Judene Small Jean-Louis

Thanks for another informative post, Daniel. Urgent Action Needed: Please add your your name to this letter before 5pm ET Today! 🔗https://lnkd.in/grrzAeWG With the dramatic decline in funding to Black founders and outright racist-sexist attacks on Black women funders in the recent Supreme Court Fearless Fund decision, I join you in urging signature of The Center for American Entrepreneurship & Engine | Advocacy & Foundation’s letter urging US Congress to pass: The Community Development Investment Tax Credit Act to boost investment in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). "The legislation would create a new tax credit for private sector investors that make equity or equity equivalent investments in, or that provide long-term patient capital (i.e., loans with a minimum term of at least 10 years) to CDFIs." Expanding American Entrepreneurship Act: "The legislation would raise the cap on funds organized under a 2018 sub-category of section 3(c)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 from $10 million to $50 million, and double the number of permitted investors from 250 to 500. Together, these changes will enable emerging fundmanagers to raise larger funds." Time to move from being shell shocked to concerted community action that truly advances equitable capital access for all US Americans. Black Philanthropy Month The WISE Fund

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$84 TRILLION changing hands by 2045 —  with women expected to be major beneficiaries of this transfer. "Women, Wealth & Legacy" has been an overarching theme for our firm this year, because we believe this is an inflection point for what this could mean for women-led innovation and the funds that invest in them. How will women invest differently? More soon 👉

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Today marks a groundbreaking moment for BLCK VC and our fellow collaborators—Diversity VC, All Raise, 2Gether-International, SomosVC, StartOut, and VetsinTech—as we proudly announce the launch of the Diversity Data Alliance. This important alliance underscores our unwavering commitment to nurturing a venture capital and entrepreneurial ecosystem abundant in equity and inclusiveness. By standardizing and linking our data, we empower ourselves with the essential tools to track deeper trends that have, until now, eluded us to identify and fill funding gaps for historically excluded investors, founders, and operators. We can’t change what we do not measure, and now with the Diversity Data Alliance, we're now equipped to do both. Join us in this mission. Learn more and get involved: https://lnkd.in/eEZKdrac #DiversityDataAlliance #BLCKVC #VentureCapital #MeasureToChange

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Today, Two Chairs announces $72M of new funding to continue building a world where everyone has access to exceptional mental health care. Since late 2017, when Maveron led the Two Chairs Series A, the need for mental health services has grown considerably as our society has become lonelier and more isolated than ever. At the same time, our culture’s willingness to openly acknowledge these challenges is greater than ever. Sadly, the rapid growth of Two Chairs affirms the fact that our society is in desperate need of better mental health support. Two Chairs has built a business that believes clinical quality is the defining characteristic of success. Alex Katz has always emphasized the paramountcy of measurement-based clinical outcomes, which the team works tirelessly to achieve. In the process, Two Chairs has illustrated that embracing the ‘move fast and break things’ mentality doesn’t always work. Instead, Two Chairs opted for a different approach: they went slow to go fast. They built a proprietary algorithm that matches patients with the perfect therapist at the onset and hired a team of W2 clinicians oriented toward providing the highest quality care available. Even as the Two Chairs team has grown, their culture has remained small. This has enabled more intimate relationships within the team and between clients and clinicians. Reflecting on this milestone brings me back to the founding of Maveron and the values we hold dear. In 1998, my friend Howard Schultz and I founded Maveron to help entrepreneurs build companies that improve the lives of everyday people—their employees and their customers. There is perhaps no better example of this than Two Chairs. *** Thank you to TechCrunch's Marina Temkin, CFA for the great write-up. https://tcrn.ch/4aMt7yG

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Amazing news for all startup founders out there! If you're struggling to validate your idea, build your MVP, or get traction early on, this opportunity is for you. Pre-seed accelerators can provide the capital and support needed to get your product to market, and Tré Baker has shared an amazing opportunity to access these resources. As a fellow early-stage founder, I know how difficult it can be to secure funding, which is the stage where many startups unfortunately fail. By providing underrepresented founders with the resources they need, these accelerators can help ensure higher returns for everyone involved. Don't miss out on this chance to take your startup to the next level! #startupfounders #preseedaccelerators #earlystagefounders #funding #resources

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Have a story to tell... Use Narratize AI Co-Authoring platform to tell your stories in an impactful manner. Katie Trauth Taylor, PhD and the entire team is committed to helping you in becoming amazing storytellers. Check out their impressive work at https://lnkd.in/gnNYHSSX Start telling your stories with Narratize AI as your co-author. #generativeai #storytelling #innovation #aicoauthoring #innovators #researchers #impactstories #startups #problemsolvers #AI #AIStartup

