Podcasts about Village Capital

Today's guest is Nasir Qadree, Founder and Managing Partner of Zeal Capital Partners – a venture platform based in Washington, D.C., that's reimagining how capital flows by focusing on inclusion, economic mobility, and systems change.Nasir was raised in Atlanta between two very different worlds – one shaped by his hardworking mother and the other by his father's presence among Atlanta's elite. He grew up acutely aware of who gets access to opportunity and who doesn't. That contrast became his driving force.After earning his degree from Hampton University, Nasir entered the finance world during the 2008 crisis, working at Goldman Sachs and later State Street. But the turning point came when he co-owned a small café that became an informal hub for EdTech founders. He realized he wanted more than just returns – he wanted to drive change.A fellowship with Education Pioneers led to a data role in Connecticut's Department of Education, then to Village Capital, where he led global edtech investments. At AT&T, he managed a $400 million impact portfolio.By 2020, he was ready to build something of his own.He launched Zeal right in the middle of the pandemic, driven by a clear but radical idea: the way we allocate capital is broken. Too much money ends up in too few places — and in the hands of too few people.Zeal's answer is inclusive investing: a five-pronged framework that reimagines how, where, and who we invest in — starting with building diverse fund teams, backing overlooked founders, expanding beyond traditional VC hubs, focusing on sectors that drive economic mobility, and measuring real-world impact.It focuses on three key areas for driving systems change: fintech, health equity, and the future of learning and work. But this isn't about feel-good metrics. Zeal targets 3–4x net gross returns and outperformance.Nasir believes — and the data supports — that diverse teams outperform because they see more. They solve bigger problems. And they go where others don't. Zeal now has $186 million in AUM, with a growing reputation as one of the boldest emerging managers in the country.And for Nasir, this is personal. When he sits across from a founder who's been overlooked, he sees himself — someone who's been on both sides of the tracks and deserves to belong in every room.And that belief isn't just his mantra. It's Zeal's entire investment thesis.Tune in to hear how Nasir is rewriting the rules of venture capital — and why inclusion isn't charity. It's a profitable strategy.—Connect with SRI360°:Sign up for the free weekly email updateVisit the SRI360° PODCASTVisit the SRI360° WEBSITEFollow SRI360° on XFollow SRI360° on FACEBOOK—Additional Resources:- Nasir C. Qadree:LinkedInInstagram- Zeal Capital Partners:WebsiteLinkedInInstagramX (Twitter)- Kauffman Foundation's white paper: ‘Access to capital for Entrepreneurs: Removing Barriers'- ‘Race Influences Professional Investors' Financial Judgments'

Meet Rob Lalka, Professor of Practice and Executive Director of the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Tulane University. An expert in entrepreneurship and innovation, Lalka authored The Venture Alchemists: How Big Tech Turned Profits into Power. He has held positions in the U.S. Department of State and organizations like Village Capital and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. To learn more about Rob, visit https://roblalka.com To learn more about HSC Next, visit https://hscnext.com

Send us a textفي هذه الحلقة الخاصة، أنضم إليّ أحمد فضل، مدير البرامج، وريم قسوس، رئيسة النمو في فيليج كابيتل، من العاصمة الأمريكية واشنطنناقشنا منظومة ريادة الأعمال في المنطقة وأهمية المؤسسات الداعمة لريادة الأعمال في نمو قطاع الريادة والتكنولوجيا في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا انضموا إلينا في هذه الحلقة المميزة وتعرفوا على آخر التطورات في المنطقةIn this special episode, Coming from Washington, DC. My guests Ahmed Fadl, Program Manager, and Reem Goussous, Chief of Growth at Village Capital. We navigated the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region and the importance of the ESOs (Entrepreneurship Support Organizations) for the growth of the technology industry in the MENA region. Join us in this impeccable episode and learn about the latest in tech in the MENA region 

This episode covers Daniel Dart's, GP at Rock Yard Ventures, thesis on the long-term future of multifamily, demographic shifts, and urbanization.The Crexi Podcast explores various aspects of the commercial real estate industry in conversation with top CRE professionals. In each episode, we feature different guests to tap into their wealth of CRE expertise and explore the latest trends and updates from the world of commercial real estate. In this episode of The Crexi Podcast, host Jessica LaRusso interviews Daniel as he recounts his remarkable journey from homelessness and incarceration to becoming a prominent venture capitalist in the proptech space. Daniel discusses his background as a punk rock musician and social organizer, his academic achievements, including earning an MBA from MIT, and his passion for urbanization and multifamily housing projects. He provides valuable insights for aspiring venture capitalists from underrepresented backgrounds, stressing the importance of mentorship and building lasting relationships.  Meet Daniel Dart: From Homelessness to Ivy LeagueDaniel's Early Life and Punk Rock DaysPrison, Release, and a New BeginningVenturing into Social Organizing and AcademiaThe Birth of Rockyard VenturesNavigating the Complexities of Housing and DevelopmentThe Appeal of Urban CentersThe Rise of Adult RentersChallenges in Property OwnershipInnovations in Housing and ConstructionOpportunities in UrbanizationInvestment Strategies and AdviceBuilding Relationships in VCAdvice for Aspiring Venture CapitalistsConclusion and Contact Information About Daniel Dart:Daniel Dart is the founder of Solo GP fund Rock Yard Ventures. His journey from homelessness and incarceration to where he is today shows how powerful second chances can be.A leader and advocate for underserved and underprivileged communities, he has worked on the ground, helping build equity and social movements on both a local and global scale. A rare talent, he matriculated to the London School of Economics graduate school without ever having received an undergraduate degree. In addition to being published in Harvard Business Review and the World Economic Forum, he has presented his academic and economic research worldwide, including in Sri Lanka, China, Ireland, Japan, and the United States.Daniel's journey to where he is today is anything but typical. He was born in the Bay Area but spent most of his youth in Southern California. He experienced homelessness on the streets of San Diego and Los Angeles between 1999-2001, a chapter of time that shapes everything he does today. Daniel was also the brainchild of a prominent punk-rock band, Time Again, where he wrote and sang about social issues, poverty, and getting through life one day at a time. In 2011, he was sentenced to 6 years in prison, where he filed and won an appeal to reduce his sentence by two years. Upon release, with a new perspective of owning his flaws while being true to himself, he made amends and launched the second chapter of his life – one that focuses on the altruistic value of helping others.He recently completed his Executive MBA at MIT, where he is the first formerly incarcerated student in the school's history and a recipient of the Dean's Fellowship, Sloan Leadership Fellowship, and Pechacek Fellowship awards and scholarships.He is an active member of Milken Institute's Young Leaders Circle, an Advisory Board Member of Village Capital, and a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Forum. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our newsletter and enjoy the next podcast delivered straight to your inbox. For show notes, past guests, and more CRE content, please check out Crexi's blog. Ready to find your next CRE property? Visit Crexi and immediately browse 500,000+ available commercial properties for sale and lease. Follow Crexi:https://www.crexi.com/​ https://www.crexi.com/instagram​ https://www.crexi.com/facebook​ https://www.crexi.com/twitter​ https://www.crexi.com/linkedin​ https://www.youtube.com/crexi

In dieser Folge von „Pricing Friends“ diskutiert unser Host Dr. Sebastian Voigt das Thema Open Banking und Datenmonetarisierung und erklärt, welchen Wert Daten haben und wie Pricing den Grundstein für eine faire Datenökonomie legen könnte. Dazu hat er sich Nicola Breyer, FinTech-Expertin und Geschäftsführerin von Qwist, an unseren Podcast-Tisch geholt und analysiert mit ihr die Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen der Datenmonetarisierung durch Open Banking. Nicola teilt Einblicke in die neuesten Entwicklungen, Trends und regulatorischen Rahmenbedingungen im Bereich Open Banking. Sie betont, dass „Daten für uns arbeiten sollten und nicht umgekehrt“ und erläutert, wie genau dies gelingen kann, um den maximalen Nutzen für die Nutzer:innen zu erzielen. Im Verlauf der Episode gibt Nicola konkrete Beispiele und erzählt humorvoll aus ihrer eigenen Erfahrung bei PayPal und OptioPay, wo sie innovative Strategien zur Nutzung und Monetarisierung von Daten entwickelte. Nicola zeigt auf, wie wichtig eine klare Preisstrategie ist, um Daten als wertvolles Gut zu etablieren: Welcher Preis ist angemessen für den Zugang zu Nutzerdaten? Wie können datengetriebene Dienstleistungen preislich gestaltet werden, damit sowohl Nutzer:innen als auch Unternehmen profitieren? Die Diskussion geht tief auf die Frage ein, welche Rolle Preise bei der Entwicklung neuer, datengetriebener Geschäftsmodelle spielen und wie FinTechs wie Qwist dabei helfen können, eine gerechtere und transparentere Finanzwelt zu schaffen. Diese Episode zeichnet ein Zukunftsbild, in dem Daten so selbstverständlich und praktisch genutzt werden wie eine Apple Wallet – immer zur Hand und mit Mehrwert für alle. Links: Banking Exchange Frankfurt Open Banking Expo Über den Gast: Nicola Breyer ist eine anerkannte FinTech-Expertin und derzeit Geschäftsführerin bei Qwist, der führenden unabhängigen Open-Banking-Plattform in Europa mit Fokus auf die Märkte in DACH, Spanien und Portugal. Zuvor war sie Chief Growth Officer und Managing Director bei OptioPay und hatte eine führende Rolle im Bereich Wachstum und Innovation bei PayPal in Europa. Als Mitgründerin eines Corporate Startups (#openspace) und Beiratsmitglied bei Organisationen wie Village Capital, Vested Ltd., Planet A Ventures und Wattz AG setzt sie sich für die Demokratisierung von Finanzdienstleistungen und die Förderung nachhaltiger Innovationen ein.

