Envision

At their earliest stage, entrepreneurs generally get funding from friends and family – those supporters culled from alumni groups, professional connections, and longstanding familial and social networks. For most entrepreneurs, this abundant and friendly pool of capital is a financial lifeline that can be the difference between a great idea and a promising startup or small business. That is, unless you’re African American. The problem, as pointed out by Runway Project founder Jessica Norwood, is that wealth in the U.S. cleanly falls along racial lines. Runway Project is a national initiative designed to change that reality for African American entrepreneurs. In this week’s show, guests Konda Mason and Annie McShiras will discuss the collaboration between Runway Project, Self-Help Federal Credit Union, and Uptima Business Bootcamp in Oakland, CA, to pilot a new financial product and investment fund that bridges the funding and support gap for African American entrepreneurs.