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Let’s talk about it

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𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 A global survey conducted by the McKinsey & Company Health Institute found that spiritual health - a sense of purpose and connection to something larger than oneself - is crucial for mental, social, and physical health. Gen Z, in particular, places a strong emphasis on spiritual health, associating it with resilience during the transition to adulthood. As we advance in a world that often prioritizes physical and mental health, incorporating spiritual wellness could be the key to holistic health. https://lnkd.in/g_PYgTnm

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Rodney Sampson is SO RIGHT. If VCs/investors would just fund Black/of color/female founders, we would ERASE UNEMPLOYMENT AT SCALE. Read about my MakeLoveNotPorn product roadmap here for how many jobs 'the human curation layer on top of the internet' can create at scale, while building a better, safer, happier internet for everyone through the female lens: https://lnkd.in/eaxp9rPR #FundBlackFounders #FundFemaleFounders #FundDiverseFounders

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I’m excited to publicly share something that has been in the works for a few months at the 9point8 Collective. We’ve launched our Virtual Studio! This is a program for early-stage companies that provides the coaching, development and venture-building tools they need to find traction and scale. The program is modeled off of the venture-building processes found inside #VentureStudios, which have delivered 2X IRR and exit 45% faster than traditional #VC-backed #startups over the last 10 years. Some of the secret sauce to this is that studios have found a way to validate strategies early on, de-risk execution, preserve and extend limited runway, and create efficient business models very fast. We at 9point8 are seasoned studio builders and are on a mission to bring this value to founding teams as they navigate their startup journeys. What we’ve done with the Virtual Studio is distill these key processes and techniques, add in our own expertise and best practices, and package them into a program which meets start-ups where they are. We are now opening up our Summer 2024 Cohort, slated to begin in July. Space is limited, so I’m sharing the opportunity with my network before we fill the cohort. Here are the details: -It’s a 3-month program which takes the founder through the key phases of venture-building and de-risking (refining target market, product-market fit, economics and financials, planning, and fundraising). -Founders can expect to achieve greater focus, improved operations and increased marketability to customers and investors. -The end results include collaboratively-drafted operational plans, commercial / investment pitch decks, and elevated management practices within the founding team. These draft off frameworks from 9point8's proprietary venture-building process: Targets Over Everything. -It’s built for founders facing (or approaching) a critical inflection point, where fresh perspectives and strategic management levers are critical. These might include fundraising preparation, new product launch, market expansion, and post-MVP scaling efforts. Why did we build this program? Because building a new company is really hard. 90(!) percent of startups fail, and even moderate risk reduction can create a huge lift to survival rate and eventual returns. The studio model is proven to drive greater venture success; our virtual program is extending that success to more and more teams. The program is highly collaborative and hands-on, so we only take on a few companies at a time. This is a great opportunity for founders who are looking to level-up their abilities when it comes to unlocking traction, growth, and an express lane to superior returns. If interested, please reach out immediately as we expect the program to be fully enrolled very soon! Blair Merlino Evan Allen Neal Ghosh

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Looking forward to discussing how changing demographics and culture norms are affecting investment opportunities in longevity, health and well-being at The Care Summit today Alongside Cake Ventures' Monique Woodard, Ziegler's Dan Hermann, Oak HC/FT's Billy Deitch and JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Jennifer Edwards, we’ll dive into the trends shaping how we are investing in the space: - Last year marked one of the most significant social and economic moments in modern times: The number of older adults—those aged 50 and over- surpassed the number of children under the age of 15 for the first time. - In 2020 the 50 plus population contributed $45 trillion to global GDP, or 34% of the total. That equates to about 3x the revenue of the world’s 100 highest- earning companies in 2020. - The U.S. population grew by 24.5 million from 2010 to 2022, and Hispanics accounted for 53% of this increase – a greater share than any other racial or ethnic group. - Women around the world and across all ages drive 64% of consumer spending

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❗Female founders, grab my list of VCs and accelerators organized by location, dedicated to supporting you. These organizations are creating innovative funding approaches and have backed some of my clients. I'll update this list monthly to help with your fundraising efforts and connect with the right investors. → VCs in the US: Emmeline Ventures Reinventure Capital Female Founders Fund BAD BITCH EMPIRE CAPITA3 Halogen Ventures → VCs in Europe: Fund F by Female Founders Bethnal Green Ventures Mustard Seed → Global Accelerators: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Founder Institute - Female Founder Initiative → Accelerators in Europe: FemTech Lab Seedcamp Key Fundraising Tips: ⭕ Expect challenges and rejections, it often takes 100 nos to get a yes. ⭕ Develop a funding strategy that suits both your business and personal needs. ⭕ Understand the differences between raising VC funds and alternative methods like bootstrapping. ⭕ Utilize your network for warm introductions to potential investors. ⭕ Build significant traction to enhance your funding chances in today's market. ⭕ Stay resilient, protect your mental health, and keep pushing towards your goals. If you're a VC, accelerator, or incubator that supports female founders and would like to be featured in future lists, please drop a comment or send me a DM. _____________________ 👋🏻 Hi there, welcome! ✨ I'm Sarah. I guide women who feel unsure or overwhelmed about starting their startup, helping them shape their ideas into a business that's ready for funding. If you're a woman beginning your startup journey, follow me here on LinkedIn. I'll keep sharing advice and support to help you grow.