Send us a text :) Hi thanks for joining, it's Andrew Namanny and we've got another incredible episode you do not want to miss. Daniel Dart is the founder of Solo GP fund Rock Yard Ventures. His journey from homelessness and incarceration to where he is today shows how powerful second chances can be. A leader and advocate for underserved and underprivileged communities, he has worked on the ground, helping build equity and social movements on both a local and global scale.A rare talent, he matriculated to the London School of Economics graduate school without ever having received an undergraduate degree. In addition to being published in Harvard Business Review and the World Economic Forum, he has presented his academic and economic research worldwide, including in Sri Lanka, China, Ireland, Japan, and the United States.Daniel's journey to where he is today is anything but typical. He was born in the Bay Area but spent most of his youth in Southern California. He experienced homelessness on the streets of San Diego and Los Angeles between 1999-2001, a chapter of time that shapes everything he does today. Daniel was also the brainchild of a prominent punk-rock band, Time Again, where he wrote and sang about social issues, poverty, and getting through life one day at a time. In 2011, he was sentenced to 6 years in prison. Upon release, with a new perspective of owning his flaws while being true to himself, he made amends and launched the second chapter of his life – one that focuses on the altruistic value of helping others. He also holds an MBA from MIT, where he is the first formerly incarcerated student in the school's history and a recipient of the Dean's Fellowship, Sloan Leadership Fellowship, and Pechacek Fellowship awards and scholarships.He is an active member of Milken Institute's Young Leaders Circle, an Advisory Board Member of Village Capital, and a Fellow of the Salzburg Global ForumFollow Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-dart/Follow Andrew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-namanny/@PermissionToShine_

Show notes Mark Kleyner Mark is the co-founder of Dream VC, an entrepreneur, ecosystem builder and early-stage investor in Emerging Markets. Mark has worked within VCs in the UK, US, Europe and Africa and actively advises, coaches and mentors several very early stage West & East African startups - who have gone on to raise upwards of $10m in Venture Financing, and joined programs like Google's Black Founders Fund Africa, PioneerApp, TechStars and Y Combinator. Mark is passionate about empowering the private sector to take responsibility for making people's lives better and is a big advocate for Consumer and Enterprise Software Startups as mediums to improve lives around the world. Mark is also a co-founder of Dream VC, a leading remote program, helping founders, entrepreneurs and working professionals across the African continent and among the diaspora to break into the Venture Capital industry as emerging investors.   Beyond these activities, Mark is an active startup mentor in 9+ Accelerators and Incubators at Startupbootcamp, Impact Hub Lagos, Seedstars, Founder Institute and Village Capital. Mark is also a startup mentor with FasterCapital and StartupLoungeAfrica.     Dream VC and the mission you are on. The current investment landscape in Africa and some key trends shaping it? The role of diaspora investment in driving economic development and entrepreneurship in Africa? The unique opportunities that investors can find in African markets compared to other regions? How do political stability and regulatory environments impact investment decisions in Africa? How necessary is local knowledge and partnerships when investing in African markets? What are some key resources or sources of information that investors can leverage to stay informed about investment opportunities and developments in Africa?   Connect with Mark    https://www.linkedin.com/in/markkleyner/   https://www.dream-vc.com/

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Neste bitalk vamos descobri porque devias despedir os teus clientes com André Oliveira, Founder e CEO da Pixelmatters. Sabes o que é UX/UI?

Welcome to Rising Giants with your hosts Max Thornton and Dominic Kalousek, where we explore the world of innovation and entrepreneurship in Cambodia and Southeaset Asia. On this weeks episode we have the pleasure of speaking with Khin Wathann Oo, Lead Program Coordinator of Cnai Accelerator in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Cnai Accelerator is Cambodia's leading gender-smart accelerator helping nurture and encourage founders to grow impactful startups in Cambodia. Inclusively designed, each year Cnai 's program leverages online diagnostics and resources, a leading global curriculum from Village Capital, and up to three rounds of direct, structured support to startup founders alongside increasing amounts of capital. CNAI Accelerator: https://www.cnaiaccelerator.com/ Follow RG on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: @risinggiantsfm Catch our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠full videos on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: @risinggiantsfm All RG links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/risinggiantsfm

Conoce a Susana Garcia-Robles, Managing Partner de Capria Ventures. Uno de los fondos de Venture Capital en Latinoamérica con más experiencia e impacto en el cono sur global. En este episodio tuvimos la oportunidad de conocer a Susana García-Robles, Managing Partner de Capria Ventures. Con una carrera en Venture Capital de más de 20 años, Susana es de las pioneras de la industrial de Capital de Riesgo en Latinoamérica y además de ser Managing partner ha participado como miembro del consejo y advisor de ARCAP, Village Capital, iThink VC, Elevar Equity, LAVCA, WeXchange, Bancoldex y co-fundó WeInvest LATAM. Además, participó en el equipo de inversiones del Bid Lab por más de 20 años. Sin duda, una de las invitadas más importantes que hemos tenido en el podcast de Startuplinks. Escucha el capítulo de este podcast con Susana, donde platicamos sobre: La tesis de Capria en inteligencia Artificial Participación de mujeres en el ecosistema Evolución del ecosistema de Latinoamérica ¿Por qué invertirmos en el sur global? ¿Cómo vivimos la pandemia? ¿Qué revisamos en Serie A? Habiliadades blandas necesarias de un emprendedor

I'm not a financial advisor; Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions.Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. Engage to support our work.Devin: What is your superpower?Eve: Probably my biggest superpower is ignoring people when they say, “No, you can't do this.” Actually, that probably gets me going. If someone says “no” to me, then I put blinders on, and I'm going to make it happen.In today's episode of "Superpowers for Good," I had the pleasure of speaking with Eve Picker, the visionary Founder & CEO of Small Change. Eve shared some groundbreaking insights on how her platform is transforming real estate investment.Eve's company is a beacon of innovation in the finance sector, leveraging crowdfunding to make real estate investment accessible to all. This model isn't just about raising funds; it's a robust approach to community building and social equity. "What I really love about this regulation," Eve explained, "is that it's the SEC's first attempt to democratize investment." Through Small Change, individuals from any background can invest in projects that reshape their own neighborhoods.This democratic approach is crucial. Traditionally, real estate investment has been a bastion for the affluent, often inaccessible to the average person. Small Change disrupts this norm by empowering people from diverse backgrounds to have a stake in the development that affects them directly.The impact of Eve's work extends beyond financial returns. It's about creating inclusive communities and revitalizing areas that traditional developers might overlook. It's also a testament to the power of innovative financial tools to create real, positive change in society.As we wrapped up our conversation, it was clear that Eve's dedication to democratizing investment is more than just business; it's a passion for social impact. With leaders like Eve at the helm, the future of real estate investment is not only promising but inclusive.Eve will be one of the distinguished participants in SuperCrowd24, a two-day virtual conference beginning tomorrow. This event is a dynamic assembly aimed at revolutionizing the way we think about crowdfunding and investment and Eve's involvement is particularly noteworthy. At SuperCrowd24, she will be engaging with other CEOs in a panel discussion, exploring the complexities and challenges faced by leaders in the crowdfunding sphere. Eve's insights, drawn from her extensive experience as a founder of a crowdfunding platform that emphasizes social impact in real estate, will undoubtedly highlight her commitment to innovation and democratizing investment opportunities. It's an event designed to empower attendees with knowledge and networking opportunities, making the complex world of crowdfunding more accessible and actionable. This is a pivotal moment for anyone interested in the intersection of real estate, social impact, and investment. Register now with the discount code SuperCrowd to save 50 percent!AI Episode Summary1. Devin Thorpe introduces Eve Picker, CEO and founder of Small Change, a crowdfunding portal for real estate projects with social impact.2. Eve discusses recent expansion at Small Change, including the addition of five new partners from another real estate crowdfunding platform.3. The short-term effect of this expansion is increased busyness and the need to align the new partners with Small Change's processes and compliance issues.4. Long-term implications include the ability to handle more and larger listings and to take on a broader range of projects.5. Small Change leverages Regulation Crowdfunding, which enables developers to raise capital from the public for projects with emphasis on democratizing investment.6. The platform focuses on overlooked neighborhoods and developers, often unable to access capital through traditional means, by allowing them to raise money from people who care about their projects.7. Small Change has a unique rubric to ensure that listed projects make some form of social impact, whether through the team, the neighborhood, the creation of public spaces, or environmental contributions.8. Examples of diversity in projects include a developer helping his community buy neighborhood shopping centers and another who is purchasing and restoring great estates in the Berkshires.9. Investing through Small Change offers possibilities of equity ownership or debt investment in real estate projects, but like any investment, it comes with inherent risks.10. Devin and Eve discuss her determination and persistence, especially in the face of resistance, as her superpower that led to the creation of Small Change, aiming to disrupt the traditional system and to empower overlooked developers and communities.How to Develop Persistence As a SuperpowerIn today's episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Eve, a remarkable pioneer in real estate crowdfunding, about her superpower.  She articulates it with inspiring clarity as “persistence."Eve's superpower of persistence is evident in her tenacious approach to overcoming barriers in the traditionally exclusive field of real estate investment. This resilience has not only propelled her career but also enabled her to create Small Change, which aims to democratize access to real estate funding. By refusing to accept 'no' as an answer and continuously pushing forward against adversity, Eve has innovated ways to support underserved developers and communities.One illustrative story that Eve shared demonstrates this superpower vividly. As the only female commercial real estate developer in Pittsburgh for some time, she faced significant challenges, especially during the 2008 financial crisis. Unable to secure necessary funding due to restrictive traditional lending practices, Eve's real estate development practice was at risk. Her response was to create Small Change, inspired by the potential of the JOBS Act and Regulation Crowdfunding to change her fate and that of others facing similar hurdles.To develop persistence as a personal strength, Eve suggests a methodical approach, breaking down large visions into manageable tasks. Key tips include:1. **Envision the End Goal:** Start with a clear vision of what you aim to achieve.2. **Break It Down:** Segment your vision into smaller, actionable parts to avoid feeling overwhelmed.3. **Work Systematically:** Tackle each segment one at a time, ensuring thorough attention to detail and steady progress.By following Eve's example and advice, you can make persistence a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileEve Picker (she/her):Founder & CEO, Small Change.coAbout Small Change (dot) co: SmallChange.co has helped 49 developers raise $14.5 million for projects in 27 cities, big and small, across the United States. SmallChange.co uses its proprietary Small Change Index™ to measure a broad array of factors to determine the project's social impact with the goal of creating more affordable, more equitable and more innovative communities. To date, 62% of the deals funded via the Small Change platform have either a minority and/or female sponsor, and all of them score above 60% on the Small Change Index.  Additionally, 68% of the mixed-use or residential projects listed on the platform have included affordable housing, and almost 90% have been located in underserved communities.Website: www.smallchange.coEve's Podcast: www.rethinkrealestateforgood.coBiographical Information: Lover of cities. Architect. Urban Designer. Real estate developer. FinTech pioneer. Urban change agent.I'm the founder of Small Change, a real estate equity crowdfunding platform. We raise funds for meaningful real estate projects building better cities everywhere. We match developers to investors, providing investment opportunities for everyone who cares about cities and wants to make change. All through a fluid and compliant technology platform.My world has always been wrapped around cities and change. My background as an architect, city planner, urban designer, real estate developer, community development strategist, publisher, and all-around instigator gives me a rich understanding of how cities work, how urban neighborhoods can be revitalized, what policies are needed to do it, and the unique marketing that creates the buzz needed for regeneration.Amongst my many urban (ad)ventures, I've developed a dozen buildings in blighted neighborhoods, founded a non-profit, cityLAB, built Pittsburgh's first tiny house, organized a speaker series, launched a Pittsburgh e-zine called PopCity, and established downtown Pittsburgh's first co-working space. I also co-founded Pittsburgh's wildly successful Open Streets program and now host a weekly podcast series called RethinkRealEstateforGood.Some honors I'm proud of include Small Change ranking as one of 7 top Real Estate Crowdfunding Platforms of 2020 by US News, nabbing Top Innovator in the “Capital” category by HIVE, my tenure as a Fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center Residency Program and our recent participation in Village Capital's FinHealth US 2021, an accelerator program for early-stage startups. Most recently, Connect CRE made me one of their National 2022 Women in Real Estate Awards winners.All of these experiences have led me to become one of the foremost thinkers on urban change.Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/evepicker/Upcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* SuperCrowd24, April 17-18: This two-day virtual event is our biggest of the year. Don't miss it. Use the discount code “SuperCrowd” to save 50 percent.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on April 23, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. Everyone is welcome to join these free events.* SuperCrowdHour, April 24, 2024, at 1:00 Eastern. We'll talk with Chip Hauss, Emily Evans and Nick Zuroski about the role of investment crowdfunding in community building.* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. This in-person event at Columbia College Chicago features some of Chicago's prominent citizens and community leaders, along with crowdfunding experts. Use the discount code “SuperCrowd” to save 30 percent!* Recently, we created an AI GPT to help you learn more about The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, and our upcoming events. Click here to try it.SuperCrowd Community Event Calendar* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET * Investment Crowdfunding Demystified, Crowdfund Better, April 23 at 2:00 PM ET* Move Your Money Month, April 2024, American Independent Business Alliance* How to Design an Equitable Retirement Plan: A Guide for Nonprofits, Foundations, and Mission-Driven Businesses, April 25, 3:00 PM ET.* Crowdfunding for Small Business, April 25, Crowdfund Better* Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar, May 8, 2:00 PM ET* The Reg A & Crowdfunding Conference, June 20, Westchester Country Club (Save 20% with the code Super20)* Crowdfunding Professional Association, Summit in DC, October 22-23If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 4,000+ members of the SuperCrowd, click here.We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

