Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Seven Podcasts for Entrepreneurs to Explore

Posted on by Case Foundation

Everyone loves a good story of innovation, and entrepreneurs tend to have especially fascinating ones. In her best-selling book, Be Fearless, Jean Case uplifts the stories of entrepreneurs and changemakers who used innovation to change the world. She examines the core qualities of great innovators, past and present, and identifies five surprising traits they all have in common. It isn’t wealth, privilege or even genius. In fact, it is that every leader who broke through and brought forward transformational changes made a “Big Bet,” took bold risks, learned from their failures, reached beyond their bubbles and let urgency conquer fear. 

However, sometimes hearing—not just reading—stories can be uniquely powerful. So, we asked the Case Foundation team to share some of their favorite stories of entrepreneurship, as told by podcasts. While there are many great stories out there, we compiled a list of episodes that stand out. 

We hope these podcasts inspire you on your entrepreneurial journey. And if you’re interested in more content on inclusive entrepreneurship, we regularly share stories of female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color in our weekly newsletter, Breaking Good. Sign up here!

 

1. GirlBoss Radio, Building a Business Around Sustainability with Sarah Paiji Yoo of Blueland

GirlBoss Radio dives into what it takes to be a successful female founder through conversations with innovative women in business. Whether you are looking for advice on advancing your career, tips for scaling a business, or just a laugh, this podcast has you covered. Hosted by Sophia Amoruso, CEO and founder of Girlboss and Neha Gandhi, editor-in-chief and COO of Girlboss.

In this episode, host Amoruso interviews co-founder and CEO of Blueland, Sarah Paiji Yoo. Blueland is aiming to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in the cleaning product industry by building concentrated cleaning solution tablets that are water activated. Listen to this episode to learn more about the growing market for environmentally sustainable businesses and how entrepreneurs are tackling global problems while making a profit.

 

2. Being Boss, First Year of Business at Almanac Supply Co

In this podcast, hosts Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon examine what it takes to make money doing what you love. The podcast is geared towards full-time founders, those thinking about their first fearless step and anyone looking to learn from entrepreneurs who have turned their passions into a profiting business. 

In this episode, host Emily reflects on the one year anniversary of launching her product-based business. She highlights how she dealt with the challenges along the way, made failures from her past business ventures matter, and developed the skills necessary to be CEO. Emily’s firsthand knowledge and Kathleen’s advice offer a useful case study for those wondering about getting a business off the ground.

 

3. How I Built This, Live Episode! Walker & Company: Tristan Walker

In this podcast from NPR, host Guy Raz profiles entrepreneurs, changemakers, and innovators whose companies are making significant impacts on the world. The episodes examine the evolution of well-known brands and how successful founders turn ideas into movements.

Guy Raz interviews Tristan Walker, an entrepreneur and CEO of Walker & Co., a company that was recently acquired by Procter & Gamble (P&G), in this special live episode. Walker explains how his frustration with the way razors irritate those with curly hair turned into his first business, a subscription shaving system and personal care product line. His company attracted millions of customers and eventually was sold to P&G. Listen to this episode for an inside look at what it takes to build momentum around your business idea. *Bonus: Check out another episode of How I Built This with Case Foundation Chairman Steve Case!

 

4. How Success Happens, Tech Pioneer Jean Case on How to Change the World With Your Big Idea

How Success Happens features host Robert Tuchman as he converses with successful entrepreneurs in an effort to learn from their stories. Episodes focus on both successes and failures that the entrepreneurs have faced, and how challenges they encounter along the road can ultimately transform into steps towards progress and profit. 

In this episode, Jean Case discusses her bestselling book, Be Fearless, dives into the five universal qualities of great innovators, shares tips for startups pitching to investors, as well as how to turn an idea into a life-changing endeavor. This podcast is perfect for anyone looking for a roadmap for their next breakthrough in business.

 

5. RISE Podcast, Serving Your Community With Your Business with Charis Jones

Hosted by New York Times best-selling author Rachel Hollis, the RISE podcast aims to offer actionable items to listeners for both business and life outside of work. Through conversations with innovative entrepreneurs and personal development experts, RISE will arm you with real-world takeaways that you can implement directly in your own life. 

In this episode, Rachel interviews entrepreneur Charis Jones, founder and CEO of Sassy Jones Boutique. Jones discusses how staying connected to a loyal fan base has been crucial for the success of her business, allowing her to scale the boutique into a seven-figure enterprise. If you are looking to start or expand your business, listen to this episode for useful marketing tips that will help you connect to customers.

 

6. Side Hustle Pro, How To Get Your Niche Brand Into Major Retailers with Aycee Brown

Hosted by Nicaila Matthews Okome, Side Hustle Pro features stories of Black female entrepreneurs who have turned their side hustles into full-blown, successful businesses. Every week, Black female entrepreneurs such as Lisa Price of Carol’s Daughter and Myleik Teele of CurlBox highlight their startup stories and offer advice for burgeoning side hustlers. 

In this episode, Nicaila interviews Aycee Brown, Goodnight Darling Co.’s Chief Sleep Officer. Under Brown’s direction, the niche sleep company has created partnerships with luxury boutiques and companies like West Elm to expand their in-store presence and increase the visibility of their brand. Listen to this episode to learn how Brown scaled her business into a trusted authority in the self-care field and for tips on getting your product onto the shelves of major retailers.

 

7. The Failure Factor, Bluemercury Co-founder and CEO Marla Beck On Failing Her Way To Success

How do successful entrepreneurs respond to failure? The Failure Factor: Stories of Career Perseverance examines how the low points of careers can motivate entrepreneurs to reach highs that they had never dreamed of. Host Megan Bruneau sits down with founders to identify how they were able to leverage their experiences of both success and failure to overcome obstacles and ultimately reach their full potential. 

In this episode, Bluemercury co-founder and CEO Marla Beck talks about the severe downturn the company faced early on and how she was able to turn the company around. Spoiler alert: Bluemercury ultimately secured a $210 million acquisition by Macy’s. Beck explains failure in two distinct ways: how she deals with failure herself and how she responds to failure as a manager overseeing staff. This is a great listen for any entrepreneur looking to make failure matter.

 

See the #FacesofFounders Open Source Platform In Action

Posted on by Case Foundation

As part of the Case Foundation’s commitment to Open Source, we continue to share the code that powers the technology side of our efforts. Last year, we shared the code for our #FacesofFounders website so that others would benefit from the investment we had made into cutting edge technology. Today, we’re excited to share a new video demonstrating the capability this open source platform provides for those who use and build upon it.

