VC Include

SPARK: Chicago kicked off #TechChicagoWeek by offering stunning views of the city’s iconic skyline as the perfect backdrop to spark inspiration and connection. This collaborative effort between VC Include, JPMorganChase, Capitalize VC, EHI Cleantech Ventures | Energy and Infrastructure Venture Capital, and the MacArthur Foundation brought together a select group of investors from family offices, foundations, entrepreneurs, VC Include alumni, and industry leaders. Our attendees developed new partnerships with the goal of fostering positive change in venture capital and private equity. VC Include's SPARK gatherings are more than just events: they are catalysts for change. Reflecting on the evening, everyone's passion and commitment to inclusive innovation were palpable. The group highlighted the incredible potential within our community to amplify underrepresented voices. Thank you to all who attended and helped make SPARK: Chicago a resounding success! Milton Speid Umindi Francis Desiree Rogers Marisa Murillo Shayna Harris Tessa Flippin John Balbach Collin Bhojwani Marianne Markowitz Christian McKenzie 🇯🇲 Simone Gourguechon Melissa Richlen Michael Purnell Sharla Cooper Randall Lorin Sawyer, M.S. Jasmine Browley, M.A. Kim Vender Moffat Rendel S. Sarah Berghorst Dana Loatman Philip Alphonse Abby Pucker Alia Einstein-Diez Nina Sharma Rodolfo Rueda Ballesteros Kanayo Oweazim Sayiddah M. #emergingmanagers #dei #diversityandinclusion #genderequality #impactinvesting #venturecapital #privateequity #alternateinvestments #DiversityInVC #ImpactinAction #TCW24

#VCI was honored once again to have Sue Toigo, founder of Toigo Foundation, speak to our fellows. Sue's presence and insights have been a cornerstone of the VCI Fellowship every year, and her sessions are well-loved. The Toigo Foundation has been an influential ally in supporting underrepresented talents and fostering a more inclusive culture, mirroring the ethos of the Fellowship. This year, Sue emphasized the importance of making a lasting impression: "You want to make sure that people are going to remember you. What do you remember about people that you talk to? How you felt when they looked you in the eye and you knew they were telling you something real. They were telling you why they're doing something, and who it's going to help, and how it's going to change a community or an industry for the better. Passion gives you gravitas. Sincerity gives you gravitas." Thank you, Sue, for your unwavering commitment to our fellows and for sharing your wisdom year after year! #diversityandinclusion #impactinvesting #esg #fundmanagers #venturecapital #DiversityInVC #ImpactinAction #emergingmanagers #alternateinvestments #vc #pe #dei #womeninfinance #womeninvestors #womeninventure #genderequality

VC Include is excited to be a Nasdaq Foundation New Investor Initiative partner, working to create a stronger investor identity for underrepresented communities. This fall we are launching the Fund Fundamentals Program, a “Pre-Accelerator” for high potential women to inspire more inclusive participation in the investment field and spur generational wealth creation. More to come. Learn more here – https://lnkd.in/gGnSQKTP

Keith Daniel, co-founder and GP of Resilient Ventures, LLC, and his partner Thomas Droege, are seeking to invest in the Jackie Robinsons and Madam CJ Walkers of the startup community in North Carolina. As a firm committed to bridging the funding gap for Black founders, Resilient Ventures is making strides in creating a more equitable venture landscape and focuses on providing early-stage capital to Black-led startups, addressing the systemic barriers that have historically limited their access to funding. “Our foundational motivation is to do something significant about the racial wealth gap,” says Tom, adding that he and Daniel were looking for ways to personally and meaningfully address the persistent disparity in wealth between Black and White populations. Resilient Ventures is dedicated to supporting businesses that are poised for growth and innovation. By investing in Black entrepreneurs, they are contributing to a more diverse and inclusive economy, one that benefits everyone. Learn more about their impactful work on our blog - https://lnkd.in/gSpzC745 #emergingmanagers #esg #alternateinvestments #dei #diversityandinclusion #impactinvesting #DiversityInVC #ImpactinAction #venturecapital #BlackFounders #equity #entrepreneurship #startupfunding #economicempowerment #ResilientVentures #inclusivelandscape

The ability to raise a successful #vcfund ultimately depends on your ability to show your background, experience, team, investment thesis, and track record align with the needs of the #LP. Caroline Gillespie Greer is Head of Diverse Manager Investments at Commonfund. She joined four other asset allocators at a recent #VCI Fellowship session which spotlighted various types of funding from an array of sources – banks, foundations, universities, and consulting firms. What can make you stand out? A tip from Caroline: "An important differentiation for emerging managers is talking about their #operational involvement in the realization of #portfolio success from an expertise, guidance, or access to #capital perspective. How many companies can you manage when you're actually heavily involved in helping them succeed? And do you have the skill set within your own team to be able to actualize that success?" Thank you, Caroline, for reminding us that a fund's ability to help portfolio companies succeed - especially in a hands-on manner - is a solid indicator to capital partners. And thank you for sharing your time and expertise with our fellows! #emergingmanagers #esg #alternateinvestments #dei #diversityandinclusion #impactinvesting #DiversityInVC #ImpactinAction #venturecapital