Do we really need more jeremiads exposing the Randian greed of Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg & Travis Kalanick? Rob Lalka's THE VENTURE ALCHEMISTS is about how big tech turned profits into power. but this has been the alchemy of American economic life for two hundred years. What isn't clear to me is how we are supposed to distinguish good big tech guys like Bill Gates, Pierre Omidyar, Craig Newmark, & Reid Hoffman from the evil Peter Thiel, Travis Kalanick and Elon Musk. Lalka's fetishization of “ordinary people” might be well meaning, but it doesn't really address today's alchemic challenge of democratizing the economic benefits of technological innovation. Rob Lalka is Professor of Practice in Management and the Albert R. Lepage Professor in Business at Tulane University's A.B. Freeman School of Business and the Executive Director of the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. He has twice received the A.B. Freeman School's Excellence in Intellectual Contributions Award and is the author of a forthcoming book, The Venture Alchemists: How Big Tech Turned Profits Into Power, from Columbia University Press. Lalka moved to New Orleans from Washington, DC, where he was a director at Village Capital and a senior advisor at the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. Prior, he served in the U.S. Department of State's Office of Global Partnerships and was on the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff, for which he was recognized with the State Department's Superior Honor Award and its Meritorious Honor Award. Lalka currently serves on the boards of Public Democracy, Inc., Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, and Venture For America in New Orleans. He graduated from Yale University, cum laude with distinction in both history and English, holds his master's degree in public policy from Duke University, and earned executive education certificates from Harvard Business School.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown childrenKeen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Our guest this week on the pod is Sarah Sterling.  Sarah is the Executive Director of Entrepreneurship for SOCAP, which brings together social entrepreneurs, investors, foundation leaders, government leaders and more for live and digital experiences.  The goal is to accelerate the movement to a more just and sustainable economy. She has worked with and trained international organizations and accelerators such as Mercy Corps, Oxfam International, Village Capital, Swiss EP and Agora Partnerships. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: SOCAP site WarriorSage Executive Black Belt training Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship site Outliers book #opendoorclimate on LinkedIn Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode Book a Strategy Session with Paul

This week, we're joined by Maya Markovich, Justice Tech Executive in Residence at Village Capital and co-founder and executive director at the Justice Technology Association. Maya started her career journey in change management consulting for tech, then became a practicing lawyer. Having a deep interest in the possibilities of technology in the legal profession, she went on to work in legal tech product management and product marketing. She later joined Nextlaw Labs and Nextlaw Ventures, founded by Dentons, as Chief Growth Officer. As justice tech executive in residence at Village Capital, Maya works with a broad investor coalition and startup founders to define, support, grow, and fund the justice tech sector. As executive director of the Justice Technology Association, she supports the change-makers who are developing meaningful tech solutions to the A2J crisis. In addition to her work at Village Capital and the Justice Technology Association, Maya is a startup advisor, as well as a consultant for Am Law 50 and midsize law firms, legal departments, alternative legal service providers, investors, and venture funds on tech and innovation. In today's discussion, Maya describes her passion for legal industry innovation and talks about switching from practice to legal tech product management and VC, the common challenges of tech startups, the Justice Technology Association mission, and her core change management principles for successful business transformation.

We're honored to have Uriridiakoghene “Ulili” Onovakpuri, Managing Partner at Kapor Capital, join us on Mission Driven. At Kapor, Ulili leads investments in the health tech and people operations tech companies. She is also the founder of Kapor Capital's Fellows program, the longest running venture capital internship program for underrepresented individuals. Previously, she served as Director of Global Programs at Village Capital, a global accelerator program and venture capital firm. Ulili received her MBA with a concentration in Health Sector Management from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. She is a native San Franciscan and a proud UC Berkeley Alum. In the episode, Ulili digs in to investing with an impact lens, including how to combat the perception that impact investing doesn't lead to enough deal flow or returns. She also shares about a few of the investments she led (though all her companies are her favorites) and growing up in the Bay Area. Finally, Ulili discusses tips for founders raising venture capital, including how to make the right choice in investor partnerships. Mission Driven is a conversation about startup founders on a mission to address the world's biggest challenges and how they leverage their social mission for competitive advantage. If you liked this episode, please share and tag us on Twitter: @BetterVentures @unolil @kaporcapital

