$100M Black Canadian VC fund; Funding round allocations for Black and Latinx investors; A new Black CEO joins the Fortune 500; SPAC-tacular.
A weekly newsletter for Black and Brown women highlighting entrepreneurship and venture capital in the tech ecosystem.
Hello Everyone,
Today is the last day of February and Spring is on the horizon. It’s been a super busy month for me so I’m glad it’s almost over! It’s 11C in Paris today and after spending 10-hours driving back from the Alps yesterday, I’m itching to go outdoors. Enjoy the newsletter today and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Coinbase has filed to go public. Dispo raised $20 million at a $200 million valuation to fund its retro photo-sharing platform. FDA authorizes Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine. Facebook launches a rap battle app. Spotify to launch HiFi subscription for CD-quality audio later this year.
INSIGHTS
Finix allocated 10% of its latest funding round for Black and Latinx investors. You can too.
-Finix
305 Black and Latino Founders Who Raised $1mm+ in VC Funding ($10.8bn Total)
-Harlem Capital
How Venture Capitalists Make Decisions
-Paul Gompers, Will Gornall, Steven N. Kaplan and Ilya A. Strebulaev / Harvard Business Review
Announcing the Emerging Manager Circle
-Rick Zullo / Equal Ventures
Angel Investments vs. Stocks: A Practical Guide
-Yun-Fang Juan / Silicon Valley Investors Club
A current airtable list of LatinxVCs.
-Chingona Ventures
OPPORTUNITIES, FUNDING & COMPETITIONS
YSpace Technology Accelerator has launched a 4-month virtual accelerator program for entrepreneurs as they launch and scale their ventures through bootcamps, workshops, one-on-one mentorship, and over $30K. Apply by February 28, 2021.
Visa is supporting women-owned Canadian businesses with $100K in grants!! Apply in English or in French. Due March 12, 2021.
Nominations are open for the Next Wave Impact second annual Founders of Color Showcase. Due March 15, 2021.
Black Women Founders Survey 2021.
Zane Access Capital Readiness Cohort. A 10-Week Program for Underrepresented Founders who have raised less than $150K. Apply by March 19, 2021.
The MoFo Black Venture Accelerator. A service to empower Black business founders and Black-owned businesses by providing pro bono legal services tailored to help each company progress to new heights. Deadline March 19, 2021.
Apply to join The Persistence-Empowering Women in Tech. The objective is to ensure women operators and executives have the access, skills, and networks needed to decisively act and seize opportunities to lead industry-wide change.
UPCOMING (VIRTUAL) EVENTS
Women & Worth Virtual Summit 2021: Actions Speak Louder Than Words, March 2-4, 2021.
Women's Investment Club Sénégal announces the launch of WIC Académie, March 4, 2021.
TechRise - Supporting Black & Latinx Founders in Chicago, March 10, 2021.
Black Female Founder Virtual Opportunity Summit, March 12, 2021.
Wanna Be a CTO Bootcamp. Free Training and Jobfair for Women Software Engineers. March 17-19, 2021
Women in Enterprise Sales Forum. This session will focus on how to succeed in the complex world of technical sales. March 18, 2021.
Pitch Day w/ 4 VCs: Flint Capital($200M), Zane Fund, Highlands VC, Gould VC. March 18, 2021
ON OUR RADAR
SPAC-tacular: 10 Media and Entertainment SPACs to Watch.
Netflix to Spend $100 Million to Help Underrepresented Communities in Entertainment.
Tech Startups’ New Million-Dollar Question: Do We Really Need an Office?
The Black businesswomen bringing diversity to ski slopes.
PEOPLE / ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thasunda Brown Duckett, is the new CEO of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, TIAA, making her the second Black woman to be named Fortune 500 CEO this year.
Jay-Z Sells 50 Percent of His Champagne Brand to LVMH.
Three brothers are raising a $100 Million venture fund for Canada’s BIPOC Founders.
Kiwan Michael Anderson will be Nike Communications' first-ever Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Rebecca Enonchong and Professor Thuli Madonsela were added to the Board of The Who Foundation.
Elizabeth Yin, Founder of Hustle Fund Raises $33.6 Million To Democratize Access To Pre-Seed Capital.
A heartfelt thank you for reading and see you next week!
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