Solomon Tigabu’s Post

🌟 Black Investors Changing the VC Landscape Series: Part 41 - Aaron Walker, Camelback Ventures 🚀 Meet Aaron Walker, the driving force behind Camelback Ventures , reshaping venture capital by investing in pre-seed companies focused on education, workforce development, health, and financial inclusion. Notable Investments: Gritly , Social Cipher , Thrive Investment Focus: Pre-seed companies addressing critical issues in education, workforce development, health, and financial inclusion. Why He's on the List: Aaron Walker's journey from ninth-grade English teacher to venture capitalist exemplifies his commitment to driving meaningful change. After teaching in West Philadelphia and working in law and education administration, Walker founded Camelback Ventures nine years ago. Since its inception, Camelback Ventures has been a beacon of support for underrepresented startup founders, investing $5 million in over 100 companies. Walker's unique background and dedication have positioned Camelback Ventures as a vital catalyst for innovation and equity in the startup ecosystem. As a trailblazer in the venture capital space, Aaron Walker is paving the way for a more inclusive and impactful future, one investment at a time. ✨ Connect with Aaron Walker and Camelback Ventures to learn more about their transformative approach to venture capital. Do you know of other Black VCs who champion underrepresented founders? Share your insights with us! #BlackInvestors #VentureCapital #DiversityInTech #startup #investor #Entrepreneurship #CamelbackVentures

🌟 Black Investors Changing the VC Landscape Series: Part 24 - Kelli N. Jones, Sixty8 Capital 🚀 Introducing Kelli N. Jones, the driving force behind Sixty8 Capital, reshaping the venture capital landscape by investing in pre-seed and seed-stage companies across sectors. Notable Investments: Qualifi , NICKLpass - Get access to news & info , Breakr , PredictionStrike , Sunny , OUI the People Investment Focus: Pre-seed and seed-stage companies across sectors, with a special emphasis on Black founders in the Midwest, particularly in consumer startups. Why She's on the List: Jones brings a wealth of experience to the table, having served as a program manager for Techstars and led sales and marketing for two venture-backed companies. Her journey in entrepreneurship led her to co-found Sixty8 Capital in 2019, where she channels her expertise and passion into supporting Black founders and fostering innovation in the Midwest's startup ecosystem. Beyond her work with Sixty8 Capital, Jones is deeply committed to empowering Black communities in tech. For the past six years, she has spearheaded the Be Nimble Foundation , a nonprofit dedicated to workforce development programs aimed at training and placing Black workers in tech jobs. Additionally, the foundation has established four accelerators tailored to support Black founders on their entrepreneurial journey. Kelli N. Jones is not just investing in companies; she's investing in the future of Black entrepreneurship and fostering a more inclusive and equitable startup ecosystem. ✨Connect with her: Kelli N. Jones Sixty8 Capital Stay tuned for more inspiring profiles of Black investors leading the charge in our daily series! Share your thoughts and other impactful investors in the comments below. #BlackInvestors #VentureCapital #DiversityInTech #startup #investor #Entrepreneurship

🚀 Black Investors Changing the VC Landscape Series: Part 19 - Arlan Hamilton, Backstage Capital 🌟 Meet Arlan Hamilton, the visionary force behind Backstage Capital , revolutionizing venture capital by championing underrepresented entrepreneurs. Notable Investments: Career Karma , CareAcademy , Mahmee , goodr , Mayvenn . Investment Focus: Pre-seed to growth-stage companies across all sectors. Why She's on This List: Arlan Hamilton's journey to founding Backstage Capital is nothing short of inspirational. As a former production coordinator for artists like Toni Braxton and Jason Derulo , she experienced firsthand the lack of investment opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs. Driven by her own experiences as a gay, Black woman from Dallas, Hamilton launched Backstage Capital in 2015 with a relentless determination to level the playing field in venture capital. Despite facing numerous challenges, including the struggle to secure her first $25,000 check, she persevered and has since raised $20 million from prominent LPs like Marc Andreessen, Ellen Pao, and Mark Cuban. With this capital, Hamilton has become a beacon of hope for underrepresented founders, investing in over 200 companies and empowering a new generation of diverse entrepreneurs. ✨Connect with her🚀 - Arlan Hamilton Stay tuned for more inspiring profiles of Black investors leading the charge in our daily series! Share your thoughts and other impactful investors in the comments below. Oren Simanian #BlackInvestors #VentureCapital #DiversityInTech #startup #investor #Entrepreneurship #BackstageCapital

