VISIBLE NEWS
March 29, 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!Can you believe it? We've reached the end of Q1 already! 🎉As we wrap up the first quarter of the year, it's the perfect time to reflect on our accomplishments, set new goals, and maybe even take a moment to catch our breath.
Q1 for our team was all about setting up new structures and beginning to revamp toward the future of VH. Q2 will mark us kicking into high gear on our new launches and initiatives, while also balancing hustle culture with the art of living fully in the present (more on how to do that here ICYM our latest IG reel!)After all, life isn't just about the hustle—it's about finding joy, balance, and fulfillment in every moment so that you can celebrate throughout the journey, not just once the wins come in. Let's embrace the hustle, but also the moments in between that make it all worthwhile.Here's to a Q1 well spent and a Q2 filled with even more adventures, growth, and moments of excitement and celebration!Be well,
The VH Team
VISIONARY UPDATES
Founder Updates, Asks, and Wins:
Congratulations to VHNYC II Founder Elizabeth Wexler of Spennie on her recent feature in Vogue!
Congratulations to Visionaries I Founder Rebecca Kersch of TANGGapp on her recent feature in Esquire!
Congratulations to Visionaries I Founder Luis Suarez of Sanarai on recently speaking as a panelist at the Rock Health CEO Summit!
Congratulations to Visionaries I Founder Irene Li of Prepshift & Mei Mei Dumplings on her recent feature in NU Business!
Congratulations to VHNYC II Founder Jose Rodriguez of Shubox on recently being chosen as a member of Cohort 2 of the AngelPath Academy led by Inicio Ventures!
Congratulations to Visionaries I Founder Brooke Hill of Swella on recently winning the first place prize at the HERstory pitch competition!
Congratulations to VHBOS Founder Sid Desai of Novobeing on recently being selected to join the Advisory Board of the American Mindfulness Association!
Congratulations to Visionaries II Founder Sydney Montgomery of Outline It on launching a new podcast!
Congratulations to VHBOS Founder Samantha Johnson of Tatum Robotics on her recent feature in Forbes!
WHAT WE HAVE OUR EYES ON
➕ Founder funding, community resources, and events
Applications are currently open for Galaxy of Stars' Galaxy Grant for Women and BIPOC founders. Learn more and apply here by March 31st.
The application deadline for the Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab has been extended! This accelerator promotes financial inclusion and provides access to capital for early-stage tech companies. Learn more and apply here by March 31st.
Applications are open for the Hersuitespot $1K Hustlers Microgrant, which provides grants and invaluable resources to promising small businesses across the United States. Learn more and apply here by March 31st.
Applications are open for the Fedex $50K Small Business Grant Program. Learn more and apply here by April 1st.
Applications are open for Fast Company's Best Workplaces For Innovators, which celebrates company cultures that empower employees at all levels to improve processes, create new products, or invent new ways of doing business. Learn more and apply here by April 5th.
Applications are open for the Main Street x American Express $10K Backing Small Business Grant, which supports economically vulnerable and under-resourced small businesses with community reach and/or cultural significance. Learn more and apply here by April 7th.
Forum Ventures, in partnership with Canva Developer Fund, is hosting a virtual pitch showcase focused on Women+ founders for the chance to win $100K investment and acceptance into our best-in-class Accelerator Program. Learn more and apply here by April 10th.
Applications are open for the Bawse Ventures Grant, which provides CPG product/service founders with up to $25K for their businesses. Learn more and apply here by April 12th.
Applications are open for the Latinx/e Start Up Hub Tour Pitch Competition at the ALX Business Summit! Learn more and apply here by April 19th.
Applications are open for YCombinator's Summer 2024 Accelerator program. Learn more and apply here by April 22nd.
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.
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 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.
Applications are open for Techstars Economic Mobility Powered by Samvid Ventures for fall 2024. Learn more and apply here by May 22nd.
🌎 Ecosystem Spotlights:
Applications are open for the HerRise MicroGrant, which provides financial assistance, with the help of corporate sponsors and donors, to Women of Color who are creating innovative solutions that impact their community and are often unable to secure funding for their small businesses. Learn more and apply here.
Applications are open for NVIDIA Inception, a free program designed to help startups evolve faster through cutting-edge technology, opportunities to connect with venture capitalists, and access to the latest technical resources from NVIDIA. Learn more and apply here.
Join Halcyon for the Health Fellowship Showcase featuring eight dynamic pre-seed and seed-stage ventures solving the world's most pressing challenges in healthcare. Learn more and register here to attend on April 3rd.
Our friends at Grid 110 are hosting a pitch series, and their first part, Art of the Pitch, will guide founders through the process of crafting a pitch from the ground up, providing expert insights and practical tips to help founders articulate their vision with confidence and clarity. Learn more and RSVP here to join on April 3rd.
Join our friends at TechCrunch in Boston on April 25th at TechCrunch Early Stage! Learn the nuts-and-bolts essentials every budding early-stage founder needs to build a strong foundation. Whether you have an idea or a product, you’ll get actionable advice in hands-on workshops with expert founders, VCs, and subject-matter experts. Topics range from product-market fit and brand-building to finding investors, product-led growth and more. And, thanks to our friends at TechCrunch, we’re offering you a 25% discount. Buy your pass today, and come see us at TC Early Stage!
Applications are open for the National Black Business Pitch (NBBP), a competition designed to connect Black-owned businesses to corporations who seek to expand and diversify their supply chain with new products and services. Learn more and apply here by June 3rd.
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
VHNYC II Team Work Onward is hiring an Operational Research Intern and a Software Tester Intern.
Glasswing VC is hiring an Associate.
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:
Celebrating: This amazing win by Visionaries II Team WestxEast
Sharing: This advice by BKXL Founder Sarah Nesheim of Crafted
Reading: The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
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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