Stefanie Thomas-Martin has been promoted after spearheading a $50 million investment vehicle. The Wall Street veteran, who holds an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, joined Zeal Capital Partners—a Washington, D.C.-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology businesses —as its managing director in 2023. Before that, she was a founding member and investor at Impact America Fund (IAF), where she helped grow the company’s assets under management from $7 million to $110 million, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Thomas-Martin was entrusted with leading the VC firm’s $50 million Barclays Black Formation Investment (BBFI) vehicle, which funds Black-led companies leveraging services and technology to bridge wealth and skills gaps. She not only successfully led the initiative but also launched its first scout program to train the next generation of venture capitalists. Her efforts have led to her promotion from managing director to partner,...

When it comes to acquiring seed capital to start a business, many American entrepreneurs find themselves overlooked by venture capitalists and struggling for financial-backing support. With less access to financial services, companies led by diverse management teams are left under-invested and vulnerable to failure. To combat this, venture capital firms are aiming to take the lead in order to empower the next generation of diverse business leaders. As part of the inclusive venture capital movement, Zeal Capital Partners — a Washington, D.C. -based inclusive investment vehicle for early-stage businesses — has created a solution. To continue its mission of investing in rising ventures and level the playing field to help bridge the country’s wealth and skills gap, it has just launched the Inclusive Investing™ Fund . Zeal’s $50 million fund — which is anchored by PayPal, The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a large university endowment, family offices, notable business leaders, and other...