Launched in 2021, the Venture Equity Project is a multi-year initiative and coalition of nonprofit and academic institutions, supported by JPMorganChase and Nasdaq.
The Venture Equity Project explores models to expand venture capital access for underrepresented entrepreneurs through cutting-edge research and actionable policy recommendations. Our work identifies opportunities for ecosystem builders, policymakers, investors, and educators, by offering insights for those committed to advancing equity in entrepreneurship.
Now in its third year, the Venture Equity Project is focused on the role of the U.S. states in fostering equity within the venture ecosystem. This research is a collaboration among the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, Heartland Forward, and Penn State University’s Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative.
Innovative Research
New research methods incorporating the lived experiences of entrepreneurs of color to prioritize equitable distribution of venture capital.
Data-Driven Practices
Data insights will inform just-in-time decision making across programs and practices to deepen capital support for entrepreneurs of color.
Policy Change
Radical partner collaborations convert research and program learnings into robust policy recommendations to address key barriers.
CURRENT LEARNING
These research-to-practice partners aim to unlock key insights across the organizations and from industry collaborators to build the first open data system that can power knowledge and access to improving First Mover Capital Investors across the globe.
Introducing Equity Innovation Leaders
The latest findings from the Venture Equity Project, highlighted in Revitalizing Innovation: Models of Equitable Entrepreneurship Across the United States report show the importance of geography as an ingredient in equity, evaluating how each U.S. state shapes opportunities for Black, Hispanic & Women founders. We identified seven states we call Equity Innovation Leaders, based on their commitment to driving systemic change and leading in building inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Penn State University analyzed state-level legislative activity and discourse; Heartland Forward evaluated business ownership among Black, Hispanic, and women entrepreneurs using U.S. Census data; and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center provided qualitative insights from entrepreneurial models being implemented across the U.S. Together, these efforts provide a nuanced understanding of state-level impact on entrepreneurial equity.
Venture Equity Report – Early Findings
The Venture Equity Project united a coalition of 10 partners ranging across research, policy, and practice to inform interventions in support of increasing venture capital flow to entrepreneurs of color. This project unlocked new pathways to change and strengthened ecosystem connectivity.
Stakeholder Mapping in Venture Equity
Transition Design Institute at Carnegie Mellon University
Research conducted in 2022 provided an understanding of stakeholder perspectives on the problem of lack of funding for entrepreneurs of color in the US and UK through Transition Design workshops.
PARTNERS
The Venture Equity Project is funded by JPMorganChase and Nasdaq with the goal of making significant strides toward an equitable future in venture for underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Comprised of forward-thinking academic, nonprofit, and venture partners, we focus on three key areas: new research to understand the complex problem of inequity in venture; stakeholder-facing practice that both contributes to and is informed by our data collection efforts; and policy recommendations that will remove barriers to change.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST REPORT
Click the button below to download Revitalizing Innovation: Models of Equitable Entrepreneurship Across the United States. We welcome you to read, share, and cite the report.
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