Caren Cioffi’s Post

Yesterday, was a wonderful closing day for For Denver Startup Week! I spoke on a panel discussion moderated by Jessica Acosta, CISEC (who was amazing!) on “Building Inclusive Cultures, Teams and Communities, Ensuring Access and Representation.” My fellow panelists included powerhouse talent, including, Andrea Perdomo ( Common Future |Creating equitable access to Capital), Aimara Rodriguez (Latinas in Tech), Deidra Garcia (PCL Construction ), Joelle Martinez (Latino Leadership Institute ), Frances Padilla (U.S. Small Business Administration ) and Chad Schneider (Huntington National Bank ). I spoke about the access to capital disparity for tech entrepreneurs and the need to build systems to create more on-ramps for founders of color. Did you know that according to a recent study by McKinsey & CO, that in 2022 only 1% and 1.5% of all venture capital was placed with Black and Latino founders? Further, only 1.9% of venture capital went to startups led by women, with a dismal .1% going to founders who were Black women or Latina. Ironically, though startups led by underrepresented communities receive a sliver of total VC placement, data shows that their exits have a 30% higher return on investment. When sharing these numbers I’m struck by the magnitude of the potential returns that VC’s are losing out on and I’m also reminded of how few founders of color there are represented in tech startups and among the ranks of venture capital companies. As a society, we can do more to build diverse pipelines of founders for the benefit of the tech ecosystem and to advance social mobility. Mentorship, capacity building through formal training and micro credentials, incubators, access to capital and social networks are key to systemic change. #DSW2023

24 days to go.... Our Top 10 Female Founders have now been selected for next Wednesday's Startup Grind Female Founders Night. Industries covered include: - Social Impact - Healthcare  - Education - Hardware, deep tech - Health Tech  - Cybersecurity - Parent Tech, Productivity - AI-first No-code Technology - AI powered Retail Technology - AI, Cybersecurity - AI / Media Tech Want to know who they are? Well....Get your ticket to see these amazing women leaders - all of which are at MVP and have raised and built traction with their companies. https://lnkd.in/eHjvJXcs #startups #womenleaders #females #bayarea

I don't know how we jump in the race to becoming the nation's top tech hub without addressing an alarming rate of racial and economic inequality, with Atlanta having one of the largest racial wealth divides in the country. I guess that glaring reality got overlooked in BCG's report to the City which, btw, makes no mention of the very real *systemic* challenges that Black-owned businesses face when looking to launch and scale their businesses. If 2,000 startups becomes the new "goal," I sure hope *public policy* guard rails are put in place to ensure this effort reduces rather than expands economic and racial inequity for Black entrepreneurs and the communities they serve. Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative put forward several recommendations on how ATL might do so, which can be viewed at www.buildblackwealth.info. https://lnkd.in/et3FwMVB

BIG NEWS: Queenly has been selected for the Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders cohort program!  Community is everything for a startup, and we're super thrilled to now have Google believe in us. Opportunities don't come as easily for women founders so we're extremely grateful we get to have this journey for us. We’re ready for this new chapter, so follow along for updates! 🙌! #AcceleratedWithGoogle

These three amazing women represent just one of many teams that have participated in our Women Founders program, New Wave 🌊 As you can see, they found success in the program, taking out a cash prize 💰🏆 But that's not all. They also... 👯♀️ Connected with a community of like-minded and supportive women ✍ Learnt essential entrepreneurial skills like pitching, rapid prototyping and design thinking 👩 Gained access to and were guided by coaches & industry leading mentors 🗣️ Had the opportunity to pitch at a live showcase event Sounds pretty awesome right? If you identify as a woman and have a startup idea itching to become reality, or you're eager to learn and support others with their ventures, this program is for you. Don't miss your chance to be part of our immersive face-to-face bootcamp happening Aug-Sep 2023. The application window is open until 13 Aug ⏱️ Have burning questions about the program? Register for our Information Session 12pm, 26 July (link in comments below), where we'll cover the ins and outs of the program and open the floor to Q & A. Prefer to read more about it in your own time? Check out our website at UNSW Founders - New Wave. Don't need any convincing? Apply for New Wave now! (link in comments below) #entrepeneurship #womeninbusiness #startups Kristen UNSW Founders Gabriella Stella Lisa Elise Doone

🎉Big news: We have been selected for the Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders cohort program! Follow along as we share more of our journey with you! 🙌 Google for Developers Google for Startups Follow this link to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gzqPDRhu #AcceleratedWithGoogle

Hey Female Founders out there. The deadline is quickly approaching for our Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders program! If you want to learn more, please join us for a virtual information session on January 11th. Hear from Accelerator alumni as they discuss their startup journeys and what they gained from these programs. Save your spot today: goo.gle/wf_officehour #AcceleratedWithGoogle #googleforstartups

Attention: startup founders in my network! 🌟 Exciting news for fellow US & Canadian Founders! Applications are officially open for the Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders and Black Founders programs. Having gone through the program myself in the last cohort, I can't emphasize enough how transformative it was for our startup journey at NLPatent. Curious to learn more about the program? Join me and other Accelerator alumni for a virtual information session on January 25 (my session) or 30th (other great alumni!). We'll share insights into our experiences, why we applied, and the invaluable gains from being part of Google for Startups Accelerator programs. Save your spot here: https://lnkd.in/gzTYET2G If you're ready to apply, don't miss out on these opportunities - make sure you apply by February 1st: ⭐ Women Founders Cohort: https://lnkd.in/gzhqwjGD ⭐ Black Founders Cohort: https://lnkd.in/gADuB7fU These 10-week programs kick off in March, offering equity-free support that connects founders with Google resources, mentorship, and more. It's an incredible chance to accelerate your startup! 🚀 Feel free to DM me if you're curious to learn more! #AcceleratedwithGoogle #GoogleforStartups

Nobellum is here again, this time we are bringing ideas to Life using the BIS Summit. The Black Innovation in STEM (BIS) Summit is a platform to empower and connect with startups, investors and business services providers to change these statistics. This online/offline summit is an opportunity for every black Tech startup, talents, and entrepreneurs to scale up 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾 You get to engage with potential partners & investors, as well as gaining exposure to innovative startups, solving important global challenges in health, agriculture, fintech & more; and connecting with prospective employers and fortune 500 companies leading the charge in global innovation. This is not easy to come by! 🔥💪🏽

Congrats to AIMerch for making it into the Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders cohort! I'm looking forward to work with them and I can't wait to see what they accomplish! Read on to find out about the work they’re doing with AI and ML with the help of Google. Learn more about the 15 women founded startups chosen for the class: goo.gle/womenfounders24  #AcceleratedWithGoogle