Launched in 2016, #FacesofFounders was a campaign to attract entrepreneurs, particularly female founders and entrepreneurs of color, to share their photos and stories of entrepreneurship on FacesofFounders.org. After a review by a panel of 40 judges, who completed their work using this open source platform, FastCompany featured the winners of the campaign. The site has since evolved into a Medium publication that continues the work of showcasing diverse entrepreneurs driving innovation and job growth.

Open source, a medium for freely sharing and collaborating on technology, is yet another way that organizations can give back in the form of their technology. We believe it is particularly important in the philanthropic field as it is an opportunity for social innovators to accelerate their own missions by tapping into the work of the collective community. One gift of open source code can have unlimited beneficiaries, and we believe it to be a key component of the ongoing democratization of technology.

Features

This open source platform contains several features from the #FacesofFounders campaign:

Social Media Profile Photo Filter

The photo upload feature allows visitors to upload a photo (or select a Facebook or Twitter profile photo) and place a campaign-themed filter on top of it. The filtered photo can then be turned into profile images on social media sites, and added to a shared photo wall on a homepage, which will continually display all new and past filtered photos. Administrators have the ability to remove inappropriate photos from the homepage.

Story Submission

In addition to—or instead of–uploading a photo, visitors can submit stories to the judging platform. This submission tool contains customizable forms and can be placed in a “closed” state once judging begins. All submissions entered through the form then go into a queue for a site administrator to assign to judges. Because the platform is built into WordPress, it is also possible to directly upload submissions via WordPress’s dashboard.

Story Review and Judging

The third and final component of this codebase is the judging platform. As visitors submit stories, they queue in the judging section on the backend. Once all submissions are final, assigned judges can log into the platform and request submissions to review. The judges score each submission on a numeric scale, and the platform uses those scores to begin ranking each submission. Site administrators can then log in and view the stories ranked by their aggregate scores to determine winners. The entire codebase comes packaged as a WordPress theme for easy deployment and visual customization using WordPress’s robust theme system.

How You Can Use This

While the Case Foundation used this to support the FacesofFounders campaign, we expect that it can be used in a wide variety of efforts and we can’t wait for you to take advantage of this great project! To help, we’ve created a detailed technical guide that you and your team can use to understand how to best utilize the open source code. To access that guide and more resources, visit the project’s GitHub page.

To show our commitment to the open source community and the importance we place on expanding involvement in open source from the philanthropic sector, we’ve published many of our projects online. To see more of our work, visit the Case Foundation’s GitHub page.

We look forward to seeing what you do with these tools and hope many others will join in this effort and share their open source projects.

41 Reporters Covering Women in Entrepreneurship You Should Follow on Twitter

Posted on by Case Foundation

At the Case Foundation, we work hard to level the playing field for all entrepreneurs—particularly women and people of color. While the gaps in funding are stark and the movement has a long way to go, we have seen some positive signs. For example, 2018 featured gains in venture capital funding for women-led startups and digitalundivided’s Project Diane reported the doubling of black female lead startups in America.  Already in 2019, we’ve seen an uptick in the headlines focusing on the challenges and opportunities women face in business and an increased focus on the importance of supporting entrepreneurs from all backgrounds and places. Most recently, we’ve seen the launch of CNote’s Wisdom Fund, focused on delivering capital access and lending to low- to moderate-income female business owners.

The coverage female entrepreneurs receive is integral to expanding their impact and getting notice. Therefore, as we wrap up Women’s History Month, we thought it fitting to highlight some of the journalists who are changing the way we view entrepreneurship and who are bringing these fearless women’s stories to light.

These journalists are sharing the stories of women entrepreneurs and paving the way for the future, and we think they are worth a follow on Twitter for that alone:

