Return on Inclusion
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Policy Corner | October 3, 2022
U.S. Treasury channels $8 billion to help CDFIs and MDIs boost small-business lending
ImpactAlpha, October 3 — Community development financial institutions, or CDFIs, and minority depository institutions, or MDIs, played a vital role getting aid to …
Photo by Northwell Health.
Investing in Health | October 3, 2022
Town Hall Ventures raises a $350 million fund to improve how health care is delivered to underserved communities
ImpactAlpha, October 3 — Disparity in health outcomes, life expectancy and deaths are becoming a mounting crisis in the U.S., particularly in underserved …
Impact Voices | September 26, 2022
How asset managers are digging in on diversity to stand out from their peers
ESG begins at home. As increasing numbers of investors are looking for environmental, social and governance investment opportunities, asset managers are directing more …
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Women Rising | September 26, 2022
African Women Impact Fund secures initial $60 million for gender-lens investments
ImpactAlpha, September 26 — South Africa’s Standard Bank Group and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa are looking to raise $1 billion …
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Return on Inclusion | September 23, 2022
ImpactAlpha Deal Spotlight: Inclusive fund managers
ImpactAlpha, September 23 — First-time impact fund managers tend to outperform more experienced peers. This week, VC Include selected a dozen impact-oriented venture …
VC Include BIPOC First-Time Fund Manager fellows | Photo credit: VC Include
Return on Inclusion | September 20, 2022
VC Include to accelerate investments into a dozen diverse first-time fund managers
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 20 – First-time fund managers tend to outperform their more experienced peers but face structural barriers and biases in raising capital, and …
Photo by The Sauce.
Inclusive Economy | September 20, 2022
PowerToFly raises $30 million to upskill and connect underrepresented talent with jobs
ImpactAlpha, September 20 — New York-based PowerToFly has raised $30 million to upskill and connect underrepresented talent with jobs. Millions of professionals use …
Kapor Capital team | Photo credit: Kapor Capital
Return on Inclusion | September 7, 2022
Kapor Capital attracts outside investors to $126 million fund to close equity gaps
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 7 – Oakland-based investment firm Kapor Capital has deployed the capital of Mitch Kapor, a founder of Lotus Software, and educator Freada …
Photo by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Dealflow | September 6, 2022
Equitable Facilities Fund closes $230 million in social bonds for underserved charter schools
ImpactAlpha, September 6 — The New York-based nonprofit social impact fund aims to lower funding costs for high-performing and impact public charter schools …
Impact Voices | August 30, 2022
Thoughts of a Black fund manager
I am a Black fund manager. There are not many of us: Less than 2% of AUM are managed by diverse-owned firms. I …
Impact Voices | August 30, 2022
The competitive advantage of lived experience
There is growing awareness about the importance of attracting diverse talent, but still little meaningful action. As investors, it is imperative we look …
Impact Voices | August 15, 2022
Emerging impact fund managers tap ‘community rounds’ to overcome fundraising barriers
A new, more democratic approach to fundraising is putting wind in the sails of new impact fund managers. ‘Community-led investing rounds’ have the …
Arlan Hamilton. Photo: Arlan Hamilton.
Dealflow | August 15, 2022
Backstage gets a shot in the arm from Bank of America amid fundraising woes
ImpactAlpha, August 15 — Arlan Hamilton’s Backstage Capital scored a much-needed commitment from Bank of America. The investment comes less than two months …
Photo credit: Common Future
Policy Corner | August 4, 2022
‘Policy entrepreneurs’ are scaling up local innovation to drive inclusive growth
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 4 – Bree Jones had been working as an equitable developer in West Baltimore for just a couple of years when a …
Seeding Impact | August 3, 2022
Combating bias in asset management with catalytic capital and inclusive due diligence
Editor’s note: This blog is part of ImpactAlpha’s series, “Seeding Impact,” authored by participants in the Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3) Seeding Learning Labs. …
Photo by Northwestern Mutual.
