Portfolia, LIFT Development Enterprises, and Founders First Capital Partners announced on July 12th a traveling roadshow to connect minority, veteran, and women entrepreneurs to angel investors. The multi-city traveling workshop is titled, “Meet the New Breed of Funding Programs for Diverse Founders,” and is starting in New York City on July 17th.
Both Founders First Capital Partners and Portfolia bring their experience in funding to the roadshow, with Founders First Capital Partners leveraging their accelerator and revenue-based venture capital fund experience and Portfolia using its community of venture investing funds. LIFT Development Enterprises focuses on community development for underrepresented and underserved small business owners.
“For many women, veteran and minority business owners, traditional financing often isn’t an option because they may lack collateral or don’t meet stringent lending requirements,” said Kim Folsom, a founding partner at Founders First Capital Partners in a press release. “We want to provide not only funding but also coaching so these small businesses can thrive and grow, which in turn creates jobs – often in low- to moderate-income areas.”
After New York, the event travels to Boston for July 19th, Los Angeles on August 1st, Austin on August 8th, San Francisco on August 21st, and ends in Seattle on August 23rd. The events themselves feature lunch and panel discussions on raising capital to support diversity and growth in startups, with Folsom, CEO and Founder of Portfolia Trish Costello, founding limited partner at Portfolia funds and angel investor Barbara Clarke, and founding limited partners of Portfolia and active angel investors Suzanne Andrews and Lorine Pendelton all speaking as part of the panel.