  • Kristen Bellstrom – @kayelbee – Fortune – @FortuneMagazine deputy digital editor, mistress of The Broadsheet, and purveyor/consumer of baked goods.
  • Ellen McGirt – @ellmcgirt – Fortune – I cover race and culture @fortunemagazine.
  • Diana Ransom – @dianaransom – Inc. – Features editor at Inc.com
  • Jenna Wortham – @jennydeluxe – New York Times – Black Bill Gates in the making. Staff writer @NYTMag & co-host of Still Processing
  • Emily Chang – @emilychangtv – Bloomberg – Mom. Wife. Host of Bloomberg Technology & Studio 1.0. Author of new book Brotopia on women in tech.
  • Nina Zipkin – @NinaZipkin – Entrepreneur – Staff Writer at @Entrepreneur. Covering leadership, culture, business & tech.
  • Funto Omojola – @funtomojola – Moneyish – reporter @dowjones’ @moneyish
  • Amy Guttman – @AmyGuttman1 – Forbes – Journalist & speaker/moderator. Forbes, BBC, PBS Newshour & others. Current affairs, entrepreneurs & ecosystems
  • Claire Zillman – @clairezillman – Fortune – Editing (news), reporting (workplace, women in biz) and newsletter writing (The Broadsheet) @fortunemagazine. London, by way of NYC, @NewhouseSU and Chicago.
  • Lydia Belanger – @LydiaBelanger – Fortune – Production Editor @FortuneMagazine. Previously @WIRED and @Entrepreneur. Searching for through lines.
  • Anna Meyer – @annavmeyer – Fast Company – Editorial Assistant at @FastCompany // @KUJournalism alum.
  • Maria Aspan – @mariaaspan – Inc. – Finance, tech, gender, pop culture. Editor at large @Inc. Author of Lady Business newsletter.
  • Guadalupe Gonzalez – @mariainnyc – Inc. – Staff reporter @Inc covering Amazon, immigration, trade, Europe and NY startups.
  • Zoe Henry – @ZoeLaHenry – Inc. – Journalist and PhD candidate studying 20th C women writers. Words in @Inc, @Slate, @HuffPost, etc. Proud cat mama and Brown alumna.
  • Yasmin Gagne – @YasminGagne – Fast Company – Currently @FastCompany (formerly @inc @VanityFair @SKDKnick @qz@nytimes and @columbiaspec). Fast talker, slow dancer.
  • Eilene Zimmerman – @eilenez – New York Times – Mother, journalist and social work grad student. Living the questions. Looking for answers. Writing a book.
  • Connie Loizos – @Cookie – TechCrunch – silicon valley editor @techcrunch, founder @strictlyvc, sometimes cohost of the “equity” podcast, panini press enthusiast always.
  • Megan Rose Dickey – @meganrosedickey – TechCrunch – Senior reporter @TechCrunch Co-host of TC Mixtape
  • Selena Hill – @MsSelenaHill – Black Enterprise – Digital Editor at @BlackEnterprise | Journalist | Founder of @BeHeard_Radio| Contributing TV Reporter for @WhatsEatingHarl
  • Kate Clark – @KateClarkTweets – TechCrunch – Writing about startups & VC for @TechCrunch | Co-host of Equity | Author of a weekly newsletter on startups
  • Julia Horowitz – @juliakhorowitz – CNN Money – @CNNBusiness reporter covering banking and China-US business issues.
  • Lisa Lockwood – @LisaLockwood1 – WWD – I am the News Director of WWD and report on fashion, designers and the sportswear business.
  • Ruchika Tulshyan – @rtulshyan – Forbes and Harvard Business Journal – Equitable workplaces @ https://CandourGlobal.com · @seattleu in-Residence · @Seawomenscomm · @thinkers50 Radar 2019 · @harvardbiz @Forbes @seattletimes · Hungry
  • Breanna Edwards – @Edwards_Bre – Essence – Editor for News, Politics and Issues @Essence. @TheRoot and @AU_SOCalum. RYT. Animation nerd. Voracious reader. Soca does gi’ me meh powers.
  • Susan Price – @SPCharis – Forbes – I write about women making a difference.
  • Jillian Kramer – @jilliankramer – Glamour – Award-winning journalist. Read my work in @foodandwine, @TravelLeisure, @SELFmagazine, @EatingWell, etc.
  • Susan Adams – @susanadamsnyc – Forbes – Old media hand swimming with the new tides
  • Lisa Rabasca Roepe – @lisarab – Fast Company – Former newspaper reporter turned freelance writer #Binder #ASJA @ForbesContributor @FastCompany@TheCoveyClub @Ozy @TheAVClub@TheWeek @ReadOctober
  • Kimberly Weisul – @weisul – Inc. – Professional explainer. Editor-at-Large, @inc. Optimist, amateur naturalist, darn good cook. Addicted to fresh air and natural light
  • Yuliya Chernova – @ychernova – Wall Street Journal – Reporter @WSJ & @WSJVC. Startups, VC, tech beat. Living it up in Brooklyn, the immigrant parts.
  • Beth Kowitt – @bethkowitt – Fortune – Senior Editor at @FortuneMagazine
  • Julia Boorstin – @JBoorstin – CNBC – Media Reporter. Journalist
  • Leah Fessler – @LeahFessler – Quartz – reporter @qz covering gender, work, relationships | side-eye enthusiast | formerly @ bridgewater | lfessler@qz.com | how we’ll win creator
  • Kayden Field – @haydenfield – Entrepreneur – Journalist covering tech, business & investigative features @Entrepreneur. Also into high-fives, hiking and HP.
  • Sequoia Blodgett – @SequoiaB – Black Enterprise – At the intersection of #Entrepreneurship, #Tech and #Media | Founder of @commastheseries | Producer, Editor, Host @BlackEnterprise | Contributor, Fortune
  • Veronica Dagher – @VeronicaDagher – Wall Street Journal – Author: @WSJ’s Resilience: How 20 Ambitious Women Used Obstacles To Fuel Their Success; Secrets of Wealthy Women #podcast host; personal fi reporter; guest
  • Emma Hinchliffe – @_emmahinchliffe – Fortune Magazine – Associate editor, @FortuneMagazine, @FortuneMPW. Before: @mashable, @HoustonChron, @georgetown
  • Stephanie Mehta – @stephaniemehta – Fast Company – Editor-in-chief at Fast Company
  • Colleen L. McKeegan – @cmleahey – Marie Claire – Senior Editor, @MarieClaire. Previously @BloombergLIVE @FortuneMPW@FortuneMagazine. #HoyaSaxa

Interested in more stories of female founders? Take a look at the Case Foundation’s #FacesofFounders campaign, which seeks to change the narrative of who is and can be an entrepreneur. By showcasing women-led businesses, as the journalists in this list have, we can inspire others to follow in their footsteps and create startups of their own, as well as breakdown the stereotypes that hold under-represented entrepreneurs back.

SXSW 2019: The Must Attend Sessions and Events

Posted on by Case Foundation

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, it’s SXSW season. The annual pilgrimage to Austin starts soon with more than 430,000 people from across the globe coming for content, concerts, community and good food. This year, SXSW Conference programming is organized into 25 tracks divided among Interactive, Film, Music and Convergence, presented in a variety of session formats.

This year’s keynote speakers are not to be missed and include Michael Pollan and Tim Ferriss,  Emmy Award-winning journalist Maria Shriver, storyteller Brené Brown, investor Arlan Hamilton, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, philanthropist Priscilla Chan, politico Alexandria Ocasio Cortez with Briahna Gray, Vox Media’s Jim Bankoff and Soledad O’Brien, Kara Swisher of Recode, WIRED Editor in Chief Nicholas Thompson, actress and producer Olivia Wilde, Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger in a conversation with Kevin Systrom and Josh Constine, musician and creative A$AP Rocky and many more.

Each year, SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people expand their knowledge and foster the opportunity to meet fellow innovators on a mission to change the world. It is THE essential destination for social impact leaders, startup founders, investors, philanthropists and innovators. The Case Foundation team is excited to announce that we will join thousands of movers and shakers to take the stage for four sessions this year:

Our CEO Jean Case will take the stage for a Be Fearless book talk and signing, moderated by journalist Soledad O’Brien. Hear her share a mix of storytelling and strategy, practical tips and inspiration to teach you how to put these five principles to work so to spark the sorts of remarkable breakthroughs that can change the world. Copies if the book will be available at the SXSW bookstore. Pick up your copy of Be Fearless and bring it with you!

Join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and our CEO, Jean Case, for a discussion on all things Be Fearless. Jean Case will bring to life the principles at the center of Be Fearless, which aims to break the myths surrounding the road to success and changing the world. Following Jean’s talk, we’ll hear from an impressive group of women about their fearless endeavors along their professional and personal journeys.

Jade Floyd (that’s me!) will moderate a session on How to Tell Your Startup Story featuring Veronica Dagher of the Wall Street Journal, Jean Ellen Cowgill from Bloomberg’s TicToc and Catherine Clifford from CNBC. Attendees will learn their tips for founders seeking to break their next big story, what makes an effective and compelling pitch, how to build relationships with reporters and how to make your company stand out. At the session’s conclusion, we will invite attendees to share their pitches with the journalists for feedback in real time (one-minute pitch each).

