Disrupting through inclusive innovation to build a more equitable future

Lead partner

has held multiple online summits, sessions focused on educating, empowering and connecting black and brown founders since early 2020. These in person events with VCs and founders, and educational sessions in live and pre recorded podcasts. Its corporate partners include Google, Fifth Third Bank,IRI WorldWide and Procter and Gamble. We have also worked with advisors and partners that work with Disruption Now to empower black and brown founders over the years. They have participated in ask me anything sessions, provided leads to founders, taught crowd funding and served as mentors from time to time

Curriculum Partner/Program Advisor

Realist Ventures specializes in curriculum and activities designed to prepare Black and Brown founders to raise capital. For example, Marie Rocha, Founder of Realist Ventures partnered with Shondra Washington and hosted weekly practices where founders could practice three-minute pitches. Practices included panels where founders received feedback. Given the success of the practices, 10 to 12 founders attended, practicing their pitches in front of audiences ranging from 300 to 1000 people on a weekly basis. Rocha then partnered with Christine Sullivan and felicia Rubenstein of Hayvn Launch to help entrepreneurs who are women become what they term “investor ready.” Their curriculum taught founders how to create compelling teasers, pitch decks, financial models, data rooms, and build confidence in investor conversations. Realist Ventures will provide curriculums and activities to teach founders how to carefully craft pitches, create infrastructure for operations and finances, data rooms, and communicate to have effective investor conversations. These efforts of Realist Lab and Ventures have led to 20 investments of over $342 million in funding of diverse founders, which the most notable four are:
Careerkarma- raised $40M Series B 2022
Republic - raised $150M Series B 2021
Athletic Greens- 115M Series B 2022
Strōma - $33M Series B 2020

specializes in identity driven sales and marketing located in Cleveland, Ohio. The company emphasizes the importance of social identities and how social identities influence every aspect of design, strategic partnerships, creative community mentorship, and networking to obtain capital to effectively scale businesses. a Small Studio has collaborated with entrepreneurs in Antananarivo, Madagascar, underserved communities in Ohio, and publicly traded organizations. For example, first-time black founders of ShearShare, Courtney and Tye Caldwell, participated in their Identity Architecture workshop. Together, they revamped their brand identity across platforms and positioned them to secure venture funding of $2.3 million in 2021. Today, ShearShare has raised over $5.4 million in funding and built an innovative business with an identity that permeates all they do.

Group Black Inc. is a media collective that was formed in 2020. Group Black aims to create and serve as the largest Black-owned media company. The company’s objectives are to actively recruit and retain Black creatives to create content that actively reflects the nuances of Black communities and experiences. Group Black also serves as a business accelerator who attracts ad spending from marketers trying to diversify advertisement placement. Group Black Inc.’s notable partnerships include Essence Communications Inc. (which specializes in Black beauty), Holler Technologies Inc. (who serves as a leader in stickers and GIFs for digital messages and social media posts), Esport’s Startup PlayVS, and news groups such as Shade Room LLC. And Baller Alert Inc. Group Black Inc. is providing over $100 million to Black-owned technology and media companies across the United States. Group Black continues to serve over 300 Black companies. The collective invests a portion of its revenue to buy equity stakes in Black-owned media and tech companies.

Richardson and Associates has a long-standing commitment to supporting and teaching underrepresented business owners; some of her past clients include the Cincinnati African American Chamber, African American Male Wellness Agency, Avondale Community Council, and Ohio EPA. The firm also helped the city of Dayton administer a more inclusive procurement process.