PledgeLA recently created the Fund For South LA Founders, which was in direct response to racial and economic inequities that came to the forefront of the national conversation in 2020. A project of AnnenbergTech, the LA Latino Chamber of Commerce, SLATE-Z, and other community partners, the fund is designed to…

As a Black man in venture capital, the last few months have been eye opening. The national conversations about social justice led to an increased awareness of the challenges faced by underrepresented founders and funders in our industry. People and organizations have since stepped up to create pathways to invest…

My introduction to venture capital came a little over a decade ago by way of a few active investors who were regularly blogging. Though at the time I didn’t know these investors personally, it’s safe to say their blogs were essential to me breaking into the industry. That’s where I…

What happens when you put out a call for innovative entrepreneurs in South Los Angeles? Grid110 usually accepts between 15 and 20 Los Angeles based companies for each cohort. But since South LA represents only 8% of LA’s population, we questioned whether we would be able to fill a cohort…

Cities and states across the country have begun to issue guidance on reopening businesses. While this is a major step toward restoring local economies, it is difficult to imagine things going back to the way they used to be before Covid-19. Our personal and professional habits are evolving as we…

Last April, I wrote about what Nipsey Hussle meant to his community just after his passing. I concluded by saying he “doubled down on investing in his community because he knew it would inspire others to do the same. It worked. I hope to do the same.” Since then I…

Reading Recap: February 2019 Edition The best part of posting recaps of my recent reads are the one-on-one, offline conversations that are sparked from them. I love talking to people who have also enjoyed the same books, as they often highlight insights that I missed or present an opposing perspective that expands my own. I…