My colleague Jessica Zetzman will moderate a conversation exploring programs supporting Latinx entrepreneurs, what tips they have for recruiting investment and how together we can foster more inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystems. Speakers include Dyan Gibbens of Trumbull Unmanned, Marcos Gonzalez from Vamos Ventures and C’Pher Gresham from Seed Spot.

In addition to sessions, attendees can experience an endless number of houses and activations like the #WeDC House (led by the D.C. Economic Partnership), the Jane Club House, the Bumble House, the Google Lab, Capital Factory’s VIP Lounge, the Global Innovation Zone hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Girls Lounge (The Female Quotient), Startup of the Year House, Fast Company Grill and Create & Cultivate. Also, Generation Titans, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Google, Envolve Entrepreneurship, and the Soze Agency will launch the inaugural Titan Generator at Google Austin offices.

And per usual, when in Austin, one must eat–and eat well. In addition to the hundreds of SXSW sessions and parties, you’ll find top-notch Texas restaurants and food trucks to keep you busy. Our team of former Texans here at the Case Foundation recommends a new set of restaurants to check out this year: Darcy’s Donkey, Carpenters Hall, Dean’s One Trick Pony, Domo Alley-Gato and old timers like Holy Roller, Franklin Barbecue, Kerlin BBQ, El Naranjo, Tamale House East, Launderette, La Barbeque, Le Politque, Emmer & Rye, Tiger Fork and Hula Hut. For those looking for a memorable sunset and a scenic drive, try the Oasis on Lake Travis.

But when it does come to sessions, we at the Case Foundation have done our homework so you don’t have to. We researched every single session at SXSW this year and have detailed over 30 that should be on your radar:

March 8th

Join speakers Jennifer Abramson of Rethink Impact, Shelly Bell of Black Girl Ventures, Vanessa Dawson of The Vinetta Project and Brian Kenner from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for a conversation on why Washington, D.C. is the capital of inclusive innovation.

Start your SXSW right by joining this exclusive session filled with highlights from the all new ninth edition of the WSJ bestselling book Non-Obvious, where non-boring trend curator Rohit Bhargava will offer an inside look at some of the latest trends from his popular annual report.

Join industry experts from Barney’s, Etsy, Demestik and Poshmark for an inside look at how online marketplaces have allowed entrepreneurs to find success on their own terms, regardless of gender, age or education.

Explore how we can tackle the funding gap and ensure that future minority and women entrepreneurs don’t face the same funding challenges.

This presentation by a veteran change agent who brought meaningful change to CIA will give you the practical skills to not just overcome organizational obstacles, but to prosper and succeed as a change agent.

Code 2040 and Capital One team up for a conversation with organizational leaders and change agents about empowering diversity champions across the tech industry and increasing representation of Black and Latinx technologists.

Building on the success of her instant No. 1 NY Times-bestselling book, I’ve Been Thinking…: Reflections, Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life, Maria Shriver continues to explore the life topics, issues and ideas that we’re all thinking about.

Grab a cocktail at PitchTexas, the startup pitch competition for university graduate students, with a total of $50,000 in prize money. Immediately following the contest, UT president Gregory L. Fenves invites you to celebrate UT at SXSW with the contestants.

March 10th

This talk explores what a disrupter looks like. Hear stories from female changemakers of finance, healthcare, communications and entertainment to unpack the essential ingredients, challenges, and exhilaration of innovation and learn how gender plays into being a disruptor. Panel includes representatives from Vanguard Innovation Studio, Comcast, Jefferson Health and Chariot Solutions.

Gender bias and business has been intertwined in a problematic way. Through real life accounts of gender bias (magnified for mothers and women of color), this innovating panel paints womanhood and motherhood not as a hindrance to entrepreneurship, but as essential to creating a healthier, wealthier and more equitable world. This panel includes individuals from Happy Woman Foundation, Marigold Capital and Gell.

This session will explore how Puerto Rico’s business environment is a combination of tax incentives, public policy, support organizations, human capital and infrastructure with a modern Caribbean lifestyle. With the support of local entrepreneurship programs, an international startup accelerator, and a non-profit created to promote innovation in the island, Puerto Rico is becoming a startup city with hundreds of ideas advancing to become globally focused companies. The island’s entrepreneurial spirit has attracted international startups, investors and service providers to view Puerto Rico as an innovation hub. Marie Custodio from Parallel 18 will present.   

This meet up will connect black tech founders, entrepreneurs, investors, professionals and those interested in breaking into the tech space. This event aims to connect companies with diverse talent and start-ups with investors. Avant-Garde Network and Heartspace NYC host.

March 11

The panelists will discuss how they have moved beyond the statistics, and propose practical solutions, debating how to leverage women’s unique traits as founders, funders and customers to create a parallel investment ecosystem. Panelists include Daina Trout of Health-Ade Kombucha, Tosca Musk of Passionflix Inc, Maxine Kozler Koven of LDR Ventures and Sarah Chambliss of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLC.

ProjectDiane 2018, a report by Case Foundation grantee digitalundivided, revealed that Black women raised only .0006% of the total $424.7 billion of tech venture funding since 2009. The amount for Latinx women is even smaller. Join this panel of Black & Latinx startup founders as they have a candid conversation about the journey through entrepreneurship, from incubators, to pivots, setbacks and first rounds of funding. Panelists include digitalundivided graduates from The Labz, Vamos Ladies, Quirktastic Media and Sola Travelers.

A recent study stated that 95% of Fortune 500 CEOs are white males. By supporting youth innovation, we can change that statistic. Hear from Gen Z entrepreneurs on why a breeding ground for youth entrepreneurial involvement is critical to shifting the narrative for minorities in corporate culture. These youth will discuss innovative instruments which can be used to challenge inequalities perpetuated by institutionalized forms of bias. Panelists are students at University of Pennsylvania and have created their own companies, including ToxSafe, Threading Twine, ELEVATE Senior and SOAR (Students for Oncological Aid and Relief).  

According to Boston Consulting Group, 95% of startups wish to develop long-term corporate partnerships. Panelists will discuss how Austin-area companies are approaching innovation differently, what startup-corporate partnerships mean today and how both startups and corporations can find the right fit. Speakers are from Dell, Kilroy Blockchain, Oracle and Bunker Labs.

