Meet the Inaugural BK-XL Cohort!
Hello BK-XL Community,We are thrilled to announce the inaugural cohort of the BK-XL program! BK-XL is the largest accelerator in the country for BIPOC founders by potential investment size per company, it was created by Clara Wu Tsai, founder of the Social Justice Fund, Vice Chair of BSE Global, and owner of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, in partnership with the BIPOC-led venture capitalist firm Visible Hands. After a rigorous and competitive selection process, we have selected 12 outstanding startups with BIPOC founders building across industries including SaaS, user-generated content, Edtech, and more.With over 2,000 applications received, the selection process was not easy. We are grateful to everyone who applied and impressed by the quality and diversity of the applications. For those who were not selected, please don't be disheartened. You're all a vital part of our BK-XL community. We hope to continue sharing relevant events, programming, and resources that support you in your journeyThe BK-XL cohort brings together a group of inspiring founders, each with a unique vision and approach to solving complex challenges. This diverse group will benefit from collaborating and supporting each other, as well as tapping into the extensive resources of our program. Without further ado, we would like to invite you to meet the members of the inaugural BK-XL cohort in the press release linked below. More information on the selected founders and their companies can be found here. Each startup represents a unique area of innovation, and we are excited to see how they will develop and grow during their time in the program.We look forward to sharing more updates and resources with you in the coming weeks and months.See you in Brooklyn,BK-XL Team
PRESS
We're featured in Crain's New York Business. Read their coverage of our cohort announcement here.
THOUGHTS FROM LEADERSHIP
Clara Wu Tsai, Founder of the Social Justice Fund, Vice Chair of BSE Global, and owner of the Brooklyn Nets & New York Liberty“We created BK-XL to identify and support the most innovative BIPOC founders in this country and to show the rest of the venture capital industry just how many BIPOC founders are out there with great ideas and businesses waiting for someone to step up and believe in them. I think the overwhelming number of applicants we received — over 2,000 — sends that message loud and clear. I’m excited to meet this talented group of founders and work with them to help their businesses thrive in Brooklyn.” Daniel Acheampong, Co-Founder & General Partner, Visible Hands“Narrowing down the applicants from over 2,000 to these twelve startups was a competitive task, given the rich talent pool of BIPOC founders eager to participate in this kind of program. We are excited to work with Clara and her team to help guide these founders on their path to growth and generational wealth creation in Brooklyn.”
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