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Female founders want to take your startup to the next level with access to funding, business mentorship, and leadership coaching. Apply this week to the virtual FourthWave Accelerator for women tech entrepreneurs. We are a nonprofit, and the cost is just $400 for 16 weeks of group and 1:1 mentorship and coaching. Check it out below: Applications through June 14th FourthWave, Inc. stands at the forefront of empowering women in the tech industry. Our commitment to reshaping the narrative of gender equity is not just a statement, but a tangible reality. We believe that investing in women is a powerful tool to combat inequality and foster economic growth. Join us in this journey to redefine business culture and become impactful, conscious leaders. FOURTHWAVE’S APPROACH FourthWave accelerator dedicates an equal effort to leadership awareness and coaching, the development of sound startup business fundamentals, and preparedness for external funding. As part of the program, female founders engage in a radical new conversation about leadership, build a robust business, and attract capital that supports their values. DEVELOPING SOUND BUSINESS FUNDAMENTALS Through a series of business assessment processes, female founders work with FourthWave business coaches to assess key areas of their businesses to prepare for funding. This includes clear identification of unmet needs, market size, revenue potential, investment return, liquidity horizon, technical strategy, product development risk, intellectual property, and go-to-market strategies. This work serves as the foundation for the final phase – funding! PREPAREDNESS FOR EXTERNAL FUNDING Funding requires more than just a great pitch deck. The FourthWave accelerator assists female founders in filling the gaps identified through the Sound Business Fundamentals process, helping them to identify funding sources specifically for their businesses, provide insight and feedback on investor messaging, and provide opportunities to present to prospective investors. Apply HERE: https://www.fourthwave.io/

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I'm leaving Techstars. Techstars is an incredible organization. Both are true. The last decade has been an amazing immersion into the world of venture and I've been able to work with some of the smartest people on the planet. 11 years ago, I sat in front of David Cohen, one of the 4 founders of Techstars, as he talked about building the largest, most effective entrepreneurial network in the world. His vision drew me away from an incredible role at LinkedIn. In the course of the initial conversation, he laid out an emotional connection to a historically transactional experience - venture capital. He didn't have the words for it then, but later it would become the idea of #givefirst, the ethos that drives the organization and the connectivity of the founders within it. I’ve tried to live that. David recently returning, assures that concept will continue. When I signed on to join Techstars in 2014, I thought I'd stay for 3 or 4 years, a decade later I'm writing this note. What a ride it's been. And now it ends, but not before a few "thank you's": - David (David Brown and Brad Feld)...thanks for starting Techstars, you have done so much good in the world - Ari N. (and Brent Grinna)...thanks for the introduction into Techstars (which led to me getting hired). Glad we are still friends today. - Daniel Feld and Sabrina Kelly...thanks for getting me through the hiring process all those years ago - Thanks Jenny Lawton for taking a risk on me for VP of Network - Brian Daly, Dennis List, Jenny Fielding, Jenny Lawton, Eamonn Carey, Max Kelly, Jason Seats, Blake Yeager, Jens Lapinski, Natty Zola, Nicole Glaros, Jag Singh, 👋 Clement Cazalot, Aaron O'Hearn, Amos Schwartzfarb, Frank Alfano, Amy Smith, Don Loeb and so many more for being friends and colleagues - Kara Kennedy, Kristi DeLozier, Andrea Perdomo, Gregg Cochran, Paul Kaiser, Ramzy Ismail, Christina L. Christian, Courtney Gras, Sonya Hausafus, Louis Huynh, Dave Folk, Ellie Wood for working on my respective teams - Thanks to all the current MDs for your trust, friendships and connection - Thanks to everyone I worked with through the years, you have been phenomenal colleagues - Thanks to the mentors, investors, community leaders and corporate partners who made this all work - And, most importantly, thank you to the founders who fed my soul and gave me the energy to travel the planet to help more of you...you were worth every minute...its been an honor to serve you and I'd do it all again Alas, I'm moving on to something else, but that's for another post late next month. Until then, I'm taking time off to decompress before my #nextplay Now I drop the microphone and exit stage left with nothing but love for you all. (curtain closes)