Session leaders will speak to the learnings, opportunities, and challenges of becoming location independent. Exploring such topics as what it’s like to run a fully distributed team, how life on the road increase productivity, efficiency and communication, as well as all the different ways remote entrepreneurship is changing the way we live and work. Panelists include speakers from Maverick Investor Group, Gallaher Edge, TJR Films & To The Nines Menswear, and Vitaly Design Ltd.

This is a networking session to introduce influencers to digital communicators, strategists, and managers who can potentially collaborate to work on social good issues, causes, and projects. This meet up with Women in Digital and Black Bloggers Connect will discuss the best practices when working on joint projects.

Austin is well known for its burgeoning technopreneur scene which got its start with Dell Technologies, built out of a UT dorm room back in the 80s. But local entrepreneurs are going a step further building businesses with a core focus on transforming lives with technology. Come hear from Austin’s own DivInc, along with Dell Technologies, Tiffs Treats and Cuvee Coffee to see how they weave a social mission into the fabric of their business.

Google is know for creating various opportunities for startups to partner and work with- beyond typical funding. Opportunities range from support/assistance on core products to custom partnerships. This session will uncover how Silicon Valley tech companies assess and review the trends driving these partnerships. Panelists include representatives from Google, Anchor and Overtime.

Dailey is one example of a company that went through an administrative shift that changed how employees looked at their deeply-rooted company culture. From the nuts-and-bolts of pay equity audits to socially conscious creative projects, join Dailey’s leadership for a panel discussion about how diverse leadership can create a space in which all kinds of people thrive.

Are you an angel investor or considering becoming one? Join representatives from Angel Capital Association (ACA) and Alliance of Texas Angel Networks (ATAN) for a conversation about the topics impacting angel investing today. If you’re newer to angel investing, angel groups are a great avenue to build your understanding and confidence as an investor. Join your peers to discuss these topics, make connections, and exchange ideas about the future of angel investing.

In this interview-style session, Ikechi Nwabuisi, an entrepreneur and son of Nigerian immigrants, will interview Jason Ford, a founder who sold his business in 2014 to Bazaarvoice. Ikechi and Jason bring an insider perspective to the crossroads of entrepreneurship and diversity, highlighting different levels of access and resources that shape their experiences.  

March 12th

As new tools and technologies enable startup ecosystems around the world, entrepreneurs in these communities are starting to plug themselves into global markets. This panel will draw from their experiences in fostering new ecosystems in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America to illuminate promising solutions to these challenges. Join this session which including Affinis Labs, Pomona Impact, Samasource and Invest2innovate.

This panel of professionals in their 30s, 40s, and 60s will take a generational approach to questions around women in the workplace as they explore the value of gender diversity, why empowering women matters, and how each generation is uniquely suited to effect change. Panelists include women from T3, Women Rising, Facebook and Spredfast.

The field of philanthropy is undergoing a transformation, as new models of giving are empowering more women and communities of color to lead through giving. Case in point: in #GivingTuesday 2017, 65% of all donations came from women. This panel will explore who these new philanthropists are, what motivates them and how they are new models for helping to democratize philanthropy. Join experts from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Facebook and the YWCA as they share new research, digital data and real-world insights.

Is AI everything? This panel will discuss the types of AI startups VCs look to fund, showing investment dollars are shifting away from unproven futuristic ideas and toward more pragmatic, foundational AI infrastructure. Panelists from Blumberg Capital, Venture Capital Journal, New Enterprise Associates Inc and Verizon Ventures will also discuss the specifics they look for when assessing an AI company in the pitch room.

March 13th

For 132 years, HearstLab has survived within the media sphere, but modern challenges are pressing old companies to evolve rapidly. This presentation will share an insider’s look at Hearst’s blueprint on how they successfully select and integrate startups into their diverse organization. HearstLab goes well beyond the typical accelerator model and puts clear emphasis on the positive impact it has on all constituents including startup founders, Hearst executive leaders and all Hearst employees, and how the Lab has helped identify rising talent, encourage collaboration and create new businesses.

This session convenes some of the country’s most forward-thinking scholars to discuss how the lack of diversity throughout the tech ecosystem will impact social equality, employment, prosperity and the future of Black communities. Panelists include individuals from the Inclusion Clearinghouse, The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Kapor Center for Social Impact and Quality Education for Minorities Network

What other sessions are on your radar? Share them with us on on social media @CaseFoundation. We hope to see you at SXSW!

 

2019 Inclusive Entrepreneurship Conferences on Our Radar

Posted on by Case Foundation

Jet across any part of the country and you’ll come across a host of conferences designed to ignite the inclusive entrepreneurship movement. At the Case Foundation, we’ve crisscrossed the nation to attend and speak at a number of these events—from SXSW to Urban Tech Connect and Fortune Most Powerful Women—to learn new ways to build the social, financial and inspirational capital needed to support diverse entrepreneurs.

As we look towards the new year, the team has assembled a list of the preeminent conferences across the globe that are designed for diverse founders, ecosystem builders and startup champions who are seeking to collaborate and build the relationships needed to drive meaningful change for inclusive entrepreneurship. We are certain that you’ll find something for every stage of your business as you work to accelerate brands.