Remember, you can watch the Superpowers for Good show on e360tv. To watch the episode, download the #e360tv channel app to your streaming device–Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV–or your mobile device. You can even watch it on the web.When you purchase an item after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. It's an easy way to support our work.Devin: What do you see as your superpower, Kevin?Kevin: I see my superpower as diversity of experience. I was born in a very small and very poor suburb of Detroit called Highland Park, and now I work–outside of Proximate– as an investment analyst for Gutter Capital. So, I have been in situations where I've had $0, and I can speak that language. Now, I'm the middleman for people to get investments of $1 million.Devin: Ben, what is your superpower?Ben: I think it has something to do with helping people tell their stories.My guests today, Ben Wrobel and Kevin McClendon, are co-founders–along with Meg Massey–of the nonprofit media company Proximate.“Proximate is a media platform that amplifies and connects movements for participatory problem-solving,” says Kevin. “We're a home for stories about creative community-driven models that shift power to people with lived experience or those proximate to the problem.”The company grew naturally out of a book that Ben wrote with co-founder Meg called Letting Go. The book built on their experiences. Ben says, “I worked for a participatory investing nonprofit called Village Capital that shifted decision-making power away from investors and towards entrepreneurs closer to the problem.”The team employs a solutions journalism lens, focusing on solutions when discussing societal challenges. Proximate narrows its aperture to primarily consider innovations in participatory philanthropy, investing and budgeting. The goal is to amplify the voices of those closest to and most impacted by problems.I'm excited about their work, in part because it recognizes the fundamental value of the crowd in crowdfunding and the value of investors who deploy relatively small amounts of money but bring perspective from the front lines of problems.Kevin highlights the uniqueness of the Proximate approach to news, “We're the only platform where you can find how a sex worker film festival and a food bank are solving for the same variables.”Ben and Kevin each bring superpowers to the game. Ben leverages an ability to help others tell their stories, and Kevin shares his unique diversity of experience to the work.AI Episode Summary* Kevin McClendon and Ben Wrobel are co-founders of Proximate, a media platform that amplifies and connects movements for participatory problem-solving.* They focus on stories about creative community-driven models that shift power to people with lived experience or those proximate to the problem.* Their work extends beyond capital and includes areas such as climate change, medical care, citizen science, and equity in the creative economy.* Proximate produces journalism and solutions journalism specifically, conveying information in a compelling way.* They hire local journalists to write about solutions in communities, such as locally-led disaster response in Puerto Rico, and cover different sectors like philanthropy, government, and impact investing.* Their goal is to be a clearinghouse for participatory problem-solving stories and create collections of stories for specific topics with the help of partner nonprofits.* Kevin's superpower is diversity of experience, having been in situations of poverty and also working as an investment analyst for Gutter Capital.* Ben's superpower is helping people tell their stories, finding people with big ideas and helping them communicate their work in a universal language.* Kevin suggests breaking silos and identifying similarities as a way to increase diversity of perspective, while Ben recommends speaking out loud and recording to overcome writer's block and improve storytelling.* To learn more about Proximate, visit their website, subscribe to their newsletters, and connect with them on social media. For Kevin, connect on LinkedIn and Instagram, and for Ben, email him or connect on LinkedIn. They are also looking for content, platform, and funding partners for collaboration.How to Develop a Diversity of Experience As a SuperpowerKevin shared an example that illustrates his superpower:So in writing for the participants, The Rise of Participatory ESOs, our most recent project that we've announced, because I've worked with a lot of the different industries that we covered, I had the insider look, so to speak, that I'm not writing as someone who's lived on the outside. I'm writing as someone who has both worked inside of these organizations and as well been a person who has been in a position to receive the results of what these organizations are attempting to accomplish.Kevin also offered some tips for expanding your own perspective. He suggests:* Break the silos and identify the similarities. * Stop creating these false barriers between groups. * Learn from what another person is doing. By following Kevin's example and advice, you can broaden your perspectives. In time, you may be able to make this a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.How to Develop Storytelling As a SuperpowerBen shared an anecdote to illustrate the power of storytelling:One of the participatory grantmaking funds that we profiled in Letting Go had been doing this work for ten years and just had a website and were well known in their small community but were not on the radar of a lot of other folks in philanthropy or beyond.We wrote a whole chapter about them in the book. Shortly after that, their founder and CEO left. She said, “I feel like my legacy is more secure now. Our story has been told.”I know that since then, they've been able to raise a good amount of money. I don't think that is entirely because of Letting Go.That's what I'm hoping to accomplish with Proximate. Every time we write an article about somebody, we hope that it will be used so that they can share it and talk about themselves and the work they're doing in a way they can be proud of.Ben offers a powerful storytelling tip:What I've often seen when people try to write an op-ed or write an essay, write about their work, they often are intimidated by a blank screen. Say the words out loud. Describe what you're doing to someone in your life and your family, and then take that–there is some great AI recording software out there, like Otter.ai. Turn on Otter and start talking. This is something people used to do way back in the day. Take a recorder; speak into it. That is one of the best ways to write: speak into your computer and then figure out what you just said.By following Ben's example and suggestion, you can improve your storytelling. With practice, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Guest ProfilesAbout Proximate: Proximate is a media platform that aims to amplify and connect movements for new models of participatory problem-solving. We're a home for stories about creative, community-driven models that shift power to people with lived experience or those proximate to the problem.Website: proximate.press/Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/proximate-pressCompany Facebook Page: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091509354018Kevin McClendon (he/him):Co-Founder, ProximateBiographical Information: Kevin is a writer and strategic professional in the early-stage investment and philanthropy ecosystems. He is driven to create a more equitable world for his son through avid support of sustainable capitalism.Kevin serves as a Co-Founder of Proximate, helping forward a mission of shifting power to those with lived experience. He is also an investment analyst for Gutter Capital, investing in software companies tackling the world's biggest problems. Kevin began his career in marketing for a diversity of industries, including entertainment, real estate, and health care. Kevin was a member of Transforming Power Fund's 2023 Giving Project cohort.Kevin has a BA from Wayne State University. He lives in Detroit, Michigan.Personal Facebook Profile: facebook.com/kvnmcclendon/Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kevin-mcclendon/Instagram Handle: @kvnmcclendonBen Wrobel (he/him):Co-Founder, ProximateBiographical Information: Ben Wrobel is a writer and an independent communications consultant. Before co-founding Proximate, he was Director of Communications at Village Capital, a pioneer in participatory investing. He started his career as chief speechwriter for the NAACP and later raised money for voter registration campaigns, including Stacey Abrams' New Georgia Project.In addition to co-authoring Letting Go: How Philanthropists and Impact Investors Can Do More Good By Giving Up Control with fellow Proximate co-founder Meg Massey, Ben has edited two best-selling books: REACH: 40 Black Men on Living, Leading and Succeeding and The Innovation Blind Spot.Ben has a BA from the University of Rochester and an MBA from Georgetown University. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut.Twitter Handle: @benwrobelInstagram Handle: @benwrobel Superpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

Ravi Kurani has dedicated his career to water safety. From his early days as a pool boy for his father's pool and spa business to the founder of Sutro, Ravi has always wondered why everyone can't have clean water. This feeling solidified when he was in India with First Light Ventures Fund and Village Capital. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Riverside, MBA in International Finance from Middlebury College, and a Certificate from Stanford University in Renewable Energy Systems. He believes that being an entrepreneur is an honor he must earn daily since it gives him the ability to solve problems that not only make money but help society.In This Conversation We Discuss: [00:00] Intro[01:01] What are Sutro's products?[01:59] Where the idea of Sutro came from[03:22] The gap in the market and the first prototype[05:35] The next step after building the prototype[07:52] Finding the first customers to test the product[09:31] Removing the “human element”[11:38] Changing the business model due to the pandemic[13:09] Getting the product into customers' eyes[14:35] Sponsor: Electric Eye electriceye.io/connect[15:32] Sponsor: Shopify shopify.com/honest[17:14] Sponsor: Sendlane sendlane.com/honest[18:54] Find the right people[20:10] Understand that the world is always changing[21:36] Strategy vs Tactics[22:32] Where to find SutroResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeThe world's leading water testing device mysutro.comA podcast about water through the lens of business, technology, and policy liquidassets.ccConnect with Ravi linkedin.com/in/kuraniraviSchedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connectTake your retail business to the next level today shopify.com/honestSign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial periodSchedule your free consultation with a Sendlane expert sendlane.com/honestIf you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Attention all investors and female entrepreneurs – this podcast is for you. Did you know that less than 2% of investment goes to female-led businesses? And even if there's just one woman in a group of male founders, their chances of investment drop compared to all-male teams. But fear not, Social Impact Pioneers Heather Matranga and Sanjukta Mitra are here to offer practical solutions to the gender financing gap. Heather, VP and Managing Director of Impact Investments at Village Capital, shares tools for investors to mitigate bias in the investment process, from decision-making tools to new investment models (check out links below to the Smarter Systems toolkit) and introduces a pilot financing facility for Women in Tech alumni as part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered. Meanwhile, Sanjukta is the Liabilities Product Head of Business Banking India for Standard Chartered Bank. She drives equitable access to financial support for women and small businesses, with networking and business leads platforms, as well as banking services tailored to female-led businesses (take a look at the links below for details). Together, these women are on a mission to expand the reach and scale of financial services, creating accessible banking and financing to lift participation and create economic inclusion. Whether you're an investor, a female entrepreneur, or simply passionate about helping women reach their potential, this podcast is for you. Don't miss out on the practical solutions to accelerate female-led business growth and success. Links: Standard Chartered Bank, Lifting Participation: https://www.sc.com/en/about/our-long-term-ambition/lifting-participation/ Futuremakers by Standard Chartered: https://www.sc.com/en/sustainability/investing-in-communities/ Standard Chartered Bank, SC WIN – https://www.sc.com/en/banking/banking-for-individuals/sc-win/ Village capital: https://vilcap.com Smarter Systems Toolkit : https://vilcap.com/smarter-systems Pitchbook: companies founded solely by women garnered just 0.9% of the total capital invested in venture-backed startups in Europe: https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/the-european-vc-female-founders-dashboard Pitchbook: companies founded solely by women garnered just 2.1% of the total capital invested in venture-backed startups in the US: https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/the-vc-female-founders-dashboard Solutions for Women Entrepreneurs - 38% of all MSMEs are women owned: https://www.womensworldbanking.org/what-we-do/solutions-for-women-owned-businesses/ “Potential” and the Gender Promotion Gap – revealing that investment evaluating potentially harms women and benefits men: https://danielle-li.github.io/assets/docs/PotentialAndTheGenderPromotionGap.pdf Constructed Criteria: Redefining Merit to Justify Discrimination - showing that that evaluators redefine what success looks like in a candidate to fit the characteristics displayed by candidates of their preferred gender. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2005.01559.x Male and Female Entrepreneurs Get Asked Different Questions by VCs — and It Affects How Much Funding They Get: https://clicktime.symantec.com/15tpsyHbJeDpXoVvFaXmb?h=HjafWLeJkXDZC6y81BX2miqUqT2MtIqaKV7krhM1VpU=&u=https://hbr.org/2017/06/male-and-female-entrepreneurs-get-asked-different-questions-by-vcs-and-it-affects-how-much-funding-they-get If you like this conversation, do take a listen to: Scaling Green Tech Solutions for Smallholder Farmers, with Audrey and Khadija: https://businessfightspoverty.org/scaling-green-tech-solutions-for-smallholder-farmers/ What Does it Take to be a Female Entrepreneur? With Naom and Natasha: https://businessfightspoverty.org/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-female-entrepreneur-with-naom-and-natasha/

Today's episode offers a different perspective on the DoNotPay controversy – and ended up having an unexpected twist.   Earlier this year, DoNotPay, which described itself as the world's first robot lawyer, and its founder Joshua Browder became the subject of harsh criticism after paralegal Kathryn Tewson tested several of DoNotPay's self-help legal apps and concluded they were little more than smoke and mirrors – in some cases getting the law wrong, in others failing even to deliver the promised output.  In the wake of Tewson's allegations, this podcast recorded an exclusive interview with Browder, in which he called the criticism “a bit of a nothingburger.” I followed that Interview with one with Tewson, in which she described in detail how she tested the DoNotPay products and responded to Browder's dismissal of her critique.  Following those events, our guests today, Maya Markovich, executive director and cofounder of the Justice Technology Association and executive in residence for Justice Tech at Village Capital, and Tom Gordon, executive director of Responsive Law, an organization that represents the consumers' voice in the legal system, co-authored an op-ed in which they argued that reforms in the regulation of the practice of law, such as those implemented in Utah, could have prevented the DoNotPay debacle, since DoNotPay would have had to have been licensed and regulated. They submitted their op-ed to the American Bar Association's Center for Innovation, which agreed to publish it in the Center's biannual innovation trends report, slated to be released Aug. 1. In anticipation of that publication, LawNext host Bob Ambrogi recorded the interview you're about to hear with Markovich and Gordon, in which they discussed their op-ed and their views more broadly on regulatory reform. The interview was scheduled to post Aug. 1, in conjunction with the op-ed's publication that day.  But then the plan hit an unexpected twist. Instead of publishing the op-ed that day, the Center notified the authors that it had canceled the publication because of what it described as “political challenges” within the ABA, but that it had neglected to inform them of that.  Because this interview was recorded before the ABA canceled the op-ed, you will hear references to the ABA's publication of the op-ed. But since that never happened, Markovich and Gordon allowed us to publish the op-ed on LawNext. Ambrogi has also written a blog post detailing the whole sordid story.  Show links:   Opinion: DoNotPay Controversy Illuminates Urgent Need for Regulatory Reform. Citing ‘Political Challenges,' ABA Innovation Center Cancels Op-Ed Advocating Regulatory Reform; In An Exclusive, We Have the Piece They Wouldn't Publish. Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out.   Nota, the online business banking platform designed specifically for solo and small law firms. Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, MerusCase and LollyLaw; the e-payments platform Headnote; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks. Universal Migrator, the easiest way to move your firm's data and documents from one app to another. Overture.Law, The first attorney-to-attorney referral platform that lets you easily generate referral fees for clients you can't serve.   If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  

For the month of June, we're sharing some of our favorite episodes of More Than Profit. In our first episode of More Than Profit, we talk with Jean Case, the first female chairman of the National Geographic Society and CEO of the Case Impact Network and Case Foundation. We discuss her childhood, the series of pivots and failures she faced before her career success, and what new capitalism means to her. Jean Case is a well-known businesswoman, investor, and philanthropist who is passionate about the power of business to do good. Bryce first met Jean Case at a Village Capital event in Salt Lake City back in 2015; over the years, Bryce has collaborated on various projects with her and has been one of the many users of the great resources the Case Foundation has produced to build the impact investing field.