Return on Inclusion | July 14, 2022
Five Black tech founders join Northwestern Mutual’s accelerator
ImpactAlpha, July 14 — Among the startups in the new cohort are Nashville-based Xcellent Life, which helps identify health issues through an AI-based …
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Return on Inclusion | June 23, 2022
Ebiara secures $10 million to help Black and Brown developers scale in Detroit
ImpactAlpha, June 23 — Ebiara, a partnership between nonprofit lender Invest Detroit and URGE Imprint, has received a $10 million program-related investment from …
The Reconstruction | June 17, 2022
The growth of diverse entrepreneurs is a movement, not a moment
Diversity, equity, and inclusion overall has drawn interest from impact investors in recent years, driven in part by the pandemic’s ravaging effect on …
Photo by Breno Assis/Unsplash.
Return on Inclusion | June 17, 2022
ImpactAlpha Deal Spotlight: Impact in real estate
ImpactAlpha, June 17 — New real estate funds with impact and inclusive strategies are attracting allocations. This week, SoLa Impact’s Black Impact Fund secured …
Martin Muoto | Photo by SoLa Impact.
Return on Inclusion | June 15, 2022
SoLa Impact affordable housing fund secures $15 million from Equitable
ImpactAlpha, June 15 — Financial services giant Equitable is investing $15 million in L.A.-based SoLa Impact’s Black Impact Fund, which invests in affordable …
Return on Inclusion | June 8, 2022
LGBTQ+ focused venture capital firm comes out for Pride month
ImpactAlpha, Jun. 8 – Years ago, Megan Kashner had to come out twice to the CFO of the Chicago nonprofit where she worked at …
Dealflow | June 6, 2022
Apis & Heritage helps businesses in Denver and El Paso become employee-owned
ImpactAlpha, June 6 – Apis & Heritage last year launched a buyout fund to help small and mid-sized businesses with large Black and Brown …
Return on Inclusion | June 2, 2022
Catalyzing capital and sizing solutions to homelessness: A blueprint for Los Angeles
(Editor’s note: This story is being co-published with The Giving List.) ImpactAlpha, June 2 – As a parting challenge to his successor, outgoing …
Photo credit: Amos House
Catalytic Capital | May 24, 2022
MacArthur Foundation commits $20 million for housing for justice-involved people
ImpactAlpha, May 24 – Roughly one in four people experienced homelessness in the year before their incarceration. Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation hopes a mix of …
Impact Investing | May 13, 2022
Call No. 42: Business financing beyond venture capital to fuel the boom in entrepreneurship (video)
ImpactAlpha, May 13 – One defining outcome of the pandemic: a boom in entrepreneurship. A record five million businesses were started in the …
Photo credit: BlackRock
Return on Inclusion | May 12, 2022
BlackRock raises an $800 million impact fund to invest in communities of color
ImpactAlpha, May 12 — BlackRock’s $330 billion alternatives investment group aims to raise $1 billion to invest in housing, financial services, education and …
Photo credit: Greenwood.
racial-equity | May 12, 2022
Greenwood acquires The Gathering Spot to build a community for minority professionals
ImpactAlpha, May 12 — Atlanta-based neobank Greenwood has raised $43 million on the promise that it can deliver better banking services for Black …
Photo credit: JPMorgan.
Return on Inclusion | May 11, 2022
LISC raises $100 million to expand Entrepreneurs of Color Loan Fund
ImpactAlpha, May 11 — The Entrepreneurs of Color Loan Fund will buy loans off the books of community lenders to free up their …
Return on Inclusion | May 9, 2022
In volatile market, alternatives to venture capital keep financing flowing to diverse founders
ImpactAlpha, May 9 – There’s more than one capital market for startups and small businesses. Venture capital and bank loans finance less than …
Photo credit: WTOP.
Return on Inclusion | May 9, 2022
Northwestern Mutual invests $5 million in two Black-led lenders in Milwaukee
ImpactAlpha, May 9 — Northwestern Mutual is investing in Legacy Redevelopment Corp. and Northwest Side Community Development Corp. to provide loans to Black-owned …
Photo credit: BURN Stoves.