  1. Blacktech Week, February 5-9, 2019, Miami, Florida: BlackTech Weekend connects entrepreneurs, tech professionals, educators and creatives to the resources they need to be competitive in the innovation economy. Together they explore the ins and outs of life as techies, entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders.
  2. Watermark Conference for Women, February 21, 2019, Silicon Valley: This year’s Watermark Conference will unite more than 100 speakers and 6,500 women from across the globe in search of inspiration, motivation, networking, personal and professional development, and community. Jean Case is slated to take the stage, as well as activist Gloria Steinem, champion and investor Serena Williams, educator Brené Brown, Sequoia Capital’s Jess Lee, and founder and CEO of MM.LaFleur Sarah LaFleur.
  3. Lesbians Who Tech, February 28, 2019-March 2nd, Silicon Valley: This is one of the largest LGBTQ professional events in the world, focusing on increasing the visibility of women, LGBTQ women and LGBTQ women of color in tech, demographics that are underrepresented in the tech sector.
  4. SXSW Interactive, March 8-12, 2019, Austin, Texas: While the Case Foundation is gearing up for a big SXSW announcement, you can check out a few sessions led by our team in the meantime. On March 9th, Jean Case will host a Be Fearless Book Talk. Also be sure to add to your calendar two sessions on March 12th: one moderated by yours truly featuring Veronica Dagher of the Wall Street Journal, Jean Ellen Cowgill from Bloomberg’s TicToc and Catherine Clifford of CNBC on How to Tell Your Startup Story, and a second Case Foundation led session on The Overlooked Future of US Entrepreneurs: Latinx featuring Dyan Gibbens from Trumball Unmanned, Marcos Gonzalez from Vamos Ventures and C’pher Graham from Seed Spot. Stay tuned for our annual SXSW Sessions to Watch Blog coming soon.
  5. HBCU@SXSW, March 8-11, 2019, Austin, Texas: Since 2015, HBCU@SXSW has exposed high-potential technical and non-technical students of color to programming and opportunities within inclusive entrepreneurship. Last year, more than 100 students from 41 colleges and universities attended SXSW. Check out the USAToday feature on the experience that unites students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Apply to attend HBCU@SXSW HERE.
  6. Women in the World, April 10-12, 2019, New York City: Going on its tenth year, the event convenes powerful women leaders, blazing activists and courageous movers and shakers who will move you with their provocative first-person storytelling and change your worldview. Previous speakers have included Nobel Peace Laureate & Liberian Peace Activist Leymah Gbowee, Co-Anchor of CBS This Morning Norah O’Donnell, Award-Winning Actress and Activist Viola Davis, Sally Yates and founder of TaskRabbit, Leah Busque.
  7. Black is Tech Conference, April 12-13, 2019, New York City: This conference creates a platform for Black and minority tech professionals, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts to connect. With an expected attendance of over 1,000, the Black is Tech Conference will provide a platform that creates more inclusion of people of color in startups and the technology sector. Speakers will include executives from Harlem Capital, LISNR, First Round Capital, 500 Startups, Citibank and more.
  8. Women of Silicon Valley, May 2-3, 2019, San Francisco: This conference invites you to join more than 1,500 tech leaders and professionals from the hottest startups to learn from industry pioneers. You’ll experience inspirational keynotes, panel discussions on business strategy, technical classes, and career development workshops. Speakers include executives from Slack, Salesforce, Accenture, PepsiCo, Microsoft, IBM and Coursera.
  9. Urban Tech Connect, May 16, 2019, Los Angeles: Last year, the Case Foundation’s Sarah Koch took the stage at Urban Tech Connect in an interview with Mayor Eric Garcetti. (Watch that interview HERE.) The conference is designed to support and provide networks for startup founders of color. Last year’s speakers included Keith Coleman from the Tesla Foundation, Brian Martinez from Airbnb, Derek Smith from Plug In South LA and Natalie Bruss from Fifth Wall Ventures.
  10. Summit 21, June 7-8, 2019, Atlanta, GA: Summit 21 is a carefully curated gathering that will assemble the most influential black women of this generation from across the country to learn and grow together. This 2-day experience is designed to give women entrepreneurs, creators, and influencers the opportunity to hone their visions and gain valuable insights to achieving their goals. Through engaging masterclasses and fireside chats, Summit 21 provides hands-on experience with the brightest and most inspiring leaders across sectors. Speakers included actress, producer and screenwriter Lena Waithe, Myleik Teele of CurlBox, Lilly Workneh of Blavity, and investor Monique Woodard.
  11. Forbes Women’s Summit, June 17-18, 2019, New York, NY: This conference celebrates the women who are making a change while inspiring,  connecting and empowering women around the world. Featuring keynote conversations, panel discussions, one-on-one interviews and interstitial spotlights, the Summit brings together the voices and insights of a diverse range of female luminaries from the worlds of business, entertainment and politics. Speakers include leaders from Nest, Audi, Pipeline Angels, SAP and more.
  12. Code2040 Summit, July 27-28, 2019, San Francisco, CA: Attendees will experience two days of deep, enlightening programming that will equip you to play an active role in the inclusive entrepreneurship movement. Whether you are a startup founder, a college student breaking into computer science or the head of diversity and inclusion at a major tech company, Code 2040 wants to empower you.
  13. Essence Festival, July 4-7, 2019, New Orleans, Louisiana: Connect with some of the most successful power players in the country for interactive exchanges designed to help you take your career or business to the next level. Essence offers attendees front row seats as CEOs, business owners and flourishing entrepreneurs from across multiple industries share inspiring stories and tips for how you can follow in their footsteps.
  14. BlogHer Summit, 2019 Date TBD, Location TBD: Each year, more than 2,000 social media influencers, bloggers, entrepreneurs, activists and all-around amazing women head to the BlogHer summit. Past speakers have included Uzo Aduba, Gwyneth Paltrow, Arianna Huffington, Chelsea Clinton, Sheryl Sandberg, Serena Williams, Carla Hall, Soledad O’Brien, Ava DuVernay, Kerry Washington and President Barack Obama, so you’re guaranteed an amazing 2019 lineup!
  15. National Urban League, July 24-27, 2019  Indianapolis, Indiana: The National Urban League Conference is the largest annual civil rights conference that kicks off with the State of the Urban League by NUL president Marc Morial. It attracts thousands of the nation’s most influential community leaders, policymakers, startup and small business leaders, and media for four days of dialogue, networking and entertainment. The gathering also features the Small Business Matters Entrepreneurship One-Day Summit and Young Professionals L.E.A.D. (Leaders. Entrepreneurs. Advocates. Dreamers.) Summit.