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BLOWN AWAY to have been interviewed alongside such trailblazers for this Fortune piece by Allie Garfinkle that details the state of Venture Capital as it relates to DEI. The piece highlights Primary Venture Partners recent launch of Factor Fellowship, a new nonprofit connecting untapped, exceptional talent in New York City to careers in venture-backed startups, spearheaded by Lisa Lewin, Tom Ogletree and Benjamin Sun. In the piece, I chat about the impact we hope to make for underrepresented founders with Peerless - our $1M pitch competition. TOP QUOTES from the piece... When asked about the growing conservative backlash against DEI, as some states ban DEI initiatives - “We’re not going to let you shut us up,” said Almodovar. “We’re not going to let you say this isn’t important, and we’re going to double down on saying this is really important.” When asked, "Why $1M for Peerless?" - “We wanted to really empower these founders to say, ‘take this risk,’” said Desiree Almodovar, AlleyCorp operator-in-residence and who is leading Peerless, which will hold its first competition on June 20. And most importantly, Allie writes, "We don’t talk about DEI as much as we used to. But if something was important on principle before, isn’t it always important? Yes, but it’s only possible to do something about it if people keep talking about it, and acting." JUST ONE MORE WEEK LEFT TO APPLY FOR PEERLESS!

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When the stars align: Last night, a constellation of VC marketing masterminds emerged from the doors of their storied firms to gather in the Khosla Ventures' garden. When this crew comes together, magic happens! Thanks to Shernaz Daver at Khosla Ventures, Shannon Brayton at Bessemer Venture Partners and Allie Cefalo from Kleiner Perkins for hosting last night. It’s not often that so many of us can come together as a group, but it’s always a treat! (Sorry to miss those of you who couldn't make it.) Mandy Kakavas, GV (Google Ventures) Melissa Chaika Sobel, CapitalG Krista Canfield McNish, CRV Nicole Pack, Venrock Caroline Caswell, Operator Collective 🔆 Reze Wong, Khosla Ventures Shernaz Daver, Khosla Ventures Allie Cefalo, Kleiner Perkins Shannon Brayton, Bessemer Venture Partners Elena Tico, Bessemer Venture Partners Nikki Horn, Bessemer Venture Partners Hillá Watkins, Scale Venture Partners Ana Andreescu, Index Ventures Tiffany Spencer, Menlo Ventures (Will try to tag everyone later!)

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Join me Thursday, May 9 at 9amET, and Microsoft for Startups company founders, Stead Burwell, Lana Feng, Ph.D. Andrew Gostine, MD, MBA and Ankur Teredesai for a lively, *real-world* conversation about applying #AI to improve #healthcare. In addition to hearing these leading #innovators discuss the challenges, value, and future of AI, you'll learn how: 💲 Outbound AI uses AI to improve #RevenueCycleManagement 💊 Huma.AI uses #GenAI to provide meaningful and actionable #insights for #lifesciences companies 🛌Artisight uses #AI and #cognitiveservices to streamline #patientcare and #safety 😷 CueZen uses #AI and #GenAI for hyper-personalized management of #chronicconditions 👉 Registration is below. Stelios Hatzakis Tony Kountz Derek Haynes Bethany Cordes Tom Davis Ted Roduner Microsoft for Healthcare

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⏰ Startup founders work night and day...even weekends. (I know because I used to be one) So here's a great way to spend an hour or two today: Apply to Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator's Summer cohort! 🗓 The deadline is this Tuesday, April 23 at midnight. The application is thorough but should only take about an hour. And even those who don't get in say it's a great exercise in concisely explaining your business. ❗ I can't think of a more efficient way to throw your hat in the ring for a $150,000 initial investment and a transformative 16-week program with 1,000+ mentors and alumni. So give it a shot. I'd love to hear about what you're building! https://lnkd.in/eQBE4tKx

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I'm a female founder and CEO. The team at Endolith is more than 65% female, all of us scientists and engineers and diverse in so many aspects. "All-women founding teams have never raised more than 3% in venture capital funding...So far this year, companies with all-women founding teams have raised 2.2% of the venture capital allocated for the year. " What do we do with this reality. Nothing. We acknowledge it, then put our heads down and execute, celebrating what we can, and working hard. Great execution is what matters most at the early stage. We surround ourselves with the best mentors, advisors, and team members out there, and buckle up and learn from the adventure. #TheOnlyWayOutIsThrough #PainIsInevitableSufferingIsOptional #FemaleFounders #VentureCapital #StartupLife

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