VC Include (VCI), an organization committed to evolving the traditional investment industry by creating an inclusive ecosystem of LPs and GPs from diverse backgrounds, announced this year’s BIPOC First-Time Fund Manager fellows.
Twelve venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) funds were selected for VCI’s 2022 fellowship cohort. These funds represent a total of fifteen emerging fund managers that joined the two-month education and mentoring program. The fellowship was designed for women and BIPOC fund managers based in the U.S. 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, and the Nasdaq Foundation.
The 2022 VCI fellows are as follows:
- Eunice Ajim, Ajim Capital
- Carlos Torres, AMG Block Ventures
- Renata Merino, Blazin’ Babes
- Himalaya Rao, The BFM Fund
- Tessa Flippin, Capitalize VC
- Aisha T. Weeks, Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth
- Azin Radsan van Alebeek, La Keisha Landrum Pierre & Naseem Sayani, Emmeline Ventures
- Madeline Darcy, Kaya Ventures
- Daniel Balzora, Macellum Private Capital
- Kent Lucas and Sid Smith, Non Sibi Ventures
- Toussaint Bailey, Uplifting Capital
- Hernando Bunuan, Z2Sixtly Ventures
“I’m thrilled to welcome this year’s cohort of New Majority, next generation fund managers and wealth creators, coming on the heels of a massively successful first cohort of fund managers that have closed their first VC and PE funds” says VCI’s founder, Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson.
“Visa Foundation is proud to support VC Include and the women and BIPOC fund managers selected for their 2022 fellowship cohort,” said Robert Meloche, Head of Programs, Visa Foundation. “The work that VC Include does to accelerate investment into historically underrepresented founders and fund managers aligns closely with Visa Foundation’s long-term focus of uplifting everyone, everywhere through the power of economic inclusion and advancement.”
“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 future by tackling these issues through its fellowship program,” says John Balbach, Director, Impact Investments at the MacArthur Foundation.
