VC Include Announces Cohort for the 2023 Fellowship for Impact Fund I Managers

Fellowship educates the next generation of institutional grade asset managers in Venture Capital, Private Equity & Impact Investing

SAN FRANCISCO, June 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VC Include (VCI), an organization committed to evolving the traditional investment industry by creating an inclusive ecosystem of LPs and GPs from diverse backgrounds, today announced the cohort for this year's Fellowship for Impact Fund I Managers.

The 2023 cohort has increased by 50% showcasing the importance of supporting diverse fund managers. These 18 funds represent a total of 27 emerging fund managers who have been accepted into the two-month education and mentoring program. The fellowship was designed for multicultural fund managers based in the United States who are building their first fund. The VCI Fellowship is made possible with the generous support of Visa Foundation, Skoll Foundation, Blue Haven Initiative, the MacArthur Foundation, Nasdaq Foundation, and the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

The 2023 VCI fellows include:

• Abbeygale Anderson, Cross Impact Capital
• Adimika Meadows Arthur, Curb Cut Ventures
• Allen Weldon Smith, Musa Capital
• B. Pagels-Minor, DVRGNT Ventures
• Ben Stokes, Patrick Driscoll, Chasing Rainbows
• Brahm Rhodes, Juliana Garaizar, Kerry Bowie, Malaika Ventures
• Edrizio De La Cruz, UFX
• Brian Vo, IDEA Fund (Investing in Digital Equity in Appalachia)
• Karlo Marcelo, Rupal Patel, Good Scout Capital
• Kevin Moore, Serac Ventures
• Kwamena Aidoo, Kelli Saulny, Corridor Ventures
• Mike Purnell, Kijana Mack, Rodolfo Rueda, EHI Cleantech Ventures
• Mitch Brooks, Tristan Wilkerson, High Street Equity Partners
• Neill Wright, Metallum Ventures
• Roberto Rodriguez, Sequential Ventures
• Shalanda Armstrong, 100KM Ventures
• Talib Graves-Manns, Wilson Lester, Partners In Equity
• William Huston, Bay Street Capital Holdings

"I'm thrilled to welcome VCI's third cohort of fellows since 2021, which represents a total of 40 impact  firms focused on social and environmental impact," said VCI's founder, Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson. "We're committed to supporting these fellows through the lifecycle of building their firms, as we understand that Private Equity is an apprenticeship and network business. By creating an education platform and support network for these emerging managers, we're doing everything we can to drive inclusive sustainability as well as generational wealth for new majority managers."

"The work that VC Include is doing to empower the next generation of diverse founders and fund managers is helping advance progress toward a more equitable financial ecosystem," said Jailan Griffiths, President of the Nasdaq Foundation. "We are proud to support VC Include in its mission to accelerate investment into historically underrepresented fund managers, and we look forward to seeing the impact that the 2023 Fellowship cohort will have on the worlds of venture capital and private equity in the years to come."

"Investment firms led by or owned by women and people of color have faced challenges in attracting investment capital due to discrimination, implicit bias, lack of mentorship, and closed networks. We are excited to support VC Include as it works to build a more equitable and inclusive future by tackling these issues through its fellowship program," said Dan Gould, VP of Investments & Operations at the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

To get the latest news on VCI and its dynamic programs, fund managers with diverse teams, as well as investment professionals interested in diversity and inclusion please visit the VCI website and join the mailing list here.

About VC Include
The VC Include platform launched in 2018 to accelerate investment into historically underrepresented emerging managers – women, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ – to drive economic growth through the power of diversity. The organization has built the infrastructure for an inclusive economy and is a forerunner in connecting diverse fund managers and founders with environmental, social and governance (ESG) and impact investing.

Media Contact:
Sandra Correa
Correa PR for VC Include
[email protected]
917-319-8472

SOURCE VC Include