A month ago, we announced that we joined forces with Lerer Hippeau and Anthemis to launch our New York City fellowship program. The eight-week program is designed to provide Black professionals with a path to discover jobs in venture capital through educational programming, community connections, and mentorship. Currently, only 3% of venture capitalists are Black, with even fewer controlling the more than $80 billion invested annually in the U.S. Through this program, we aim to continue doing our part to diversify the talent landscape of the venture capital industry. Over the next couple of weeks, we will equip this cohort with a meaningful understanding of the industry, practical tools, and a network that will set them up to pursue venture capital roles in the future.
We had an overwhelming response from candidates looking to dive into the industry, and today are pleased to share the fellows participating in the inaugural cohort. Meet them here.
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William Alfonso
Senior Associate, Ernst & Young (EY)
Area of interest: EdTech
Favorite lockdown read or binge-worthy show: Yellowstone (AMC)
Gaston Depusoir
Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, Capsule
Areas of interest: Business & Industrial Automation, ConstructionTech, BioTech/Life Sciences, IoT, Mobility, RetailTech, HealthTech, RegTech & Cyber
Favorite thing to do in New York: Cooking
Yetunde Duro-Emanuel
Product & Client Delivery Manager, Zipari
Areas of interest: HealthTech, FemTech, RetailTech, BioTech/Life Sciences, IoT, Community as a service
Favorite lockdown read or binge-worthy show: I’ve been watching all 20+ Marvel Universe films other than Black Panther for the very first time
Zim Flores
CEO, Italicist
Areas of interest: EdTech, RetailTech
Favorite lockdown read or binge-worthy show: Fresh off the Boat (TV show). Reading fiction for the first time in 10 years (two black authors), and the Bible.
Wendy Francois
Ecommerce Strategy and Operations, Eberjey
Areas of interest: RetailTech, FemTech, Business & Industrial Automation
Favorite thing to do in New York: Visiting the Museums
Lionell Gaines
Associate Director, Government of the District of Columbia
Areas of interest: Business & Industrial Automation, RegTech & Cyber
Favorite lockdown read or binge-worthy show: Billions
Amiko Glasford
Senior Vice President, Strategy and Operations, The Future Project
Areas of interest: Business & Industrial Automation, HealthTech, EdTech, FemTech, IoT, Mobility, RetailTech
Favorite thing to do in New York: Watching the performing arts; from the subway and performers to American Ballet Theater and everything in between
Alexander Johnson
Sales Development — Strategic/Enterprise, HackerOne
Areas of interest: DevTools, HealthTech, RegTech & Cyber, Business & Industrial Automation, Application Security
Favorite lockdown read or binge-worthy show: Suits
Kellianne Kelly
Vice President, Evercore Partners
Areas of interest: AgTech/FoodTech, HealthTech, FemTech, RetailTech, HRTech
Favorite thing to do in New York: Dining out and thoughtful cocktails
Julie Negussie
Investor Relations Manager, Fundr
Areas of interest: AgTech/FoodTech, BioTech/Life Sciences, Mobility
Favorite lockdown read or binge-worthy show: The Feed & Upload
Sherrise Pond
Associate, Credit Suisse
Areas of interest: HealthTech, EdTech, FemTech, IoT, RetailTech, FinTech
Favorite thing to do in New York: Bike riding along the Promenade and exploring the bridges between Brooklyn and Manhattan
Layla Ramirez
Program Manager, Inclusion Strategy, Netflix
Areas of interest: Business & Industrial Automation, EdTech, FemTech, HRTech, Mobility, FinTech
Favorite thing to do in New York: Paint Nite
Roland Reaves
Senior Brand Manager, Entertainment Content & Strategy, Procter & Gamble
Areas of interest: Business & Industrial Automation, Mobility, RegTech & Cyber, RetailTech, Consumer Packaged Goods, Social Tech
Favorite thing to do in New York: Going to pop-up art and experiential installations
Alex Santana
Field Sale Representative, Google
Areas of interest: AgTech/FoodTech, BioTech/Life Sciences, ConstructionTech, HealthTech, IoT, Mobility, RegTech & Cyber
Favorite lockdown read or binge-worthy show: All about love by Bell hooks & Surviving Pablo
Amadou Sow
Investment Banking Associate, Barclays Investment Bank
Areas of interest: EdTech, RetailTech, HealthTech, Mobility, HRTech
Favorite thing to do in New York: Art exhibits and museums, as well as eating out with friends
Dijja Tamen
Trade and Investment Associate, UK Department for International Trade
Areas of interest: AgTech/FoodTech, EdTech, RetailTech, HealthTech, FinTech
Favorite thing to do in New York: Going on runs in different parks around the city
Lona Vincent
Director, Business Design + Business Model Innovation, Johnson & Johnson
Areas of interest: BioTech/Life Sciences, HealthTech, FemTech, SpaceTech
Favorite lockdown read or binge-worthy show: Lovecraft Country
Thanks again to our participating venture capital firms: Equal Ventures, Firstmark, General Catalyst, Harlem Capital, Insight Partners, Union Square Ventures.
About Us
BLCK VC:
BLCK VC was formed early in 2018 to connect, engage, empower, and advance Black venture investors by providing a focused community built for and by Black venture investors. Since its inception, we’ve worked to develop the community through both social and educational events focused on advancing Black investors.The challenge is clear: only 3% of venture capitalists are Black, with even fewer controlling the $80B+ invested annually in the US. In the past few years VC has become more diverse, but slowly and minimally. The goal of this group is to increase the number of Black investment professionals in venture capital and build a community so that Black investors can help each other succeed. What is our goal? To turn 200 Black investors into 400 Black investors by 2024.
Lerer Hippeau:
Lerer Hippeau is the most active early-stage venture capital fund in New York. The firm has more than 250 active portfolio companies with investments in leading consumer and enterprise companies, including Allbirds, K Health, Guideline, and Axios. Lerer Hippeau invests across all sectors, backing founders with product vision, customer insight, and a keen instinct for brand building.
Anthemis:
Anthemis is a venture investment platform founded on three guiding principles: authentic collaboration, virtuous cycle outcomes, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Since 2010, we have been at the center of a vibrant ecosystem of startups and institutions dedicated to reinventing financial services for the digital world. We are committed investors, thoughtful advisors, active conveners and dedicated problem solvers who share a passion for technology and a belief in the transformative power of digital financial services.
Get more BLCK VC news and updates on Twitter and learn more about us on our website. Are you a black investor? You can join our community here!
