VISIBLE NEWS
April 26, 2024
Visible Hands is a VC firm that provides exceptional founders from underrepresented backgrounds with the funds, hands-on support, and community they need to thrive at the earliest stages of company building.
Happy Friday, Visionaries!We've got some exciting things in store as May approaches, and while we're anticipating upcoming announcements, we thought it may be a great time to also collect your thoughts on this newsletter for any edits/changes you may want to see!Anyone who fills out this VH newsletter survey will be entered for a chance to win a $10 Dunkin giftcard each week for coffee on us! Let us know your thoughts - our first three winners will be contacted on Monday and announced next week!Additionally, here's a reminder to mark your calendars - VHBOS II cohort applications open April 29th!Happy survey-filling, calendar-marking, and resource-reading (below!)Be well,
The VH Team
VISIONARY UPDATES
Founder Updates, Asks, and Wins
Congratulations to Visionaries II Founder of Dominique Olowolafe of Lightly on recently winning $15K at the Athene Black & Brown Business Summit!
Congratulations to Visionaries I Founder Juliana Mejia of Street Entrepreneurs on her recent transition into the role of Co-President at Beacon!
Congratulations to VHBOS Fellow Adjoa Edzie of Gruuvv on recently being featured in the "Above 2%" exhibit in New England!
Congratulations to Visionary I Founder Dr. Steven Moyo of Welfie on being selected to join Larta Institute’s Heal.LA Program!
Congratulations to VHBOS Founder Samantha Johnson of Tatum Robotics on recently winning gold at the Edison Awards!
Congratulations to Visionaries I Founder Mei Lin Ng of Hearth Display on making it into Forbes' Mother Day Gift Guide for 2024!
Congratulations to Visionaries II Founder Shannon Morales of Trijbaja on recently partnering with TikTok for the "#ShopBlack" Accelerator program, aimed at uplifting Black-owned brands through tailored onboarding and focused education! Learn more and sign up here to join the program and exhibit at Diversitech on May 7-9th!
Congratulations to VHNYC I Founder Jaime-Jin Lewis of WiggleRoom on recently launching WiggleRoom's Spring Sale - learn more and take advantage of the sale before May 10th!
WHAT WE HAVE OUR EYES ON
➕ Founder funding, community resources, and events
Village Capital has opened applications for its accelerator, Dream Climate Tech Launchpad 2024. This investment-readiness program aims to support 8-10 Black and Latinx-led startups building climate tech solutions at the intersection of environmental justice. Learn more and apply here by April 30th.
Cadence Cash Thrive Grant is $5K aimed at supporting small businesses that contribute positively to their communities. Learn more and apply for a grant here by April 30th.
Applications are open for Giving Joy grants, which are one-time micro-grants designed to help women establish or improve their businesses and initiatives. Learn more and apply here by April 30th.
Applications are open for the Soho House Foundation, an independent charity established by Soho House to fund and empower creative young people and artists from underrepresented and lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Learn more and apply here by April 30th.
The Fifteen Percent Pledge is partnering with the Dream Makers Founder Grant, a $1 million grant fund established by Nancy Twine to drive a dedicated effort to support female entrepreneurs, particularly spotlighting the talents and innovations of Black and BIPOC founders. Learn more and apply here by April 30th.
The Urban Future Lab’s Urban Future Prize Competition is back with support from MUFG Bank, The New York Community Trust, and the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Climatetech startups can apply for a chance to win $50k and admittance into the ACRE Incubator. Learn more and apply here by May 1st.
Applications are now open for the 2024 cohort of BK-XL, Brooklyn's premier early-stage startup accelerator designed specifically for underrepresented founders. Learn more and apply here by May 3rd.
Applications for the 2024 Black Ambition Prize Competition are now open! The Black Ambition Prize competition provides a platform for Black and Hispanic founders across the nation to access growth capital, coaching, and a curated community of innovators/mentors. Learn more and apply here by May 3rd.
Pepsico is seeking Hispanic entrepreneurs with food and beverage businesses. The Greenhouse Accelerator Program Juntos Crecemos Edition provides founders with mentorship and $20K in grant funding. Learn more and apply here by May 6th.
