Accelerating Black Leadership and Entrepreneurship (ABLE)

November ABLE Community-Building Forum: Access to Capital
Tuesday, November 16, 8:00 - 9:15 AM PST/ 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM EST

Context

Capital is key to accelerating enterprises that generate wealth among families and communities. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 70.6% of Black businesses rely on personal and family savings for finances, indicative of the racial divide in access to capital.

What policies and platforms are bridging the gap to make funding more accessible for Black entrepreneurs? How can entrepreneurs obtain and sustain direct investments and philanthropic grants? How do you raise financial capital at various stages of project or product development? This session introduces strategies for tapping into funder networks, exploring various funding sources, and securing finances to fuel programs and initiatives.

MODERATOR

Gillian Marcelle, PhD; CEO and Founder, Resilience Capital Ventures LLC

Panelist 1

Martina Edwards, Chief of Strategic Partnerships, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs

Panelist 2

Richard Venegar, President, Second Wind Advisors

Bios

Gillian Marcelle, PhD

CEO and Founder, Resilience Capital Ventures LLC

Gillian Marcelle, PhD, leads Resilience Capital Ventures LLC, a boutique capital advisory practice specializing in blended finance. She has a proven track record in attracting investment and on telecoms, fintech, renewable energy and regenerative agriculture.

Martina Edwards

Chief of Strategic Partnerships, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs

Martina Edwards was the first African American female stockbroker for Merrill Lynch at the New York Stock Exchange in its 200+ year history. An investor by trade, Edwards has dedicated her life to investing in not only assets, but also underserved people and places.

Richard Venegar

President, Second Wind Advisors

Richard Venegar is the president of Second Wind Advisors, a financial business advisory firm. Prior to Second Wind, Richard was the President and CEO of Milestone Growth Fund, a small business investment company, where he managed a portfolio of businesses owned by entrepreneurs of color.
Accelerating Black Leadership and Entrepreneurship is an enterprise accelerator program designed to strengthen, energize, and support small businesses and nonprofit organizations led by Black entrepreneurs in the United States.
The ABLE Network-Building Forums are a learning series that provide a space for Black founders in the ABLE program to learn directly from and have community conversations with industry experts.