Less than 2% of Venture Capital funds go to Women and Minority Owned Businesses.Our guest, Professor Banu Ozkazanc-Pan, is the Founder and Director of the Venture Capital Inclusion Lab at the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University.With $260,000 in funding from the Kauffman Foundation, Banu launched the lab to investigate WHY this abysmal under 2% number exists and find ways to solve it.During our delicious conversation we dove deep into the data pool to learn what Banu and her team have uncovered and how this data may help improve the funding of under resourced founders .The Venture Capital Inclusion Lab was started in 2018 with funds from Professor Bah-nu's Kauffman Foundation grant to examine the decision-making and network behaviors of VCs.Today, the Lab focuses efforts on understanding and solving funding inequities in the VC industry through data-driven research, education and advocacy.Banu is also a Professor of Practice at the School of Engineering and Academic Director of the IE Brown University Executive MBA program. Her research interests are mainly in the areas of diversity and inclusion in organizations and in entrepreneurial ecosystems.To learn more about the Venture Capital Inclusion Lab, please visit: https://vcinclusion.comTap this link to connect with Professor Banu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/banuopan/Check out Banu's startup, Derpy Doggy and it's clean, gluten-free products here: https://www.derpydoggy.com/Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your startup will do better - cheers!Ande ♥https://andelyons.com #bestyoutubechannelforstartups #startupstories #venturecapitalJOIN STARTUP LIFE MEETUP GROUP Get an alert whenever I post a new show!https://bit.ly/StartupLifeLIVEWBENC Application Send me an email: ande@andelyons.comCONNECT WITH ME ONLINE:https://twitter.com/AndeLyonshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/andelyons/https://www.instagram.com/ande_lyons/TikTok: @andelyonsSPONSORSHIPIf you resonate with the show's mission of amplifying diverse founder voices while serving first-time founders around the world, please reach out to me to learn more about making an impact through sponsoring the Startup Life Show! ande@andelyons.com.WHAT WE LEARNED00:00 - meet Professor Banu Ozkazanc-Pan06:00 - Sylvester Myer !08:00 - Professor Banu's origin story12:20 - teach entrepreneurship transform the teacher18:30 - why we don't see equity and inclusion in the VC industry21:20 - why it took so long for women to be included at VC firms25:00 - gender stereotypes in venture capital prohibit funding of women and minority owned businesses27:00 - the challenges for Emerging Funds Managers29:00 - Ande's soap box moment (sorry, not sorry!)33:00 - response to Scroobious' Founder Allison Byers35:50 - Village Capital's Framework Study40:00 - changing the VC mindset to be inclusive is a hard task46:00 - education and alumni networks benefit men50:20 - white males need to support women getting funded

Ravi Kurani, Co-Founder of Sutro, discusses the distinction between problem-solving and solution-building, active listening and adapting, what does not constitute innovation, and how to manage energy and create a successful innovation strategy.More about our guest:Ravi Kurani is the founder of Sutro. He is based in San Francisco. Ravi was selected to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017 for the Energy category.Ravi attended the University of California, Riverside where he graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical engineering. He earned his MBA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a Certificate in Sustainable Energy Conversion and Storage from Stanford University.Early in his career, Ravi interned at Under The Mango Tree, was a Frontier Market Scout at Village Capital, an Analyst at Hub Ventures, and a Project Coordinator at Building Wise. He was a Social Entrepreneurship Advisor at CORO Northern California and an Advisor to SAHGHATA GLOBAL.In 2011, he founded ImpactSpace, an open impact data initiative, is the open and free global database of companies, entrepreneurs and investors delivering social and environmental impact along with financial returns. In 2013, Ravi founded the water testing and data analytics company, Sutro. The company's main product has built a sensor-connected app that monitors the health of your swimming pool, notifies you if maintenance is required and orders pool supplies.Know more about her and his company here: Ravi KuraniSutro------------------------------------------------------------Episode Guide:1:15 - What is Innovation?  1:44 - Solving a problem vs building a solution2:43 - Importance of distinction: solution  5:33 - Company: Sutro10:05 - "It's my baby" founder's mentality12:24 - The value of 'listening" and 'pivot'13:59 - What isn't innovation?17:55 - Balancing and Managing one's energy23:25 - Risk Predictability26:24 - Risk acceptance and attachment philosophy29:20 - Advice for innovators--------------------------OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.

This week we team up with the energetic legal tech guru Maya Markovich who is now focusing on Justice Tech. Justice Tech is innovative technology designed to improve access to one's legal rights, improve outcomes for justice-involved individuals, or more equitably administer a legal system. Maya has extensive experience in legal tech and now she's working as an excutive director for Justice Tech Association supporting companies and programs that create technology solutions helping people navigate legal matters to foster hope, independence, and self-empowerment to contribute to a fairer legal system. We talk about justice tech having an impact on access to justice but since access to justice is not a technology, but a systemic problem, we also concentrate on what else could we do as a society. We also discuss AI and legal tech in general. Just recently Henna met with some law students and learned that the generation we believed was born to use technology is really questioning whether or not there will be entry level legal jobs in the future (Yes, there will!). We asked Maya's opinion about this and discussed the future of legal. Maya also shares her experience in participating the "90 day Finn Program" and how to survive the Helsinki November with all the seasons in just one month. -- With her unique background spanning VC, law, behavioral science, and change design, Maya Markovich delivers technology, process, and business growth services worldwide. For nearly 6 years she launched and scaled industry-first Nextlaw Labs/Nextlaw Ventures at Dentons, the world's largest firm, delivering next-generation technology, process client and business growth services across the globe. Maya is currently justice tech executive in residence at Village Capital and executive director at the nonprofit Justice Technology Association. She also advises multiple high-growth startups, investor and venture funds, and consults on legal department and law firm innovation and transformation initiatives, building future-proof methodologies and tech to advance the legal industry, its clients and consumers via achievable, sustainable and scalable design and implementation.  In 2020 Maya was named one of five “Influential Women of Legal Tech” by ILTA, a “Woman Leading Legal Tech” by The Technolawgist in 2019, and an ABA Legal Technology Resource Center “Woman of Legal Tech 2018” for her work in designing, promoting, and driving the future of the legal industry around the globe.

In this podcast episode, Hamilton speaks with Ashleigh Dawson, founder and CEO of Recycle2Riches, a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles that aims to change the culture of consumption through communication, collaboration, and community education. Ashley discusses her organization's mission and the challenges of changing the culture of consumption. She emphasizes the importance of sustainability in every avenue of consumption and the need for consumers to be educated about responsible consumption. Ashleigh also talks about the responsibility of big and small brands in promoting sustainability and the importance of policy change. She recommends resources for education on sustainability topics and shares her experience with rejection and leadership. - In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials. Each bag is made from pineapple leaf fiber, billboard vinyl, fabric banners, apparel, and other advertising waste. Perkins was awarded an equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business' 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association's 40 under 40 lists. Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Affirm, National Geographic, Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Hanover Insurance, NYC Department of Sanitation and Ellen. The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection has transformed 800,000 bottles into bags and over 40,000 pounds of old signs and into bags with the goal of 10 million bottles and over 500,000 pounds. Perkins has been a speaker for BNY Mellon, Faire, Mastercard and has provided research for Harvard Business School. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business.

In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials. Each bag is made from pineapple leaf fiber, billboard vinyl, fabric banners, apparel, and other advertising waste.  Perkins was awarded an equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business' 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association's 40 under 40 lists.  Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Affirm, National Geographic, Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Hanover Insurance, NYC Department of Sanitation and Ellen.  The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection has transformed 800,000 bottles into bags and over 40,000 pounds of old signs and into bags with the goal of 10 million bottles and over 500,000 pounds.  Perkins has been a speaker for BNY Mellon, Faire, Mastercard and has provided research for Harvard Business School. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business. 

Can FOMO (fear of missing out) be a market opportunity? Sonia Weymuller realised many people were seeking ways to invest into tech startups and be a part of the startup buzz. Yet, there was no platform in the MENA region to do so.Sonia Weymuller is a Co-Founder and General Partner of VentureSouq (VSQ), a MENA-based venture capital firm, and Partner Lead for the VSQ Conscious Collective, its global impact-focused investment and educational platform.Topics we cover:building a venture capital firm like a startup,why relationships between investors and founders are like marriage,how to build an ideal capital table and treat your investors like a team of allies,why investors should create a safe space for founders to be open and vulnerable,how to make a choice between building a lifestyle business and a venture-backed startup.About Sonia Weymuller:Sonia Weymuller is a Co-Founder and General Partner of VentureSouq (VSQ), a MENA-based venture capital firm, and Partner Lead for the VSQ Conscious Collective, its global impact-focused investment and educational platform. She is driven by a mission to support founders harnessing the power of technology to address tangible societal, economic, and environmental challenges.Sonia is an advisor to Village Capital's Sustainability MENA Program and jury member for the Cartier Women's Initiative. She is also a board member for the Middle East Venture Capital Association, and a Kauffman Fellow.About Darya Kamkalova:Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.Venturing Women website:https://www.venturingwomen.org/Follow us on social media:Instagram - LinkedIn

In this podcast episode, Hamilton and Keith Fraley discuss Keith's background in fashion, his transition from fashion design to the business side of fashion, and his upcoming role as a tenure track assistant professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. They also discuss sustainability in the fashion industry, fashion collaborations, and various resources for learning about the fashion industry. - In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials. Each bag is made from pineapple leaf fiber, billboard vinyl, fabric banners, apparel, and other advertising waste. Perkins was awarded an equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business' 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association's 40 under 40 lists. Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Hanover Insurance, NYC Department of Sanitation and Ellen. The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection has transformed 800,000 bottles into bags and over 40,000 pounds of old signs and into bags with the goal of 10 million bottles and over 500,000 pounds. Perkins has been a speaker for BNY Mellon, Faire, Mastercard and has provided research for Harvard Business School. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business.