Applications are open for PMF Method by First Round Capital, a 14-week intensive experience designed to help exceptional B2B founders build epic companies. Learn more and apply here by May 7th.
Applications are open for the Visa Everywhere Initiative, granting support to founders with creative and effective solutions for the payments industry. Learn more and apply here by May 13th.
Step into the innovative future of offshore wind! Head over to the Wind-Win Startup Showdown powered by the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub to hear lightning pitches from their accelerator finalists — presented live in front of you and to an esteemed jury of industry experts. Learn more and RSVP here to attend on May 15th.
Applications are open for the TiE Women Pitch Competition, where early-stage startups founded or co-founded by female entrepreneurs can get help scaling with access to expert-led workshops, mentorship programs, pitch events and more. Learn more and apply here by May 15th.
The 8th annual Roadmap to Billions Conference is coming soon, a tech event for Black women to feel empowered, inspired, and discover the latest trends and strategies in entrepreneurship/tech while networking with industry leaders, investors, and fellow founders. Learn more and register here to attend on May 16th-19th!
Applications are open for Hubspot's Inbound Million Dollar Pitch, which provides investments of up to $1M for startups. Learn more and apply here by May 17th.
Applications are open for Techstars Economic Mobility Powered by Samvid Ventures for fall 2024. Learn more and apply here by May 22nd.
Are you ready to accelerate your venture with Halcyon? Applications are open for the Halcyon Equitech Fellowship, which empowers entrepreneurs across the United States and the globe leveraging technology to increase social and financial inclusion and close equity gaps in wealth, education, and accessibility. Learn more and apply here by May 31st.
Applications are open for Shea Moisture's Dream Fund grant, offering $10K grants and personalized coaching/menotring sessions to five entrepreneurs. Learn more and apply here by May 31st.
The National Black Business Pitch is seeking Black founders for their annual pitch competition. Winners receive case prizes up to $10K and NBBP connects Black owned businesses with corporations who plan to expand and diversify their supply chain. Learn more and apply here by June 3rd.
Attention all CPG founders! Are you looking to get your product into major retailers in 2024? If so, check out SEED SPOT's Retail Brand Accelerator, sponsored by Walmart through the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity. Learn more and apply here by June 23rd.
Applications are open for LegalZoom small business grants, which support both established and budding business ventures through $10K grants and/or up to $500 in LegalZoom products and services. Learn more and apply here by September 13th.
🌎 Ecosystem Spotlights
We’re excited to partner with TechNYC as their team launches Startup:NYC, a founder community designed to deliver the resources that New York’s next superstar founders actually need. Want to join the community? Learn more and apply here!
Are you ready to take your startup to the next level? If so, a16z Talent x Opportunity is looking for you! TxO is a 16-week accelerator focused on ambitious early-stage founders building consumer companies at the forefront of culture and lifestyle. Learn more and apply here.
Applications are open and rolling for The Amber Grant, which supports women-owned businesses through $30K business grants every month. Learn more and apply here.
RSVP for the upcoming Build UP CPG Half-Day Seminar, presented by Build in Tulsa, tailored specifically for local entrepreneurs in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector. Learn more and RSVP here to attend on May 18th.
We are happy to share the launch of PEERLESS, a $1M pitch competition focused on supporting visionary Latine, Black, Native American and Female founders of early-stage companies. The goal is to highlight and back exceptional founders. PEERLESS is powered by Alley Corp and Management Leadership For Tomorrow. Learn more and apply here for a chance to pitch on June 20th.
💼 Featured Jobs
Hire Henry is hiring a software developer,
Notion is hiring a Social Media Lead.
Our friends over at Liberty Mutual are hiring for multiple innovation-related positions - learn more about the available roles and apply here!
🧑🏽💻 What we are loving lately
Listening: Per my Last Email Podcast
If you'd like your founder resource or event/conference to be featured in our weekly newsletter, shoot us a message at kerry@visiblehands.vc
"We celebrate the bold, the curious, and the irrational. We applaud those with big dreams, and who choose the harder, riskier path in relentless pursuit of pushing forward what is possible."
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