Embarc Collective’s Post

What’s my “Why VC”? At Harlem Capital it’s always been to break down barriers and increase access to VC funding for women and people of color. And every day I try to live that mission to the fullest - through our investing, our ecosystem work, and our intern program. We’ve invested in 60+ companies and 75+ founders across our two funds. Our team dug into the data to measure our impact across our portfolio and the ecosystem. Portfolio Impact - 384+ jobs created by HCP’s portfolio companies, 36% identify as people of color (POC) and 35% as women - 114 total management positions created, 44% held by POC and 36% held by women Capital Impact (2022-2023): - 6% of all Black & Latino (B&L) seed capital raised was HCP HCP-led syndicates - 15% of all Black seed deal volume ($) was HCP-led syndicates We’re only 5 years in to a long journey and it’s incredible to celebrate these milestones. I’m so proud of this team, but we know it’s only just the beginning and there’s so much more to come in the future Blog post linked in the comments and huge thanks to Nicole DeTommaso and Sophia Escagedo to create this report!

Happy Monday! I wanted to (finally) share my 2023 Summer Founders Demo Day Pitch. If you didn't know.. over last summer I had the privilege of participating in Summer Founders, a 12-week program that is designed for students with early stage startups to work on their ventures. Being a student entrepreneur, it can get quite frustrating when you have a vision and the passion to solve a problem but might not see the amount of progress on your startup that you want. If I have learned anything from Vince DiFelice & Summer Founders it is that.. 1) it is okay to put the start up down, 2) it is okay to pick it back up, and 3) it is okay to go back to the problem & restart from the beginning!!! Over the next semester, Relief Chronic Care will be going BACK to the problem and its' identified problem owners. The hope is to create customer journey maps to see the full journey of these women with chronic illness, and where Relief can provide the most unique value. Stay tuned!!! https://lnkd.in/eqHJ9g2w

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖, 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐀𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 The award-winning, top-selling master planned community (MPC) of Summerlin® continued its remarkable, decades-long trajectory in 2023, capping off another year of milestone development. https://bit.ly/3Hgadn3

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖, 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐀𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 The award-winning, top-selling master planned community (MPC) of Summerlin® continued its remarkable, decades-long trajectory in 2023, capping off another year of milestone development. https://bit.ly/3Hgadn3

Summer Founders is a 12-week pre-accelerator program where students are tasked to search for repeatable and scalable business models that are able to solve both commercial and social problems. Demo Day is the conclusion of Summer Founders, providing teams the opportunity to present their projects, demonstrate how the program has influenced their work, and connect with community members, peers, and mentors while sharing their summer progress on their venture.  View the full video recap here: https://hubs.li/Q02Tl_9f0

The best way to get smarter about investing is getting reps reviewing deals. At Angel Squad we regularly host virtual events where Hustle Fund GPs review real investment opportunities with our Squad Members to show Members their deal assessment framework in action. This is as real as it gets. Our Members get a front-row seat to how a successful early-stage VC firm conducts due diligence, and why Hustle Fund GPs decide to invest or pass on a company. It’s the most real “VC apprenticeship” on the market, and it’s available to every single Squad Member. Learning how the best VCs diligence companies is an important insight to be able to frame your own deal assessment approach as an angel investor.

Today is the last day to apply to the next cohort of our program, The Revenue Accelerator! If you're an early stage founder looking for hands-on, go-to-market help then you won't want to miss this opportunity to work with our team here at GrowthX! What results can you expect to get out of the program? Real, tangible revenue growth. See for yourself what our alumni have had to say about their growth. https://lnkd.in/ew7Pt6Ps

Thank you Dr. Jeremy Loh PhD, Christopher Y. and Mei Shan Chng from Genesis Alternative Ventures for an inspiring session! 🌟 I left feeling truly in awe of Dr. Loh’s remarkable achievements in pioneering venture debt in Southeast Asia, especially how he bravely navigated conversations with regulators to classify venture debt within the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s capital markets licenses. His determination to advocate for this innovative funding option is a powerful reminder of the impact one can have on an industry. 1. Venture Debt Origins: Learning about how venture debt was established in Singapore was enlightening. Dr. Loh’s discussions with regulators showcased the importance of collaboration in shaping new funding landscapes, inspiring me to engage more proactively in discussions that can drive change in my own field. 2. Fundraising Stories: His experience raising the first fund resonated deeply with my own journey of securing clients, reinforcing the value of resilience and strategic thinking. 3. Wearing Many Hats: The discussion about founders juggling multiple roles really hit home. I often feel overwhelmed balancing various responsibilities, but knowing that this is a shared experience among successful entrepreneurs reassured me to embrace the chaos and seek support when needed. 4. Talent Attraction: I was inspired by Dr. Loh’s ability to cultivate a growth mindset within teams. This is something I aspire to replicate in my own ventures, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. 5. Sustainable Business Models: His insights on identifying unconventional target audiences opened my eyes to new avenues for growth—not just for my ventures but also in how I approach client relationships and partnerships. This session has ignited a renewed sense of purpose in my personal and professional growth journey. I’m excited to apply these lessons moving forward! 🚀💡 💕Love these enriching sessions planned by our community team Protégé Ventures! Thank you for your hard work in arranging them Arjun Kumar Nair 🧞♂️ Ying Wei T. Bob Tan Wee Teo Ryan Lee Zi En Lim Yi Lu

Starting our new venture

𝗢𝗻 𝟭𝟭𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟱 - Paul Graham and his wife Jessica were walking back from dinner, discussing the challenges within the VC ecosystem. - Deal terms were haphazard and a disaster 💣 - No standardization 📄 - Unwillingness to fund young founders 🕴 The idea of launching their own investment firm began to solidify during their conversation, leading them to commit $100,000 and have Jessica dedicate herself full-time to the venture. It was called Cambridge Seed but that didn't last very long and a few days later they changed it to - 𝗬 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿. They started their first Summer Founder's Program to fund college students who were interested in starting their own company instead of taking a summer job. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 - - Incorporation of the company 🏛️ - Business Plan and mentorship and help with further investment 📂 - Weekly dinners with experienced founders, offering you the opportunity to pick their brains 🍽️ It's remarkable how the structure of the current structure closely mirrors the one they introduced in 2005. I found this picture of the 1st batch of YC and you can see Sam Altman to the right, next to Paul Graham (standing far right).