in #venture #capital investment. I was more than happy and excited to be there and share insights on #demographics, economic mobility, investment trends, and investor/founder representation for VC funding in the current #economic climate. To more and upcoming #partnerships! #venturecapitalinvestment #blackVC #economics #economicmobility #laborandentrepreneurship #jobs #growth #marketstrategy

Reflecting on the incredible growth rate of Black women-owned businesses between 2014 and 2019 – a remarkable 50% increase, surpassing the national average for all women-owned businesses. 📈✨ We hope to see this momentum continue to rise, and our vision is to play a small part in that impact. Let's keep creating spaces for Black, woman-owned businesses to elevate and thrive. 💼🌟 #BlackWomenEntrepreneurs #BusinessGrowth #EconomicEmpowerment