As someone who has the experience of migrating from one continent to another — and the understanding and insights that come along with that experience — Ernest Kabuye Ph.D., founder of Seven Capital, is clear about the importance as well as the challenges of identifying global solutions. This clarity informs his firm’s vision of investing in widespread impact across all seven continents. Seven Capital is on a mission to close the gap in funding for early-stage companies with promising tech solutions that can revolutionize untapped markets. The firm’s thesis is grounded in the understanding that technology has made possible many of the ecosystems in emerging and frontier markets — particularly on the African continent — and it can also support the acceleration of these companies to operate at the same levels as mature market companies. “We’re identifying the technology-enabled businesses led by entrepreneurs targeting the issues within their regions,” says Kabuye. “We’re looking to then provide them with support to help them scale their solutions into mature markets.” Learn more about Ernest and Seven Capital on our blog - https://lnkd.in/gMvZpVax #emergingmanagers #esg #alternateinvestments #dei #diversityandinclusion #impactinvesting #DiversityInVC #ImpactinAction #vc #pe #venturecapital

There are few people as steadfast in their support of #VCI as Seth Levine, co-founder and partner at Foundry. Seth has led a session every year of the VCI Fellowship for Impact Fund I Managers, sharing his extensive depth and breadth of knowledge of the venture space with our fellows. Seth recently came back again and shared his highly practical, hands-on advice about raising a #venturecapital fund from his years of experience building a multi-billion dollar firm. Some topics covered included market positioning, LP engagement, tips on network building, as well as behind-the-scenes strategies that often don’t get airtime such as portfolio construction, reserves strategies, and recycling. Thank you so much, Seth, for your consistent support of the VC Include Fellowship. Your insight, openness, and generosity are so very appreciated! #emergingmanagers #esg #alternateinvestments #dei #diversityandinclusion #impactinvesting #DiversityInVC #ImpactinAction #vc #pe

For the second year in a row, #VCI Fellowship alum, Toussaint Bailey, came and spoke to our fellows about his experience, advice, and learnings from raising Fund I of Uplifting Capital. Toussaint shared extremely useful processes for LP outreach and engagement, brand strategies, and personal reflections with the 2024 cohort – including the profound importance of the #VCI community. “The VCI community should not be taken lightly,” he shared. “You’re going to have points of failure along the way. To have a community to fall back on with other people who are post-failure and have found some version of success, or who are going through some version of failure with you, the support and community that’s required to sustain you through that period is real. It’s not a soft thing.” Thank you once again, Toussaint, for being real with our fellows. It is this type of unfiltered openness and vulnerability that they need to learn the real deal about what to expect and tips to make their journeys better. #diversityandinclusion #impactinvesting #esg #fundmanagers #venturecapital #DiversityInVC #ImpactinAction #emergingmanagers #alternateinvestments #vc #pe #dei

We’re immensely proud of #VCI alumni Patrick Driscoll, Lorine Pendleton, Ben Stokes, B. Pagels-Minor, and Shalanda Armstrong for participating at the first ever LGBTQ+ Venture Capital Roundtable at The White House with a group of 30 diverse, women, and LGBTQ+ VC’s and others in the VC ecosystem. They offered policy recommendations to people from Biden’s Treasury, National Economic Council, and Dept. of Commerce to get more venture capital and investments to women, diverse, and LGBTQ+-led companies. Evolving the alternative investment industry takes hard, sustained, collective effort. This is where the #VCI community stands out! Thank you Patrick, Lorine, Ben, B., and Shalanda for leading the charge! 👏🏿👏🏾👏🏼 #diversityandinclusion #impactinvesting #esg #fundmanagers #venturecapital #DiversityInVC #ImpactinAction #emergingmanagers #alternateinvestments #vc #pe #dei

Each year, our fellows remark about how much they appreciate the candid, unfiltered advice from alumni of the #VCI fellowship. The sharing of knowledge and experience from people that are a few steps ahead, who are hitting the pavement with them looking for funding and offering up their success stories and lessons learned. One such alumna is La Keisha Landrum Pierre, co-founder & GP of Emmeline Ventures, who came and spoke to our 2024 fellows about her journey with Emmeline. A master networker, La Keisha gave lots of insider nuggets of practical information that they can use immediately as well as inspiration as to what is possible. Thank you La Keisha for sharing your time and expertise with this year’s cohort! The #VCI family is so enriched by having a “big sister” like yourself. #diversityandinclusion #impactinvesting #esg #fundmanagers #venturecapital #DiversityInVC #ImpactinAction #emergingmanagers #alternateinvestments #vc #pe #dei #womeninfinance #womeninvestors #womeninventure #genderequality