The next era of entrepreneurship is about raising the bar, leveling the playing field, expanding participation and scaling the networks of social, financial and inspiration capital that provide the foundation for successful startups and scalable business. As part of the inclusive entrepreneurship movement, the Case Foundation partners with social capital networks providing important connections, training and mentorships for entrepreneurs, as well as with the investors and influencers working to change the way capital and media attention flows to diverse entrepreneurs. Through programs such as #FacesofFounders, we seek to build inspiration capital for entrepreneurs, lifting up America’s dynamic, diverse entrepreneurs who are key to driving innovation and job growth.

Social Capital

To combat the trends of disproportionate funding and underrepresentation for diverse entrepreneurs, the Case Foundation is committed to partnering with social capital networks providing connections, training and mentorships for entrepreneurs. Incubators for those just starting out, accelerators for those looking to grow and the ecosystem builders generally paving the way for entrepreneurs to succeed.

Fortunately, more and more entrepreneurship programs across the U.S. are being set up with intentionality around creating on-ramps for women entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs of color. To learn more about these inclusion-focused accelerators, incubators and ecosystem builders, see our partners list or learn more on a recent blog post on ecosystem builders to watch. These organizations are committed to the inclusive entrepreneurship movement, taking action within their organizations to support diverse entrepreneurs and leaders building businesses in all parts of the country and demonstrating the value of providing underrepresented groups of entrepreneurs with access to capital, networks and support.

Financial Capital

Venture capital has often been called the “jet fuel” of entrepreneurship, significantly accelerating the paths of select high-growth potential companies. But the role of venture capital goes far beyond funding — it includes strategic guidance for young entrepreneurs, access to an elite network of other successful business leaders and often serves as a magnet for follow-on funding by others.

However, a growing body of data highlights a sobering fact: we aren’t tapping the full potential of America’s innovation and ingenuity because venture capital has favored a limited few — most of them men; most of them white. Only 10% of venture-backed companies had a female founder; only 1% had an African American founder. And 78% of all venture capital went to just 3 states: California, New York and Massachusetts, leaving the other 47 states to share just a quarter of the pie.

At the Case Foundation, we believe that this data, while arresting, also represents a powerful economic opportunity to seize, simply by taking steps to be intentional in reaching out to find and fund new, high growth and innovative startups from broader segments of society.

Inspiration Capital

In addition to social and financial capital, the Case Foundation believes it is essential to build “inspiration capital”—to demonstrate to aspiring entrepreneurs, funders and media that a robust pipeline of diverse entrepreneurs exist in this country. It’s time to correct the outdated myths and break down the stereotypes and default images of who can be an entrepreneur.

Through campaigns such as #FacesofFounders, initiatives like our Myth of the Entrepreneur series and platforms like Jean Case’s TED talk, we are building the proof points that innovative, successful businesses are built all across the nation, by entrepreneurs from all backgrounds.