Adam: Glad to be with you, Spiffy! The Equity Alliance seeks to democratize access to capital by investing in emerging venture capital funds and start-ups led by women and people of color. In short, we invest in diverse investors and company founders. Many of the large companies we know of today (e.g. Google, Meta, Amazon, etc.) started as much smaller companies called start-ups that needed investment to grow. Historically, most of these companies have been founded by, and received investment from, white men. If we are to build an equitable society, it is important that diverse founders have access to funding. Over time, we can change this dynamic by investing in and supporting diverse investors and founders.
Evan: I’m glad to be here, Spiffy! Upfront Ventures is one of the largest early-stage investment funds in Los Angeles. We are champions of the Southern California ecosystem and we also invest in emerging companies nationally and internationally. We have a passionate and curious team of investors that strives to select and nurture leading industry startups. Most importantly, we are committed to helping build the next generation of founders who are looking to make a significant impact with their ideas.
Jenny: Glad to be with you, Spiffy! We are defining more equitable standards for the food, beverage, and hospitality (FBH) industry through community-informed research, education, and programming. For students, we aim to deepen their understanding of the complexity, importance, and far-reaching nature of the FBH industry—because food has, is, and will shape the very foundation of their lives.
