Include Ventures reposted this
When your purpose is to disrupt and add value, your path is typically more challenging (and exciting) than a linear career. This is my backdrop to becoming a Maverick investor in new/emerging managers. It's only fitting to share my story, as a close to #WomensHistoryMonth, supporting 75+ women led firms over the last 7+ years. I grew up (the first half my life) in NYC- the West Village to be specific. At the time, it was a melting pot - my father was a physicist, a Jazz music enthusiast AND a photographer. My mother was an educator. We grew up with LGBTQIA+ performers. Blue collar workers. Chefs from Ghana. Dentists from Iran. Ethiopian Diplomats. All crammed into a city block. All friends of my parents. We had an open house policy. As a teenager, Downtown NYC was teaming with creative talent- early “conscious” hip-hop was colliding with more “urban” themes of struggle and violence. I was on a stage reciting poetry, on the train (aka the subway) going to Brooklyn to high school every morning, and then to the Bronx with family members over the weekend, who had rarely left their neighborhood. I started a textile import business, was a published journalist and professional cook before 21 years old. NYC is the heart of re-invention, entrepreneurship, and institutional finance; I've been managing the tension between clarity and courage all my life. There are many times I leapt before clarity was cemented. I have a deeper intuition than most. Not because I’m better than anyone. I’ve just had a lot of practice. As a woman and an outlier with insane curiosity, I sense opportunities before they become known. And safe. It groomed me to see around corners and invest in future value creators at scale. My experience across global and #emergingmarkets, #privatecapital and #philanthropy, has informed building #investmentplatforms before the crowd decides it’s “popular”. Our track record is compounding. The last decade has taught me a lot. The big one is: There’s no distinction between #Investing and #ImpactInvesting. Every decision has an impact. We’re so hung up on different language, returns and vintage performance, instead of looking at the progress we’ve made in terms of returns, net social and environmental progress. That’s what we get wrong in the impact investing ecosystem. 2020-2030 will be a seminal decade for investing. Everything is changing fast, in 24 month cycles. Those who are not curious, ready, practiced and clear on what/who matters will get left behind. I’m not deeply focused on the past - I've spent the requisite time metabolizing it. It made me better, clearer, and more savvy as an investor, founder, leader and builder. The future will be a new mix of elements, many we haven’t seen before. It's where I see the most possibility for value creation. The caterpillar is in its cocoon. The process cannot be rushed. But the outcome will be better than ever. Watch the space. VC Include Include Ventures