Announcing the Black Venture Institute

Be the change that you seek.

Today, we are thrilled to announce our newest and largest program yet: the Black Venture Institute. We’ve been busy working on this initiative all summer with incredible partners that include Operator Collective, Salesforce Ventures, and UC Berkeley Haas. These partners joined us on a journey that has been three years in the making, a journey built on the premise that if we want to make venture capital (and by extension the tech industry) a more diverse and equitable ecosystem, then we need to be the catalysts for this change.

It is widely known that venture capital is sorely in need of initiatives that will increase diversity. Only 1% of venture-backed startups have a Black founder and less than 3% of venture investors are Black. It is hard not to see how these two numbers are tightly correlated in an industry built on “warm introductions” and “networking” as the main source of receiving funding and gaining employment. Networking isn’t only about transactional interactions (sure, there’s plenty of that) — it is also a means of knowledge transfer and education between colleagues. Engineering and maximizing these networking opportunities is critical in building a thriving community. To that end, it has been one of our primary focuses from the early days of BLCK VC.

Over the next three years, we’ll be equipping 300 Black professionals with: a new shared language, a greater understanding of how Silicon Valley operates, and the networks they need to thrive in an industry that is shaping our nation and countries around the world. These professionals will come from every corner of the U.S., connected by a shared desire to be the change that they seek. They’ll have one core responsibility: to take their knowledge and share it within their own communities so that the impact of our program can be further compounded.

This is one of the many reasons why we are truly excited about launching the Black Venture Institute. The two-week program will connect participants with top angel and venture investors, technology leaders, and LPs while learning from world-class faculty from UC Berkeley. It represents an opportunity to build a highly engaged and mission-driven community dedicated to educating Black professionals on the “ins and outs” of venture capital, including topics such as fund formation/creation, becoming a limited partner, angel investing, deal analysis, career roadmaps, and understanding deal terms (e.g. note conversions, dilution). It is our belief that by imparting this knowledge and creating a truly interactive program, we can help empower the incredibly talented Black technology community and provide a path to accelerate access to a wide range of opportunities within the venture ecosystem.

It is our belief that programs like the Black Venture Institute will meaningfully drive more equitable access and opportunities and inspire others to work toward those same goals. It is our hope that graduating participants will go on to achieve everything from incredible operating careers, to becoming limited partners in funds, angel investing in the friends and family rounds of diverse founders, founding category-defining companies; and yes, becoming venture capitalists themselves.

This work will take a village. Just as any great success always does. We urge you to join us as we help to transform venture capital and the tech industry. Be the change that you seek.

How To Get Involved

Click Here to learn more about enrolling in Black Venture Institute program

Click Here to sponsor BLCK VC

As a Black Venture Institute fellow, you’ll learn the foundations of investing and join a community of high-powered Black professionals and technology executives who, together, will represent the future of the black venture capital ecosystem across the country.

The two-week program will be highly collaborative and interactive, featuring a combination of conversation, content & community building with a focus on:

• Foundational principles of investing, including sourcing, diligence, deal terms, portfolio value-add, corporate governance, and understanding the broader venture landscape.
• How to effectively negotiate terms, collaborate with team members, and evaluate opportunities through case studies.
• Exchanging ideas and experiences within your cohort.

Requirements: The only requirement for the program is that you have at least 5 years of professional experience.