Black founders generate $150 billion in revenue annually. The majority start their businesses with just $35,000 in capital. The $424.7 billion in venture funding that has been dispersed since 2009? Less than 1% went to Black founders. Things don’t look much differently when it comes to philanthropic funding. Despite making up nearly 10 percent of nonprofit leadership in the United States, Black and Latine nonprofit leaders receive less than 4 percent of total philanthropic funding. In order to close the funding gap for Black entrepreneurs, organizations such as The Highland Project are supporting Black founders by providing them with capital, and addressing the systemic underpinnings that prevent them from being able to generate wealth in the first place.

“Whenever an organization is seeking meaningful progress on this kind of scale, it can be difficult to assess where to begin, how to best yield results, or sustain genuine momentum. Classifying action steps helped us understand how to being our work successfully and allowed us to muster patience and discipline for the efforts that will (understandably) be longer in leading us to our desired outcomes.”

Last month, twelve NOLA C.A.R.E.S. PAResearchers showcased their findings, answered questions, and celebrated their accomplishments with the family, friends, coworkers, community members and partners who came to support and learn from their work. As a part of their cohort experience, researchers gained training and confidence in research practices, and came to recognize and explore the wealth of knowledge, experience and understanding present in their own lives and the lives of others in her community.