This year’s Startup Academy includes four inspiring women-led startups that are bringing a bright light to society in this dark time. These inspiring teams are making people’s lives better in many ways: bringing authentic video content that celebrates the true diversity of multicultural people across the globe; helping people find connection and companionship in a … more
After exiting the first company she founded, Desiree Vargas Wrigley–no relation to Chicago’s famous Wrigleys–found herself a stay-at-home-mom for the first time, caring for her two boys who were both under the age of five. Finding activities for her kids proved to be a huge challenge for Desiree, but one that inspired her to embark … more
As a general partner of a startup academy focused on underrepresented tech founders, I have often been asked how much of our returns we expect to sacrifice by investing in overlooked founders such as women and people of color. This question implies that tech companies led by diverse founders are certain to provide inferior returns … more
When Ablorde Ashigbi left Pritzker Group Venture Capital to build his own company, 4Degrees, in 2017, everyone around him was surprised. “You’re leaving VC? The best job on earth? Why the hell would you do that?” Before 4Degrees, Ablorde had never thought about being an entrepreneur. “Building a company is really hard, and the rate … more
In 2014, Ashlee Ammons was living a comfortable life in New York City, producing celebrity driven events and working in brand marketing. She’s close with her mom, Kerry Shrader, and one day Ashlee called to vent about an awkward experience she’d had at a conference mixer. The two women realized that, despite having strong networks … more
We invest at the pre-seed and seed stages in passionate founders solving impactful problems and help them grow their startup with hands-on product, marketing, sales, and fundraising support