The VC community has met the rising challenges and opportunities presented by a global pandemic, playing a pivotal role in the country’s economic recovery, and galvanizing an internal industry-facing focus on DEI.

Why it matters: Venture Forward has been there on the frontline of these efforts to create a stronger, more diverse, equitable, and ultimately, a more just VC ecosystem. Check out highlights from Venture Forward’s first year.

We spoke to Carmen Palafox, Managing Partner at MiLA Capital, about her career journey, biggest achievement, efforts to build a more diverse industry with LatinxVC and All Raise, and more.

Why it matters: Representation allows the VC ecosystem to thrive.

We spoke to Bethany George, Managing Director at Rev1 Ventures, about her career journey, challenges and barriers to recruiting and retaining female investors, and what advice she would give herself when she first entered the VC industry.

The main idea: Meet the women making a positive impact on the venture ecosystem.

We spoke to Kathryn Weinmann, Senior Associate at Norwest Venture Partners and a recipient of the 2021 NVCA Rising Star award, about her VC career, work with the Emerging Venture Capital Association (EVCA), and more.

The big picture: Mentorships and resources are powerful tools to enhancing DEI.

In honor of Black History Month, we want to reflect on some of the positives and progress in the industry by highlighting a few leaders, organizations, and efforts that are driving meaningful change for more Black representation in VC.

Why it matters: DEI is critical to fostering a successful venture ecosystem.

NVCA 2020 Yearbook, highlights trends and analysis of VC activity in the U.S. from the past year and capturing historical data and information about venture’s role in fueling entrepreneurship in America.

The main idea: The Yearbook hights ten notable stats and trends that could have an impact on the U.S. venture capital industry.

In January 2019, NVCA and Startup@BerkeleyLaw announced a new educational program with two components called VC University.

The main idea: The Midwest has seen robust growth in venture investment. VC University will help democratize access to education on venture finance in startup ecosystems across the country.