This event has ended.
Please join New America Chicago, Belt Magazine, and 1871 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm on May 8, 2018, at 1871’s event space at 222 West Merchandise Plaza, Suite 1212 in Chicago, Illinois.
New America Chicago, Belt Magazine, and 1871 will be hosting a panel discussion and conversation about the barriers that minority entrepreneurs face when seeking venture capital. The discussion will be inspired by the longform article co-produced by New America Chicago and Belt Magazine, which saw journalist Steve Friess following a group of entrepreneurs of color who report excessive scrutiny and discrimination from the American VC world.
Moderator:
Steve Friess. An award-winning journalist, Friess’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The New Republic. He is also a regular contributor to Belt Magazine, and is the author of the report that inspired this event.
Panelists:
Lyneir Richardson: Director of Rutgers University’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and co-founder and CEO of ChicagoTREND, an innovative effort to draw real estate investment to challenged areas of Chicago. Richardson has served as an advisor to the mayors of both Chicago and Newark, N.J., on ways to help minority entrepreneurs access capital and develop businesses that have the potential to transform low-income neighborhoods.
Amanda Spann: Co-founder and CEO of Happii, an app development firm whose offerings include Afridate, which boasts more than 20,000 users and “helps you search for eligible black singles, by nationality and ethnicity, anywhere in the world” and TipOff, a word-guessing game.
Boyede Sobitan: The co-founder and CEO of OjaExpress, an ethnic grocery delivery app that seeks to eliminate barriers in obtaining ethnic foods for the people who love them. OjaExpress was named one of 50 Chicago-based “startups to watch in 2018” by BuiltInChicago.
Janice Lopez: The Managing Director for Entrepreneurial Services and Director with the Women’s Business Council Chicago, which offers direct loans of up to $75,000 for established businesses and up to $15,000 for startups. More than half of the WBDC’s loans approved have gone to African-American business owners. WBDC also offers an array of programs to support and accelerate business ownership for minorities, women and veterans.
The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A, as well as an opportunity for people from both sides of the capital divide to mingle and discuss ways in which we can expand access to venture capital for minority entrepreneurs.
The Capital Divide: Perspective of Minority Entrepreneurs
Tuesday, May 8 2018 | 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Event Space at 1871 | 222 West Merchandise Plaza | Suite 1212
Please RSVP Here. RSVP is required.
For Questions: email chi@newamerica.org
This event is part of On The Table program of the Chicago Community Trust and co-hosted by New America Chicago, Belt Magazine, & 1871.
