Opportunity is Not Equal.
humble impact was founded entirely by “protected class” citizens — racial minorities, veterans, and me, a woman.
Through our various shades and flavors, we’ve all learned through experience (and read daily in the news) the hard truth that’s leading to an increasingly violent division in the fundamental value proposition of America herself: Opportunity is not equal.
Instead of bickering ad infinitum about the validity or applicability of the statement, we see value in doing what we love to do with innovating startups and, because we’re mostly do-gooders, simultaneously effecting change in our communities and country. The boys finally convinced me, so yes, we officially incorporated as a nonprofit.
Across our truly diverse range of shapes, hairstyles, upbringings, and lifestyles, Yode, Ajit Verghese, Harry Alford, Ray Crowell, and I have all found in each other a common belief behind which we rally our cry: economic independence is necessarily the cornerstone of community resilience. Not race, not gender, not geography, and most certainly not politics.
We believe that our unique, obsessive approach to venture creation and maturation, coupled with ever-expanding access into diverse economic ecosystems will make an impact (albeit, a humble one) in the lives of our founders, their companies, and the communities that trust us. We likewise believe, (proved out deliberately and carefully), that this works at scale.
Our hypothesis is that startups, through dedicated mentorship, in-market experimentation, and responsible shepherding to growth in the right communities, can breach the barriers to equal opportunity — be they geographic, demographic, or socio-economic. Only with measured cooperation between these startups and corporations, foundations, investment capital and economic development arms can we build both national and local economic resiliency. Economic resiliency breeds security which breeds prosperity which breeds the fruition of the promises of the future. Or something like that…
By cross-pollinating intense focus on individual empowerment through business with the value of opening doors to opportunity where there are best fits (and alternatively, steering away from assumed or forced fits), our brightest minds and fiercest economies will only grow stronger.
I invite you to join us (or follow us) on our humble adventure.
Cheers!
Mary