🌟 Black Investors Changing the VC Landscape Series: Part 34 - Kimmy Paluch, Beta Boom 🚀 Introducing Kimmy Paluch, the driving force behind Beta Boom , reshaping the venture capital landscape by investing in pre-seed companies outside the Silicon Valley bubble, with a focus on underrepresented founders. Key Investments: Fiveable , Free From Market, Bolder Money Investment Focus: Pre-seed companies primarily in digital health, fintech, and edtech, with check sizes ranging from $150,000 to $350,000. Why She's on the List: Kimmy Paluch, along with her husband Sergio, co-founded Beta Boom in 2018 after realizing the need to invest in companies and founders beyond the confines of Silicon Valley. Based in Salt Lake City, Beta Boom exclusively invests in rising tech hubs outside Silicon Valley, with over 90% of its portfolio companies led by underrepresented founders. Paluch's journey into venture capitalism stems from her experiences in Silicon Valley, where she faced challenges breaking into the tech industry. Undeterred, she pivoted to product management and design, eventually founding her own product-innovation consulting firm, Boom Factor . With Beta Boom, Paluch is committed to leveling the playing field for underrepresented entrepreneurs and fostering innovation in emerging tech ecosystems. Through Beta Boom, Kimmy Paluch is not just investing in companies; she's investing in the diversity and resilience of founders driving change across industries. ✨Connect with Kimmy Paluch to learn more about her mission and vision for the future of venture capital. Stay tuned for more inspiring profiles of Black investors leading the charge in our daily series! Share your thoughts and other impactful investors in the comments below. Tam Sul Oren Simanian Netsanet Meles #BlackInvestors #VentureCapital #DiversityInTech #startup #investor #Entrepreneurship #BetaBoom

🌟 Black Investors Changing the VC Landscape Series: Part 33 - Eghosa Omoigui, EchoVC 🚀 Introducing Eghosa Omoigui, the visionary founder of EchoVC Partners , reshaping the venture capital landscape by championing underrepresented entrepreneurs and investing across diverse sectors. Notable Investments: Gro Intelligence , Pave , Kosa.ai, Migo , SystemOne , Parallel Wireless Investment Focus: Pre-seed through Series A, with occasional Series B follow-ons, in companies across various sectors including financial services and inclusion, health and human services, smart planet, data and knowledge ecosystems, media, commerce, and infrastructure. Why He's on the List: Eghosa Omoigui is on a mission to make EchoVC the Sequoia Capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs. His journey into venture capitalism began after a successful career as a lawyer, transitioning into VC while at Intel Capital . Recognizing the potential to drive change in the VC ecosystem, Omoigui founded EchoVC in 2011, driven by a vision to back underdog founders often overlooked by traditional investors. With a portfolio nearing 65 companies, EchoVC is a testament to Omoigui's commitment to investing in diverse talent and disruptive ideas. Through EchoVC, Omoigui is not just investing in companies; he's investing in the untapped potential of underrepresented entrepreneurs, empowering them to redefine industries and drive innovation. ✨Connect with Eghosa Omoigui to learn more about his journey and vision for the future of venture capital. Stay tuned for more inspiring profiles of Black investors leading the charge in our daily series! Share your thoughts and other impactful investors in the comments below. Oren Simanian Tam Sul #BlackInvestors #VentureCapital #DiversityInTech #startup #investor #Entrepreneurship

🌟 Black Investors Changing the VC Landscape Series: Part 32 - Kim Nixon, Open Venture Capital 🚀 Introducing Kim Nixon, the visionary force behind Open Venture Capital , revolutionizing the venture capital landscape by investing in health and wellness startups from seed to Series A. Notable Investments: Pear Suite , No Limbits , Open, Break the Love Investment Focus: Seed to Series A companies in the health and wellness sector, including sports, fitness, food as medicine, and food access, as well as sexual, mental, physical, and financial health. Why She's on the List: Kim Nixon's transition from executive roles in sports and health-and-wellness industries to venture capitalism reflects her dedication to promoting holistic well-being. With a wealth of experience at companies like Under Armour and Manduka , Nixon brings valuable insights to her investments. As the founder of Open Venture Capital, Nixon addresses a crucial gap in the startup ecosystem: providing early-stage funding to underrepresented founders without demanding extensive market traction upfront. While her fund doesn't have a diversity mandate, Nixon actively supports underrepresented founders through advisory services tailored to their needs. Nixon's commitment to fostering diversity and innovation in health and wellness startups is evident in her portfolio and her mission-driven approach to venture capital. ✨Connect with Kim Nixon to learn more about her vision for driving positive change in the health and wellness industry through venture capital. Stay tuned for more inspiring profiles of Black investors leading the charge in our daily series! Share your thoughts and other impactful investors in the comments below. Oren Simanian Tam Sul #BlackInvestors #VentureCapital #DiversityInTech #startup #investor #Entrepreneurship

