Institute for Equitable Entrepreneurship
Research and resources that fuel agency and access for entrepreneurs
Systemic biases and barriers have created a disparity of opportunities for business owners.
Entrepreneurship is not only key to economic recovery and justice, but is a critical lever for closing the racial wealth gap. The time for change is now.
At the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, we believe everyone has a fundamental right to start and grow a business. But not everyone has equal access to the support or opportunities they need. Working beside entrepreneurs, philanthropists, investors, educators, and policy makers, we are dedicated to helping those who are starting and growing a business find ways to rise and thrive.
To realize the change needed in support of this mission, the Institute for Equitable Entrepreneurship is a coalition that builds a comprehensive set of education, resources, practices, and policies to fuel accessible and equitable entrepreneurship for our nation. Bold and persistent experimentation will lead us to a new reality where zip code, chromosome, education, skin color, bank balance, and size of business do not matter.
WE BELIEVE
in an environment where all entrepreneurs can self-actualize driving maximum benefits to their families, communities, and the future of our nation
WE IMAGINE
a future where Entrepreneurship has the possibility and power to create and build an inclusive economy
WE ENVISION
a world that flourishes through strengthened communities united by thriving business environments
What is the Center uniquely positioned to do this work?
With our specialized knowledge of the entrepreneurial landscape and our wide range of contacts within the entrepreneurial community, the Center provides ongoing support and mentorship to founders and small business owners. The Center is set up to influence the regulatory environment with real-time insights of businesses across the globe and decrease fragmentation across the entrepreneurial community to bring more social justice to the pursuit.
Our Approach
In the next decade, the Institute will help at least 1 million people increase economic opportunity and vitality through entrepreneurship exposure, education, and access for:
Endowment Opportunity
Building the Institute for Equitable Entrepreneurship is a major goal. This Institute aims to be supported in perpetuity with an endowment that fulfills the Center’s mission and vision for the future that enables the Center to plan with assurance, take advantage of extraordinary opportunities and help weather economic downturns and global uncertainties.
Our mission can only be realized with a coalition of visionary organizations and institutions who believe in the urgency of building an equitable and accessible entrepreneurial ecosystem for all entrepreneurs worldwide. If you are inspired to realize this change with us, we want to hear from you.
Institute Advisors
Current Initiatives
Mentor Makers
Impact Beacon
Overhauling Inequities for Women Entrepreneurs
Providing 1 million mentor hours in support of entrepreneurs
With extreme challenges business owners are facing due to the ongoing pandemic, the Small Business Association predicts in the next two months 24% of small businesses will close. Mentor Makers is a free mentor matching platform for entrepreneurs.
Did you know that 63% of business owners do not have professional guidance at the onset of their business? Yet, 92% of small business owners agree that mentors have a direct impact on their business (Forbes). Mentor Makers will be addressing the incredible need for mentorship for entrepreneurs across the globe.
Planning tools and a vision for impact
For the first time, entrepreneurs can visualize and explore the positive impact of their business in a few simple steps. The Impact Beacon provides entrepreneurs with planning tools and a vision for the impact that they can build companies around.
After a short series of questions, entrepreneurs get a shareable series of measurements and impact targets that they can use to demonstrate their company’s potential impact at scale. The metrics are mapped to those identified by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and are linked back to third party research so entrepreneurs can explore the ties between their business and the potential outcomes it can achieve.
Increase women’s power and influence by decreasing pay inequities
Our goal: Accelerating women business owners’ influence and economic opportunities by removing barriers to pay, ownership and valuations to address the intolerable wealth gap.
We seek to increase women’s power and influence by decreasing pay inequities and empowering women entrepreneurs as change agents. Our ultimate goal is to see that women’s ideas and time are valued the same as men’s – that we all stand equal in our human dignity.
Download our overview on how we are working to overhaul pay and ownership inequities for women identifying entrepreneurs.
Upcoming Initiatives
Accelerating the Future of Work for Underestimated Talent
Access to Entrepreneurial Development in Youth
Venture Equity Project
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