Frontier and Growth Markets | May 5, 2022
BUILD fund raises $60 million for small and growing businesses in Africa
ImpactAlpha, May 5 — BUILD, a fund launched by the U.N. Capital Development Fund and Bamboo Capital Partners, will invest in impact-focused projects …
Photo credit: Payments.com
Financial Inclusion | May 4, 2022
Xepelin rakes in $111 million for financial services for small businesses in Latin America
ImpactAlpha, May 4 — Small and mid-sized businesses in Latin America fail more frequently than similar businesses in other regions. Santiago, Chile-based Xepelin …
Photo credit: RideTandem.
Good Jobs | May 4, 2022
RideTandem scores $2.2 million to alleviate ‘transport poverty’ for blue-collar workers
ImpactAlpha, May 4 — Public transportation is increasingly inaccessible for low-income workers in the U.K., particularly in rural areas. “Half of the lowest-earning …
Photo credit: Dell Foundation.
Financial Inclusion | May 3, 2022
Open secures $50 million for small business services in India
ImpactAlpha, May 3 — Bengaluru-based Open provides digital banking, payments, invoicing and automated bookkeeping services to more than two million small and mid-sized …
Steve Case and J.D. Vance in 2017 | Photo credit: Revolution
Entrepreneurship | April 28, 2022
J.D. Vance, the impact fund manager his partners would rather forget
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 28 – Before he got Donald Trump’s nod in the Republican primary for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat, J.D. Vance was – briefly …
Podcasts | April 26, 2022
Fairview Capital’s emerging wisdom about emerging and diverse fund managers (podcast)
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 26 – Diverse-owned and -managed funds would be more likely to build diverse teams and more likely to invest in diverse founders. …
VC Include team
The Reconstruction | April 21, 2022
VC Include backs 10 climate funds led by diverse managers
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 21 – Black and Brown communities disproportionately impacted by climate change are an important source of talent, ideas and solutions. Unlocking those …
Rook Soto | Photo by Pursuit.
Features | April 20, 2022
How Pursuit is upskilling low-income New Yorkers for high-paying coding jobs
ImpactAlpha, April 20 — Jukay Hsu’s mother worked multiple jobs after emigrating with him from Taiwan to Queens when he was three years …
Photo by Kaiser Permanente.
Investing in Health | April 20, 2022
Kaiser Permanente allocates another $200 million to affordable housing for health
ImpactAlpha, April 20 — Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente is topping up the $200 million Thriving Communities Fund it launched in 2018 to respond to …
Protesters at the Global Day for Climate Justice | Photo credit: Jessica Girvan
Climate Finance | April 18, 2022
Mitigation x adaptation x equity = climate resilience
ImpactAlpha, April 18 – Resilience is the solution to another disruption. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is raising the value of local food security, distributed clean …
Photo credit: General Mills.
Return on Inclusion | April 14, 2022
General Mills invests $15 million in Fearless Fund and Supply Change Capital
ImpactAlpha, April 14 — Minneapolis-based General Mills backed the pair of women of color-led funds as part of its commitment to advance racial …
Labor unions demonstrations in Jakarta, Indonesia | Photo credit: Adam Erlangga
Impact Management | April 12, 2022
If you like the alpha in ‘E,’ you’ll love the S-factor
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 12 – Perhaps it’s the urgency of the climate crisis. Or the relative simplicity of counting tons of carbon or gallons of …
Photo credit: Sigo Seguros.
Impact Tech | April 12, 2022
Sigo Seguros scores $5.4 million to provide equitable auto insurance
ImpactAlpha, April 12 — Hispanic and Black drivers with clean driving records who live in majority-Hispanic and Black neighborhoods pay more for insurance …
Photo credit: Choctaw Nation
Policy Corner | April 7, 2022
Catalytic funding for tribal communities and small businesses at stake in Congress’s COVID-19 plan
ImpactAlpha, April 7 – The Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma, the third largest Tribal nation in the U.S., has a multifaceted plan to develop a …
Entrepreneurship | April 6, 2022
Startups raise ‘community rounds,’ turning customers and fans into investors
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 6 – Raising money from “the crowd” has sometimes seemed anonymous and unstrategic, if not a bit desperate. By calling such a …