  16. Female Founders Conference, multiple dates, multiple locations: Last year, three events took place throughout the country featuring combinator partners, alumni, and other female entrepreneurs and investors. Speakers included Christina Cacioppo of Vanta, Jess Lee from Sequoia Capital, Holly Liu of Kabay and Ashley Wong of Gemnote.
  17. Rural Rise Summit, September 16-19, Pine Bluff, AR: The second annual Rural Rise Summit will bring together community leaders and rural ecosystem builders. Over three days, they will work to answer the question, “How do we empower the leaders, doers and innovators in rural communities?” Rural Rise also hosts monthly action session calls to learn more about the successes and learnings from communities across the country.
  18. National Black MBA Association, September 24-28, 2019, Houston, TX: The 40th Annual convening unites their members, corporate and university partners and some of the world’s most sought after thought leaders. More than 10,000 professionals attend each year for sessions on “Big Data: Algorithms vs. Human Analysis”, “The First 90 Days: Making Your Mark as An Executive”, and “Motivating and Retaining Generation Z”. Also check out events like the Scale-Up Pitch Challenge sponsored by FedEx, “Meet the Experts” expo stage featuring representatives from Microsoft, Nationwide, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.  
  19. Black Wall Street Homecoming, September 2019, Location TBD: This is an annual networking conference for early-stage entrepreneurs, focused on the intersection of content, connections and culture. Celebrate and learn from diverse, multicultural entrepreneurs, their investors and the community that supports them. Speakers have included executives like Arlan Hamilton from Backstage Capital, JaNay Queen Nazaire of Living Cities, McKeever Conwell of TEDCO and Torrence Reed from HBCU Wall Street.
  20. Project NorthStar Conference, October 2019, Location TBD: This three-day tech conference provides connections, education and opportunities for current or aspiring entrepreneurs of color. If you are currently building a tech startup or aspiring to build one, this is for you. Organized by Black & Brown Founders (BBF), in partnership with the City of Philadelphia the conference works to establish a framework that helps people with modest resources create a path to economic security.
  21. Grace Hopper Celebration, October 2-4, 2019, Orlando, FL: This is the largest gathering of women technologists in the world. It seeks to inspire and educate women in tech and connect them with companies that view technological innovation as imperative. Last year’s speakers included Sherrell Dorsey of ThePLUG, Shelly Bell of Black Girl Ventures, Stephen Green of WeWork, Brigitte Daniel of Wilco Electronic Systems, Aniyia Williams of Black & Brown Founders and Karla Monterroso of Code2040.
  22. A3C Festival & Conference, October 2019, Location TBD: At this conference, thousands of artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and industry veterans from around the world will hear from more than 200 speakers who focus on topics ranging from civil rights, brand activism, mental health, building a movement, entrepreneurship, health and wellness.
  23. Black Enterprises TechConneXt, October 2019, Location TBD: This is not just another tech conference, it’s an opportunity to engage, empower, and recruit tech talent of color. More than 500 tech professionals gather to hear from speakers like Morgan DeBaun of Blavity, Melinda Briana Epler from Backstage Capital, Nancy Douyon from Uber and Damien Hooper-Campbell of eBay.
  24. Fortune Most Powerful Women, October 21-23, 2019, Washington, D.C.: Fortune Most Powerful Women has evolved into a convening of the best women in business, along with select leaders in government, philanthropy, education and the arts. Speakers and attendees come from companies like Ariel Investments, The Home Depot, The World Bank, Bumble, OpenTable, the New York Stock Exchange, Microsoft, Airbnb and Instagram.
  25. Blavity Afrotech, November 7-10, 2019, Oakland, California: You’ll join more than 3,000 engineers, designers, and business leaders for groundbreaking content that includes a 360-degree look at how culture and tech run the world.
  26. MogulCon, November 2019, Location TBD: MogulCon unites industry influencers, startup founders and female business owners to share their knowledge on how to create more powerful female entrepreneurs. MogulCon 2019 is about providing attendees with the resources that will help them build a sustainable strategy and accelerate the growth of themselves and their business. From master classes to fireside chats, every experience at MogulCon is focused on molding attendees to think, act, and be a MOGUL.
  27. Fortune Most Powerful Women Next Gen, Fall/Winter 2019, Location TBD: The annual Next Gen summit will gather a stellar group of game-changing executives, entrepreneurs and innovators in business, along with leaders in government, philanthropy, education and the arts for a wide-ranging conversation. You’ll join speakers and attendees like Glossier founder and CEO Emily Weiss, Nextdoor Co-founder Sarah Leary, Andreessen Horowitz General Partner Connie Chan, Stitch Fix CMO Deirdre Findlay, FabFitFun Co-founder Katie Rosen Kitchens, Maven Founder and CEO Katherine Ryder, plus standouts from Fortune’s Brainstorm TECH network and 40 Under 40 list and executives at leading global companies such as Airbnb, eBay, Facebook, IBM, Lyft, Mastercard, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, NBCUniversal, Salesforce, Twitter and Visa.
  28. Tech Inclusion, Multiple dates in 2019, Multiple Locations: Created by Change Catalyst, Tech Inclusion events bring the local tech industry together to find solutions for diversity and inclusion. You’ll join executives, hiring managers, human resources personnel, data scientists, engineers, educators, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and diversity and inclusion advocates at three events across the year in locations like Melbourne, New York and San Francisco. Learn new solutions for diversity and inclusion, meet underrepresented entrepreneurs and investors, speak with policymakers and educators, interact with inclusive and accessible design, and collaborate and network with other people who care about creating positive change in tech.
  29. Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit, Date TBD, Location TBD: Gain access to the connections, financing, resources and strategic insight you need to launch and grow your dream business. This is the must-attend event for aspiring business owners, startup founders, and established entrepreneurs looking for new money-making and growth opportunities for their ventures.
  30. LULAC’s Latinx Tech Summit, Date TBD, Location TBD: Presented by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in partnership with Capital Factory and Prospanica Texas, the annual Latinx Tech Summit is designed for Latino tech leaders, designers, innovators, corporate and government leaders, and scholars. The one-day program features engaging peer-to-peer discussions, culturally relevant professional development, and exceptional opportunities to interact with Latinx public officials, artists, scientists, authors, business executives, scholars, entrepreneurs and Latino tech leaders from every major industry.