Throughout her career, Chris has consistently created strong operating results for companies ranging from start-up to Fortune 50,including premier organizations such as: Cox Communications, Verizon Communications, Sprint Nextel, the National Basketball Association and Fan Controlled Sports and Entertainment. As a senior executive, she has held P&L responsibility, for up to 1000 employees and $1.5 billion in annual revenue. Chris currently serves as the Chief Commercial Officer and head of Strategy for interactive media company, Fan Controlled Sports and Entertainment; overseeing strategic partnerships, betting and league strategy. She also recently served as Chief Financial Officer of the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), OmniChannel Acquisition Corporation (NYSE: OCA). In February 2019, Chris was appointed to the Board of Directors for Ryman Hospitality (NYSE: RHP) and is also a member of the company's audit and nom/gov committees. Ryman is the proud owner and operator of the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Ole Red (in partnership with Blake Shelton) and the Gaylord Resorts and Hotels.Previously, Chris launched and led the National Basketball Association's direct to consumer business globally. She also established and led the corporate development practice in media and entertainment, for global telecom leader Verizon; ultimately acquiring over $5B worth of assets over the span of 3 years. Chris serves on her business school's executive advisory board, at Old Dominion University since 2012. Chris grew up in Colorado, has moved around the US, both during her husband's service in the US Navy submarine force and for her own career. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Spanish and a Master's of Business Administration, from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She and her husband have lived the past 10 years in Summit, NJ and have one son, who attends Cornell University's Dyson School and competes on the university's varsity track team. - In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials. Each bag is made from pineapple leaf fiber, billboard vinyl, fabric banners, apparel, and other advertising waste. Perkins was awarded an equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business' 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association's 40 under 40 lists. Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Hanover Insurance, NYC Department of Sanitation and Ellen. The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection has transformed 800,000 bottles into bags and over 40,000 pounds of old signs and into bags with the goal of 10 million bottles and over 500,000 pounds. Perkins has been a speaker for BNY Mellon, Faire, Mastercard and has provided research for Harvard Business School. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business.

In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials. Each bag is made from pineapple leaf fiber, billboard vinyl, fabric banners, apparel, and other advertising waste. Perkins was awarded an equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business' 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association's 40 under 40 lists. Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Hanover Insurance, NYC Department of Sanitation and Ellen. The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection has transformed 800,000 bottles into bags and over 40,000 pounds of old signs and into bags with the goal of 10 million bottles and over 500,000 pounds. Perkins has been a speaker for BNY Mellon, Faire, Mastercard and has provided research for Harvard Business School. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business.

Ted Baroody is a graduate of North Carolina State University of Raleigh, North Carolina. After college he moved to Norfolk to start his own small sports marketing company, Victory Promotions. After a couple of years of power boat racing production under Victory Promotions, he served as Marketing Director for a group of local radio stations in Virginia Beach for 5 years. From 1996 to the present, he has worked for Norfolk Festevents, Ltd. which he now serves as CEO. Ted also works with many non-profit organizations as a volunteer, event coordinator and as a board member. - In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials. Each bag is made from pineapple leaf fiber, billboard vinyl, fabric banners, apparel, and other advertising waste. Perkins was awarded an equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business' 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association's 40 under 40 lists. Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Hanover Insurance, NYC Department of Sanitation and Ellen. The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection has transformed 800,000 bottles into bags and over 40,000 pounds of old signs and into bags with the goal of 10 million bottles and over 500,000 pounds. Perkins has been a speaker for BNY Mellon, Faire, Mastercard and has provided research for Harvard Business School. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business.

In this video, Michael Desplaines shares his experience running a non profit. He shares advice on how to get started, how to raise money, and how to run a successful non profit. If you're interested in starting a non profit, this video is for you! Michael shares his experience and advice on running a non profit, from fundraising to marketing to organizational skills. This video is a great resource for anyone who is interested in starting a non profit. - In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials. Each bag is made from pineapple leaf fiber, billboard vinyl, fabric banners, apparel, and other advertising waste. Perkins was awarded an equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business' 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association's 40 under 40 lists. Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Hanover Insurance, NYC Department of Sanitation and Ellen. The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection has transformed 800,000 bottles into bags and over 40,000 pounds of old signs and into bags with the goal of 10 million bottles and over 500,000 pounds. Perkins has been a speaker for BNY Mellon, Faire, Mastercard and has provided research for Harvard Business School. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business.

An increasing number of startups are defining themselves not as legal tech, but as justice tech. So what, exactly, is justice tech, who are some of the companies that represent it, and what is the business opportunity they present for potential investors? Our guest this week is Maya Markovich, executive director of the Justice Technology Association, an organization formed earlier this year to support companies in the justice tech sector.  She is also executive in residence for justice tech at Village Capital, the largest organization in the world supporting impact-driven, seed-stage startups, where she recently co-authored the report, Supporting Tech for Justice-Impacted Communities: Strategies to Supercharge Justice Tech Investing, a framework to help investors maximize the probably that a justice tech investment will have a positive impact on individuals involved with the justice system.  Until last year, Markovich was chief growth officer at Nextlaw Labs, the legal tech incubator created by Dentons, one of the world's largest law firms. We discuss the justice tech landscape, the opportunities for investors in justice tech, and how the sector is likely to develop over the coming years.    Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out.  Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, and MerusCase, and e-payments platform Headnote. If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

Jeff is a Co-Founder and CEO of Fig Tech. Fig creates onramps for underbanked Americans to repair their credit score and regain access to traditional financial services. Fig started as a collaboration with the United Way in Houston and became the first fintech to be both B Corp certified and a US Treasury recognized Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Fig's investors include Techstars, Upper90, Village Capital, and Purpose Built.Prior to Fig, Jeff previously worked at the Boston Consulting Group in strategy and consumer products. Jeff holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA in Applied Data Analytics from the Wharton School.Jeff joins me today to discuss his company Fig. They serve 400,000 customers. One of their products is a loan which average is $400 in size, so unsecured short term loan, they do all of this to serve all these customers with only about 15 employees. There's a lot to learn in this episode about picking your co-founder, his approach to prioritization, thinking about how optimistic to be trade offs in growth and profitability, and why their mission is so important.“Imagine someone judging you based on your driver's license photo, and only that. We're looking to help these people update that photo, we're looking to help them make their credit score look like who they are today and who they want to be tomorrow. And in that sense, unlocking their financial potential. - Jeff ZhouToday on Startups for Good we cover:Short term loansRealizing potentialCredit reporting servicesEmergency loansWhy are people still utilizing predatory loans?Learning about the needs of the customerCycle of borrowingShiny Object SyndromeConnect with Jeff on LinkedInSubscribe, Rate & Share Your Favorite Episodes!Thanks for tuning into today's episode of Startups For Good with your host, Miles Lasater. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast listening app.Don't forget to visit our website, connect with Miles on Twitter or LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes across social media. For more information about Purpose Built visit our website.

Allie Burns is CEO of Village Capital. Founded in 2009, the venture capital firm seeks to fight imbalances in funding startups. It supports entrepreneurs cutting through markets such as healthcare, education, and climate change, and has worked directly with more than 1,100 entrepreneurs in 28 countries. In this in-depth conversation, Allie shares her storied journey to becoming the company's CEO, which started not in business but in journalism, when she was striving for a career as a sports reporter; discusses how the firm's affiliated fund, VilCap Investments, has invested in 110 startups that have gone on to raise more than $4 billion in follow-on capital; and delves into the firm's so-called “2030 goals”, which include the ambitious target of “activating and influencing” $50 billion of capital while “supporting 50,000 entrepreneurs who are building solutions in line with sustainable development”.

In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials. Each bag is made from pineapple leaf fiber, billboard vinyl, fabric banners, apparel, and other advertising waste. Perkins was awarded a $25,000 equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business' 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association's 40 under 40 lists. Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Hanover Insurance, NYC Department of Sanitation and Ellen. The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection has transformed 800,000 bottles into bags and over 40,000 pounds of old signs and into bags with the goal of 10 million bottles and over 500,000 pounds. Perkins has been a speaker for BNY Mellon, Faire, MasterCard and has provided research for Harvard Business School. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business.

In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials. Each bag is made from pineapple leaf fiber, billboard vinyl, fabric banners, apparel, and other advertising waste. Perkins was awarded a $25,000 equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business' 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association's 40 under 40 lists. Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Hanover Insurance, NYC Department of Sanitation and Ellen. The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection has transformed 800,000 bottles into bags and over 40,000 pounds of old signs and into bags with the goal of 10 million bottles and over 500,000 pounds. Perkins has been a speaker for BNY Mellon, Faire, Mastercard and has provided research for Harvard Business School. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business.

In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials. Each bag is made from pineapple leaf fiber, billboard vinyl, fabric banners, apparel, and other advertising waste. Perkins was awarded a $25,000 equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business' 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association's 40 under 40 lists. Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Hanover Insurance, NYC Department of Sanitation and Ellen. The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection has transformed 800,000 bottles into bags and over 40,000 pounds of old signs and into bags with the goal of 10 million bottles and over 500,000 pounds. Perkins has been a speaker for BNY Mellon, Faire, Mastercard and has provided research for Harvard Business School. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business.

