Highlighting the Importance of Diversity During National Entrepreneurship Month

This November is National Entrepreneurship Month, a month dedicated to celebrating and supporting the entrepreneurs who serve their communities and strengthen the U.S. economy.  Supporting greater opportunity for more entrepreneurs to grow new ideas into companies is central to the mission of NVCA.  In addition, we believe diversity and inclusion are core to the success and competitiveness of the industry.

In honor of National Entrepreneurship Month, NVCA is participating in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy National Entrepreneurship Month Fact Sheet to highlight how NVCA members are working together to support an inclusive, diverse and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.  Read the White House Fact Sheet.  We also want to take the opportunity to provide an update on our work to support diversity and inclusion.

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Over the course of 2016, we have collaborated with the U.S. Small Business Administration and other organizations on data-driven methods to address the underrepresentation of women and minorities in venture capital; strengthened the pipeline of entrepreneurial talent in startups and venture capital with organizations such as the Toigo Foundation; developed a network of talent partners within venture capital firms to help further diversity initiatives within their firms and across their portfolio companies; and published a new report Building A More Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.

In October, NVCA served as a Charter Organization of the ONBOARD Initiative, the Open Network for Board Diversity, launched by the U.S. Small Business Administration, LinkedIn, and a range of professional organizations.  This initiative aims to increase the number of women and underrepresented groups on corporate boards and C-suites of high-growth startups.  If you would like to be a part of this important initiative, you can join the ONBOARD LinkedIn group here.

This group will provide valuable resources for growing board-ready candidates.  Companies will draw from the talent pool in the LinkedIn group to fill board and leadership seats, and group members will have exclusive access to special events around the country.

We look forward to continuing to share resources that support building a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.

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