Have a conference we missed that you would like added to the list? Tweet us or share on Instagram @CaseFoundation.

 

Five Be Fearless Principles for Entrepreneurs

Posted on by Case Foundation

Six years ago, when we started studying the “secret sauce” of those who have created transformational, breakthrough advances in society, we found five surprising common traits. They weren’t wealth, privilege or even genius. It was that they–no matter their time in history, their gender or where they were born–chose to make a “big bet,” take bold risks, learn from their failures, reach beyond their bubbles and let urgency conquer fear. The results became what is now known as the Five Be Fearless Principles and these are the focus of the book Be Fearless: 5 Principles for Breakthroughs and Purpose that will be coming out in January.

I love getting to share the Be Fearless principles with different audiences across the globe comprised of those who are striving to create change or have a big bet they’ve dreamed about but haven’t yet taken the first step. People are often surprised when I share these findings and are excited by the tangible and attainable nature of them—they’re applicable to everyone, no matter their skills, talents or background. While the principles create the framework for the book, they are brought to life around a wide variety of stories of innovators, entrepreneurs and changemakers who come from all walks of life who made big bets, learned from failures along the way and took bold risks to make transformational changes.

At the Case Foundation, we recognize that entrepreneurs are often innovative creators, risk takers and problem solvers working to transform industries, products and the world we live in. And yet, entrepreneurs routinely tell us they have found the principles helpful in their own fearless journey, and have been inspired by the stories of others who have overcome fear, moved past failure and turned a really big bet into a breakthrough. Commenting on the role of these principles for entrepreneurs, Tory Burch said: “Starting a business is not easy, but Be Fearless gives entrepreneurs the tools they need to embark—fearlessly—on their own journey.”

And it is clear that we need fearless entrepreneurs now more than ever. So, whether you are just getting started or are farther along on your entrepreneurial journey, I hope you will apply these principles and set your sights high by checking your approaches against the Be Fearless framework:

Make Big Bets and Make History. By nature, almost all entrepreneurs are making bets at some point—including starting a business from scratch or hitting a new ambitious milestone. But to truly breakthrough to something bigger, it requires setting audacious goals. Making big bets and fearlessly going after them is the only way to reshape our world for the better.

Be Bold, Take Risks. Don’t be afraid to experiment or to go first! An entrepreneur who is working hard to build a business can sometimes lose sight of the need for constant risk taking to advance a business to the next level. Whether starting or trying to grow a new business, entrepreneurs would do well to approach risk taking as R&D, applying a proven approach that recognizes the importance of trial and error in bold pursuit of a transformative idea.

Make Failure Matter by using errors or failures along the way to teach you something new by embracing the perspective of Thomas Edison, who famously said, “I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 things that won’t work.” Making failure matter means staring down both the failure and the fears that accompany it, and applying the lessons as you move forward.

Reach Beyond Your Bubble by identifying the skills and perspectives that aren’t represented on your team or among those contributing valuable advice to you as you take forward your big bet. A study by the Boston Consulting Group released earlier this year found that companies with more diverse management teams had revenue streams that were 19% higher than those lacking. Why? Different views can eliminate blind spots and help lead to more and better innovation.

Let Urgency Conquer Fear by using it as a powerful motivator to seize the moment.

No matter where you are on your own fearless entrepreneurial journey, these principles can be applied to help you breakthrough.

And, by the way, if you need a little help along the way, #FacesofFounders is a great place to start. Our Resources for Entrepreneurs page highlights resources and tools that can be used to help you in mentorship, research, business plans, forming your company, funding and finding networks or events. Entrepreneurs don’t have to go it alone.

The Case Foundation believes that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. You’ll find countless examples of this in my upcoming book, Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose. Really big problems require really big solutions, and fearless entrepreneurs can help us pave the way to these big ideas and new approaches. As celebrated entrepreneur and founder of Nike, Phil Knight advises: “Dream audaciously. Have the courage to fail forward. Act with urgency.”

Put simply, it’s time to Be Fearless.

#FacesofFounders is Changing the Face of Entrepreneurship One Story at a Time

Posted on by Case Foundation

At the Case Foundation, we’ve set out on a mission to create an inclusive entrepreneurial space in which any entrepreneur, regardless of their gender, race or geographic location, has the opportunity to succeed and thrive. Too often we hear the same outdated myths and stereotypes of who can be an entrepreneur. Over time, these narratives have been reinforced and have left women and entrepreneurs of color on the sidelines. #FacesofFounders seeks to provide a wealth of inspiration capital by recognizing America’s diversity of talent and experiences that doesn’t always get equal coverage in the entrepreneurship space. By telling their stories of triumph and recognizing the changes they have inspired within their respective industries, we hope to change the way we view entrepreneurship and the importance of supporting diverse entrepreneurs.

Originally launched in 2016, the Case Foundation created this campaign to be the centerpiece of the Foundation’s inclusive entrepreneurship movement by highlighting a diverse array of entrepreneurs, focusing on women, entrepreneurs of color and entrepreneurs between the coasts. Nearly 750 founders took the time to submit stories of their own entrepreneurship journeys. Five of those stories were featured in Fast Company and we launched the Medium publication to continue telling the stories of incredible founders building businesses right now. Last month, we launched a new video featuring entrepreneurs from across the country and expanded the content on FacesofFounders.org so we can keep the drumbeat going and dig even deeper into the rich stories and lessons these powerful entrepreneurs can offer us.

What’s New?

  • Resources for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs, you don’t have to build your business alone. We compiled a list of useful guides and tools on numerous topics to help you succeed.
  • Resources for ecosystem builders. The Kauffman Foundation gathered resources to help the ecosystem builders who are on the ground working to build a better future and to grow a more inclusive economy.
  • Resources for investors. InclusionVentures shared their key learnings from research and their experience supporting investment firms on building an inclusion strategy, in an effort to inspire and support investors’ interests in making inclusive entrepreneurship the norm.
  • Data on the state of inclusive entrepreneurship. We dove into three types of data that show major disparities: the number of entrepreneurs and businesses; investments in entrepreneurship, mainly in the form of venture capital; and revenue these businesses are producing. We will update consistently as new data becomes available.
  • Videos. In addition to the written stories we’ve been publishing on #FacesofFounders for the past year and a half, we have now added a suite of videos that allow you to hear directly from entrepreneurs how they’re getting to work, what barriers they’ve encountered and what successes they’ve had.

As we work to make the entrepreneurial space more inclusive, we recognize that this campaign goes beyond just the entrepreneur herself, and as Jean Case says, is an economic imperative for our nation. Entrepreneurs from all places and backgrounds can have the ability to lift up their communities, bring job growth and new innovations to our economy. Get ready to take the journey with us as we explore inclusivity and redefine the face of entrepreneurship.

Empowering Female Founders and Entrepreneurs of Color in Los Angeles and Beyond

Posted on by Case Foundation

This Spring, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti sat down with our Case Foundation VP for Social Innovation, Sarah Koch, at Urban Tech Connect, a conference designed to support and provide networks for startup founders of color.  Together they explored how the Los Angeles tech ecosystem has grown over the past several years—from a record numbers of startups calling LA their home to an influx of funding rounds and the many high-profile acquisitions and exits—and how important the building of ecosystems to support founders from all backgrounds has proven to be across the country.

In 2017 alone, startups throughout the the city of Los Angeles raised $7 billion in capital, through an upsurge in new investments and new firms. And more than $1.4 billion was raised in 2017 across 16 funds. During the conversation Mayor Garcetti shared how his office has sought to expand their startup ecosystem through programs like the Grid110’s and the creation of the TechFair LA which featured more than 200 leading regional startups.

Watch the video as Mayor Garcetti and Sarah share more on how we can be intentional about how we fund, mentor and support female founders and entrepreneurs of color in thriving cities like Los Angeles and beyond.

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