In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from recycled materials. Each bag is made from recycled plastic water bottles, billboard vinyl, pineapple leaf fiber, upcycled fabric banners, and other advertising waste. Perkins was awarded a $25,000 equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business' 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association's 40 under 40 lists. Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Footlocker, Hanover Insurance and Ellen. The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection's ecommerce store is available at hamiltonperkins.com. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University's Strome College of Business.

“The goal is that all investing is impact investing”Allie Burns is the CEO of Washington DC-based Village Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in businesses which address social issues. What's unusual about Village Capital's approach is that it not only seeks to broaden the base of entrepreneurs that benefit from venture capital; it also believes that more diversity among investors will lead to a more equitable distribution of investment money.In this episode of Health To Wealth, Allie outlines the fundamental inequality that exists today in backing for business, by gender and by ethnic background, but also by geography, with 50% of venture capital in the US going to three states, and predominantly to white male entrepreneurs. She spells out the consequences of this, especially in terms of the great ideas that could benefit society but never get a chance. And she talks about Village Capital's approach to building diversity – including peer-led investment decisions that give minorities a vote. On a personal level, she reflects on her father's business failure that could have driven her away from entrepreneurialism, but had the opposite effect. Health to Wealth: a podcast from Accor, produced by Purposeful Podcasts and hosted by Anni Hood from Well Intelligence. If you want to know more about Health to Wealth by Accor and join our community of thought leaders please go to healthtowealthbyaccor.com If you want to learn more about Accor please go to https://group.accor.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's Espresso covers updates from Habi, Xepelin, Belo, and more!Outline of this episode:[00:28] - Habi gained unicorn status after raising a $200M Series C round[01:08] - Xepelin raised a $111M Series B round[01:50] -Village Capital and Moody's partnered to create a new accelerator program[02:13] -Belo raised $3M in a seed round[02:35] -Interview with Manuel Beaudroit, CEO and co-founder of Belo[06:17] -Grupo Central raised $3M in a seed round[06:38] -Interview with Alejandro Iglesias, CEO and co-founder of Grupo Central[10:13] -Second edition of the accelerator program K-Startup Grand Challenge[10:38] -First episode of the Hacking Insurance podcast with Martin Ferrari, CEO of 123Seguro[11:01] -New episode of Entrepreneurship 101 “Growth strategies for Latin American companies”[11:17] - Talanta's upcoming webinar “The competition for emerging talent is changing, who will win?”Resources & people mentioned:Companies & Startups: Habi, Xepelin, Belo, Grupo Central, Sekure, 123Seguro, TalantaVCs, Accelerators, Institutions: Kaszek, Softbank, Homebrew, Tiger Global, Inspired Capital, Avenir, Village Capital, Moody's, CRV, The Venture City, Newtopia, Latitude, Moonvalley Capital, Global Founders Capital (GFC), Opera VenturesPeople: Manuel Beaudroit, Alejandro Iglesias, Rodrigo Alfonso, Martin Ferrari, Andrea Campos, Gina Gotthilf, Manuela Sánchez

I spoke with Maya Markovich, the executive in residence at Village Capital, and the executive director of the Justice Technology Association. We discussed the mission of the Justice Technology Association, the problems that justice tech aims to address, how her experience with NextLaw Labs has helped to shape her approach, and where justice tech is headed.

I spoke with Maya Markovich, the executive in residence at Village Capital, and the executive director of the Justice Technology Association. We discussed the mission of the Justice Technology Association, the problems that justice tech aims to address, how her experience with NextLaw Labs has helped to shape her approach, and where justice tech is headed.

For 30 years, Village Enterprise has been working to help people at the bottom of the pyramid lift themselves out of poverty. A randomized control trial begun in 2014 demonstrated that its programs worked. That evidence led to the nonprofit serving as the first recipient of a development impact bond (DIB). Winnie Babra Auma, vice president of programs for the growing international organization, was raised in poverty and has risen from volunteer to executive leadership, helping to accelerate its growth and impact. She joined me for this inspiring episode.Village Capital’s Unique ProgramSome NGOs find working with the poorest of the poor to be too difficult, leaving them to their own limited resources. Not so with Village Enterprise.“We use what we call the Poverty Probability Index Survey to ensure that we’re reaching the very bottom of the pyramid,” Winnie says, noting that the nonprofit excludes households earning more than $1.90 per person per day.She describes four key steps, after the screening, for the Village Enterprise program:Training. Village Enterprise provides training to people who have never operated a business, helping them learn skills that enable them to earn more money. The program also includes mentoring for the first year after launching a business (see step three below).Micro-Grants. Rather than make a microloan of $180, the organization makes grants, typically in two rounds. An initial $120 is followed by another $60 if the business is going well. This grant approach allows nervous first-time entrepreneurs to move forward without fearing what happens if they can’t repay a loan.Business Formation. Three households, having each designated a representative (most often a woman), join together to form a “small business group” and launch a business with their grant money.Savings Groups. Ten participants form a “savings group” to serve as a small village bank. They collect savings from the members and make loans available to group members when it makes economic sense, creating a small financing mechanism for the businesses.Given that households at the bottom of the pyramid are severely resource constrained, one goal of the program is to increase spending. To middle-income ears, this sounds wrong. Savings and investments should be the goal, we think. That ignores that the family was going without food, clothing or education. Increasing consumption improves their lives.Increasing assets, including not only financial assets but productive ones—including better housing—is a second goal.The randomized control trial that spanned several years beginning in 2014 demonstrated that the program works to achieve these two objectives.To support this vital work, subscribe.The Development Impact BondBecause of its success, Village Enterprise was selected as a recipient for the first development impact bond in Africa focused on poverty alleviation.These financial structures radically change international development finance by putting results squarely at the center of decisions.Nine lenders funded the bond with a total of $4.32 million, allowing Village Enterprise to implement its program as a service provider. The lenders made the loans with the understanding that they would be repaid only if Village Enterprise reached the required performance targets.Three “outcome payers” agreed to set money aside to repay the loans if the program reached those performance targets. If Village Enterprise’s program had not achieved the objectives, the intermediary holding the funds would have returned the money to the outcome payers to use for something else—something that does work.Village Enterprise achieved the targets. See the third-party report verifying it here. As a result, the outcome payers’ funding went to repay the lenders. The three outcome payers are happy because their money drove the impact they wanted. The nine lenders are happy because they got their money back with interest and can make new loans to do more good. Village Enterprise is happy because they got paid to deliver an effective service.Most importantly, the people served are happy because they got help that enabled them to increase their consumption and assets.Winnie provided a summary of the results:4,766 businesses started14,100 first-time entrepreneurs trained95,000 lives impacted“We were able to increase spending on food, on health, on education by 6.3 percent. We were able to increase assets such as livestock, housing saving and other business supplies within the households by 5.8 percent,” Winnie says. “And to put this in context, this was during the pandemic.”“Moving towards outcome-based or results-based funding is going to be an important path if we’re really serious about ending extreme poverty,” Winnie adds.Winnie’s Story“The work that I do at Village Enterprise is very close to my heart because I have also come from very humble backgrounds,” Winnie says. “I have experienced extreme poverty myself.”“I have watched my mother make tough decisions. I’ve watched women make tough decisions around what you prioritize. Is it food, education or health?” Winnie says.She also saw the painful sexism forced on parents who see boys as having greater economic potential. “Sometimes, as a girl growing up, I actually got to be on the other side of life where… a boy child was prioritized over me.”Looking back, she sees how people and organizations helped her rise. “I’ve been a dreamer,” she says. “And, you know, along the path of my life, I felt like there were helping hands put along my journey.”One of the big ones was a scholarship from the Carnegie Corporation of New York that funded her college education, qualifying her to become a teacher.Winnie acknowledges, however, that she didn’t have the patience required of a teacher whose impact may not be visible for a decade or more. “I wanted to change the world,” she says. “I wanted to do something so that girls would not have to go through what I have gone through, so that mothers would not go have to go through what my mother went through, so that mothers could have options and really meet their needs and provide for their families.”When Village Enterprise was working in the area where Winnie grew up, she paid close attention, focusing on opportunities to get involved.When the nonprofit posted a volunteer position, she jumped at the chance, quitting her full-time teaching job.She has risen from volunteer to country director for Uganda, where she grew the organization and its impact about tenfold, to her current executive role heading programs.She has seen how using her voice to spread optimism and positivity has become her superpower in this work.How to Develop Your Voice to Spread Optimism and Positivity As a SuperpowerWinnie related a story that illustrated the power of her voice. She visited a small business group where the husband of one of the participating women had taken her grant money, leaving the other participants frustrated and ready to quit.“We went into this group, we listened, and I started to probe and ask questions,” Winnie says. “And then I got up and shared my personal story.”“You see, you look at me,” She says. “I am the woman today because my mother made sacrifices. My community members made sacrifices. People in the world, the Carnegie Corporation, gave resources to support me.”Then she delivered her brand of positivity and optimism:You are part of the Village Enterprise Program today because there are so many people outside in the world that are believing in you. They want you to invest these resources into a business that generates profits so that you can support your own family. They don't want this money back. The only thing they want from you is that you're using it in ways that are profitable to generate more income that supports you and your entire family.The speech worked. The man who took the money said, “I had never thought about it that way.”Winnie says, “I didn’t tell this man what to do. I only use my story and my experience to invite to inspire him to go do good for himself, his wife and his children.”Winnie says that to be effective in using your voice, you also have to develop empathy and listen as she did to the members of the group. Empathy is crucial for working among people challenged by poverty, she says, “because poverty is complex.”If you follow Winnie’s example, you can use your voice to share optimism that can become your superpower, allowing you to do more good. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at devinthorpe.substack.com/subscribe

Ravi Kurani has dedicated his career to water safety. From his early days as a pool boy for his father's pool and spa business to the founder of Sutro, Ravi has always wondered why everyone can't have clean water. This feeling solidified when he was in India with First Light Ventures Fund and Village Capital. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Riverside, MBA in International Finance from Middlebury College, and a Certificate from Stanford University in Renewable Energy Systems. He believes that being an entrepreneur is an honor he must earn daily since it gives him the ability to solve problems that make money and help society. Check out his website to learn more about Sutro! Then make sure you follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In this week's Espresso, we cover updates from Neon, Hireline, Velvet, and more!Outline of this episode:[00:27] - Velvet announces $200M funding.[00:59] - Neon becomes a unicorn after a $300M round.[01:35] - delt.ai processes $25M in debt financing from TrustToken[02:07] - Interview with José de la Luz López Sanguino, delt.ai's CEO[07:54] - Financial Health Innovation Fund announces new investments[08:35] - Viva Translate announces $4M in funding.[09:11] - New Crossing Borders episode with Luis Rubén Chávez.Resources & people mentioned:Companies & Startups: Velvet, Neon, delt.ai, TrustToken, Finerio Connect, Chari, Hireline, Viva Translate, ZenfiVC funds, Institutions, Accelerators: BBVA, Y Combinator, Village Capital, MetLife FoundationPeople: José de la Luz López Sanguino, Nick Grassi, Luis Rubén Chávez, Nathan Lustig

We're taking a look at some our favorite moments from last year's innovation festival. Here's a conversation about closing the gender financing gap with Allie Burns, CEO of Village Capital; Shruti Chandrasekhar, head of Startup Catalyst and SME Ventures and the Africa regional lead at the International Finance Corporation; and Odunayou Ewaneeyiee, cofounder and COO at Piggyvest.

