Our work re-draws the innovation economy by developing the next generation of venture capital leaders and angel investors in communities where entrepreneurs face barriers to accessing capital. Relationships and networks play a critical role in access to capital for entrepreneurs; we, therefore, leverage one of the most established and extensive Black networks—the HBCU student and alumni network— to accelerate our mission and impact.

Our origins are inspired by the legacies of HBCUs, which forged opportunities for Black Americans in a time when our country would not. We are anchored in this intention, and similar to HBCUs, we are Black-forward and extend our support to all overlooked communities, including but not limited to Indigenous, Latino/a/e/x, LGBTQ+, and undocumented immigrants. We know that innovation lives within us–and has been untapped, underinvested, and ignored for far too long.