🚀 Black Investors Changing the VC Landscape Series: Part 1 - Daniel Acheampong & Yasmin Cruz Ferrine 🌟 As a startup, securing funds is essential for growth, but knowing where to turn for investment can be daunting. That's why we're kicking off our Black Investors Changing the VC Landscape series with notable investors like Daniel Acheampong and Yasmin Cruz Ferrine, co-founders of Visible Hands. Notable Investments: Parfait, Athlytic , Dollaride , Hearth Display, Noula , WriteSea , Plot , TANGapp Investment Focus: Pre-seed and seed-stage companies across industries. Why They're on the List: Acheampong and Ferrine launched Visible Hands in May 2020 to tackle systemic barriers facing underrepresented founders. They're transforming missed opportunities into pathways for success by providing funding, social capital, and resources to diverse entrepreneurs. At Visible Hands, Acheampong oversees investment processes as a general partner, drawing from his experience at Summit Partners and Goldman Sachs . Ferrine, with her background at Manulife and Brown Advisory , handles compliance, capital raising, and investment functions. Both are deeply embedded in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, with Acheampong serving as an entrepreneur in residence at MIT's DesignX and a venture advisor at Yale University's Tsai Center. Ferrine's expertise spans growth and strategy, including her role as finance director for former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick Campaign 's 2020 presidential campaign. Their dedication to fostering diversity and innovation in startups makes them pivotal figures in reshaping the VC landscape. ✨Connect with them🚀 Daniel Acheampong Yasmin Cruz Ferrine Stay tuned and follow for more profiles of black investors driving change in our daily series! Comment to share other trailblazers in the industry and help the community! Oren Simanian Tam Sul Hilly Hirt #BlackInvestors #VentureCapital #DiversityInTech #startup #investor

Thank you Vishal Persaud for the feature. I am proud to be listed along with my colleagues in Business Insider as one of the funds investing in inclusive teams. #DEI is under attack, in case you haven’t noticed. Here's an excerpt from the article: Diversity, equity, and inclusion has been a hot topic of conversation lately — especially among billionaires who don't see the need for it, DEI initiatives have been intensely scrutinized after the US Supreme Court struck down the use of affirmative action in college admissions last year, and that's had ripple effects in the business world. There's been an ongoing backlash against corporate DEI. And that's manifested in DEI departments paring down and legal action, like the ongoing lawsuit against the VC firm Fearless Fund by a conservative nonprofit claiming its grant program is discriminatory. Funds like Fearless Fund and many featured on this list were buoyed by corporate pledges to focus on DEI more in hiring and funding in the wake of George Floyd's murder in the summer of 2020. But now, nearly four years later, much of that progress appears in danger of being scaled back because DEI has fallen out of favor in parts of the corporate world. Yet, billionaires like JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and Mark Cuban believe diversity should remain a priority. For VC firms with investments theses centered on backing underrepresented startup founders, many remain undeterred in light of the grim state of play. "We will continue doing what we were set up to do," wrote Claude Grunitzky, the CEO of The Equity Alliance, in a recent newsletter. "If some investors are now getting cold feet over our DEI mandate, over our focus on racial and gender equity, that's alright. We are not shaking in our boots." Many other Black VCs are addressing long-standing DEI issues in the VC industry by slowly moving the investing needle toward more underrepresented founders who have traditionally been overlooked." #diversity #inclusion #equity #blackwomen #fundmanagers #venturecapital #investing #entrepreneurship #atlanta

What if one man could change the future for hundreds of Black and Brown founders? For today’s Creator Spotlight, we’re celebrating Cordelro Brown—a venture capitalist shaking up the game for underrepresented entrepreneurs. As a VC with Techstars, Cordelro’s mission is clear: open the doors to venture capital for Black and Brown founders. He’s been instrumental in guiding startups through accelerators, focusing on growth, execution, and mentoring early-stage founders. Kristina Flynn shared her personal connection to Cordelro, highlighting his consistency—whether online or in person, he shows up. His goal? Equip these founders not just to access VC networks, but to thrive in them. His work is personal, pushing for more representation in a space that’s been slow to embrace diversity. If you’re an entrepreneur from an underrepresented community, Cordelro’s someone you need to know. He’s changing the future of venture capital for diverse founders. Know someone making waves? Reach out to Kristina or Keith—we love celebrating those who inspire us.