It’s no secret that there’s lots of work to be done in diversifying the venture capital space. Between the lack of funding dished out to founders of color and the dismal representation of funders — venture capital is a white male-dominated industry.
HBCUvc wants to change the number of minorities involved in venture capital at an early stage. The nonprofit organization trains students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), in venture capital and entrepreneurship. HBCUvc offers an annual fellowship for college students to learn the ins and outs of running their own startup or VC firm.
Now, HBCUvc is highlighting people who are already making major moves in venture capital. The organization recently announced its “31 Under 31 List” to highlight the Black and brown faces pushing venture capital in a more diverse direction.
“We paint a fuller picture of who is coming up the ranks in VC today, and we show just how diverse the class is in terms of race, ethnicity, geography, and role,” HBCUvc said in a blog post. “You’ll find Black and Latinx members of the VC community who are doing incredible work with companies operating across sectors and stages.”
Execs from Harlem Capital, Backstage Capital, and Cultivation Capital all made appearances on the list. HBCUvc compiled the list through social media, email, and word-of-mouth recommendations. The list is comprised of VC workers from all stages at their respective firms.
To see who else made HBCUvc’s 31 Under 31 List, check it out here.
