Conveners.org May 2022 Masterclass – Supporting BIPOC Founders: How Can We Do Better?

In the U.S., founders who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) continue to face significant barriers during their entrepreneurial journey which are not faced by their non-BIPOC counterparts. Similar barriers and challenges exist for entrepreneurs of color in contexts outside the U.S. These barriers are wide-ranging and include (to name just a few) barriers to accessing financing, technical assistance, or mentorship.
During this session, we’ll open a discussion on how we as individuals and as a community can do better (even if we think we might be doing everything we can already!). Galiana & Greg will facilitate a discussion where attendees will be encouraged to reflect on how their approaches, programming, and mindsets could be adjusted in order to better support BIPOC founders. Come ready to share, discuss, and engage (and may be even be a bit vulnerable!) as we explore this topic together as a caring, supportive community.

About Our Speakers

Galiana Fajardo – Principal, REDF

Galiana Fajardo provides program design and employer supports assistance to REDF’s portfolio organizations. This is with the objective of helping employment social enterprises (ESEs) grow and hire more individuals with barriers to employment. A major focus of her work is on supporting BIPOC and justice-impacted founders and entrepreneurs. Galiana is a leader in developing a system-wide understanding of the ESE field and is dedicated to continuously evolving & innovating program designs that support employee retention and placement at REDF portfolio organizations.

Greg Payne – President & Principal Consultant, Emerging Market Enterprises

Greg Payne is a Washington, DC-based consultant whose mission is to increase access to the resources, support, and funding needed by social entrepreneurs and by underserved entrepreneurs & business owners. Greg works directly with entrepreneurs as well as with ecosystem partners in the U.S. and Latin America on challenges ranging from market access, customer discovery, fundraising, operations, and scale. He focuses on providing tailored support and guidance that enables and empowers entrepreneurs to overcome barriers in pursuit of their vision.

Time: 1:00 PM—2:30 PM PDT | 4:00 PM—6:30 EST

Location: Virtual

Date: Thursday, May 26, 2022

More Information (link opens in a new window)