Devin: What do you think of as your superpower?Ben: I think I had a really interesting experience coming out of college. I grew up in, you know, upper-middle-class suburbs in New York of New York City. Then after college, my first job I got by happenstance was as an intern for the National Office of the NAACP. I was often the only white person in the room, which is just not an experience that I think a lot of my peers have ever had. I don’t know how to translate that into a superpower, but I think a level of empathy, a level of humility, understanding that while I have some great ideas, they’re just ideas.Devin: Meg, what do you think of as your superpower?Meg: I’m going to also say empathy, but I have a different life experience than Ben. I mean it in a slightly different way. I see my superpower as having the ability to help people tell their stories.Ben Wrobel, director of communications at Village Capital, and Meg Massey, a freelance journalist, have partnered to author a seminal new work called Letting Go: How Philanthropists and Impact Investors Can Do More Good by Giving Up Control.Meg summarizes the book succinctly: “We talk about how funders can and should integrate the people that they’re hoping to serve and support with their funding into the decision-making process.”There are two distinct audiences for the book, philanthropists and impact investors. While many do both, the two activities are treated mainly as two separate disciplines. Ben notes that the authors struggled about whether to include both but did because “a lot of the general principles are the same.”Village Capital is known for its unusual funding model. Ben explains:The model we have is called peer-selected investment, and we bring together 12 entrepreneurs that are working in the same sector, but not direct competitors. Twelve African entrepreneurs working on fintech, for instance. We put them through a training investment readiness program. Everyone gets a benefit out of it. But at the end of the program, the group engages in this very open, transparent ranking process and ultimately selects two of their peers to receive funding from our fund. Village Capital was formed to address a related problem in the venture capital community. “The reason village capital was created by Ross Baird and others early, early on was because venture capital, they argued, was a very closed off hegemonic sphere where a few people in a few cities are making decisions about our collective future,” Ben says.He notes, however, that Village Capital’s approach is different from the model he and Meg document in the book. “The mechanics of it are more about asking social entrepreneurs to make decisions rather than, let’s say, people living in a specific community or people with disabilities like we’ve seen with some other participatory funding models.” Meg notes that this has been a blind spot for impact investors. “Impact Investing has largely been about what you’re investing in and not how you’re doing it, that process. And there’s a lot of top-down.”The nonprofit arena has a similar problem, Ben says. “Philanthropy is largely male, largely white, largely based in a few places. Any sort of funding model where the people making decisions aren’t necessarily representative of the world at large is where participatory funding can be helpful.”Participating can be difficult, Meg notes. “If you haven’t taken the economics class, if you haven’t worked at a bank or just had any professional experience in finance, something—‘cap size,’ ‘market share’—like these are normal terms for investors, but they can be really intimidating to people who aren’t part—who don’t live and breathe that work.”Meg and Ben connected at the GIIN conference for impact investors in Amsterdam. Together, they saw a problem. “There’s a panel on support in sub-Saharan Africa that’s like five white guys from Europe,” Meg says.The book set out a nine rung ladder investors and philanthropists can climb to move from traditional to fully participatory models. Ben summarizes the process as three key steps.“At the very bottom there, you have a process that’s not participatory; it’s you simply make a decision and then move on with your life,” Ben says.“Up in the middle of the ladder is what we call consulting,” Ben explains. “Sometimes at its worst, it’s maybe token listening where you’re saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to hold a community meeting. We’re going to invite folks to join a zoom and weigh in on our investment strategy.’ But ultimately, there are no teeth to that.”“The top rung is true participation, and really the distinction there goes beyond listening,” Ben says. “It means that there is a mechanism in place for community members, for people who have lived experience to have a vote. In its purest form, it’s going to be a decision about who you invest in.”Meg provided an example. Mama Cash is a grantmaking organization that transitioned to becoming fully participatory. “They found that their staff, rather than kind of being grant analysts and making all these decisions, were facilitating the process of having their current and former grantees review applications and vote. They were given this role, and they were also trained in how to do it.” The participatory approach is snowballing, Meg says. “Ben and I were interviewing different participatory grantmakers around the world. They started a Google Group, which then turned into a Slack community, which went from those dozen people, now over seven hundred members around the world.”Empathy is a superpower both Meg and Ben use to enable their work.Superpowers for Good is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.How You Can Develop Empathy As a SuperpowerBen sees empathy as being a radical step for investors and grantmakers. I think participatory grant-making and participatory investing, whether it's on the institutional level or on the personal level, is it's a really radical action to take. I mean, we try not to frame it as radical because, at the end of the day, it is just grant-making. It's not rocket science. But the empathy part of it is radical.Doing participatory funding “is a radical act of empathy,” he adds.Ben sees a foundational problem in his peer group. A lot of young people have the idea of wanting to save the world. There's a problem out there. It can be solved. And if it can be solved, it can be solved by the power of your own intellect. Just like a homework assignment at a liberal arts college, right? It's the perfect attitude for a generation raised on the like the optimism of the “West Wing” and the clean logic of “Freakonomics.”Ben sees this as arrogance that can impede finding more effective solutions, something he now recognizes in himself. “I’ll suddenly just get really into [a solution to a problem] and push and say, ‘This is what we need to be doing. This is it. Let’s go for it.’ And I forget that five days before, I knew nothing about this topic and still only have a third-hand understanding of it.”Humility and empathy enable a more inclusive approach that puts decision-making closer to the beneficiaries.Meg uses her empathy superpower to help other people tell better stories. She offers some storytelling advice. “You always have a beginning, middle and end, which seems obvious. You’d be surprised at how many stories are missing one of those components.”Then she notes that building tension is a critical element of a story. “What keeps us reading thrillers or watching TV shows is they build up what’s going to happen.”“The best writers for television, they’ve mastered managing that tension,” she adds.Grantwriters face significant challenges today. One complained to Meg about the labor-intensive forms and seemingly irrelevant questions. “We don’t speak the same language.”“Storytelling is a universal language,” Meg says.If you work at implementing steps to activate your empathy, like Meg and Ben, you can make it a superpower that can influence every other skill you have, enabling you to have more significant impact. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at devinthorpe.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode you'll hear about: The scale of gender-based violence and importance of reducing itThe importance of talking about it openlyFour ways that investors can use their dollars to affect changeSpecific examplesHow investments of this type help to change the behavior and attitudes that sustain these violent actsRelated Video:  Investing to eliminate gender-based violenceTeresa and Joy's paper:  Investing to Address Gender-Based ViolenceGuest Bios:Teresa Wells co-leads Tiedemann's Seattle office, and has direct responsibility for managing client relationships. She works closely with clients to understand their goals and objectives; manage their investments, including impact investing; and integrate their investment strategy, philanthropy, and estate planning into a cohesive wealth management plan. She serves as a member of the firm's Internal Investment Committee and is also on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.Teresa joined Tiedemann when the firm acquired Threshold Group, where she served as the Managing Director of Investment Strategy. In this role she partnered with the Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of Impact Investing to contribute to the firm's broad investment strategy. She was a member of both the Portfolio Management and Investment Committee and the Global Asset Allocation Committee. She also led the Wealth Management and Foundations services team in Seattle.Joy Anderson is a prominent national leader at the intersection of business and social change, whose insights and experience have helped shaped hundreds of ventures as well as the movements of impact investing and gender lens investing. She is founder and president of Criterion Institute, the leading think tank on using finance as a tool for social change, which demonstrates new possibilities through its groundbreaking research, innovative trainings, convenings and institutional engagement. In recognition of her leadership, Anderson was listed in Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business.Joy was co-founder of Good Capital with Tim Freundlich and Kevin Jones in 2006. She formerly served as faculty on leading social innovation award programs, including Unreasonable Institute and Echoing Green, advising the next generation of leaders in impact investing. As chair of the board of directors of Village Capital and through involvement in Investor's Circle, she was actively involved in shaping early stage social investments. And through her role in developing and leading Structure Lab© workshops she has helped over 300 organizations think through their legal and financial structures. 

Nasir Qadree is redefining venture capital by rethinking how they source, invest, and scale, early-stage companies that are rethinking the building blocks of wealth. From education to employment, through financial wellness via their inclusive investing strategy.Nasir started his career as an analyst at Goldman Sachs, then moved onto work as a Senior Associate at State Street. While balancing his work in finance, Nasir decided to invest in a coffee shop and coworking space called The Bee's Knees Baking Company, which became a hub of entrepreneurial activity, which sparked his interest in innovation.From there, Nasir went on to become special assistant to the commissioner of education for the Connecticut State Department of Education and working for then-Senate candidate Cory Booker, whom he advised on the future of education.He pivoted to venture capital to support founders solving the problems he observed while in the public sector and public market, holding investment roles as director of social investments at AT&T and head of education at Village Capital. With this foundation, Nasir launched Zeal Capital Partners to focus on financial inclusion and the future of work. Nasir and his team created a firm that has built a rigorous approach to leveraging its unique competitive advantages of being based in D.C., its networks in growing tech hubs, in order to partner with diverse founding teams at the earliest stages of development.In Zeal Capital Partners's very first newsletter, Nasir wrote, “It was important we led with inclusion, not diversity, so that we could be even more proactive and intentional about widening our lens. This approach begins with our team and extends to include the makeup of our companies, geographic regions we proactively invest in, aligned LPs, and measuring social impact outcomes via our proprietary impact framework.”Learn more about Zeal Capital Partners ›