If American business ownership and entrepreneurship reflected the race/ethnicity and gender of America, recent data shows that we would have $4 trillion in additional US GDP annually and 2+ million more businesses. As a result of the inequities in investing in BIPOC and Female entrepreneurs, if they launch at all, their subsequent businesses start small and stay small. Most never get off the sidelines.
Much like the 99.7% of US businesses, most of these businesses will not be venture eligible but can create wealth, jobs and returns and are essential for the transitioning and rebuilding of US infrastructure. All are in need of start-up capital and growth capital. This session will highlight the innovative equity and debt models being used to fund businesses and the needed wrap-around services to grow and scale these businesses. It will explore ways to dramatically scale the credit and investment facilities to close the BIPOC and female gap in business ownership within the next decade.
This session highlights the business ownership opportunity for BIPOC and female entrepreneurs, the consequences of not seizing the opportunity to create and support more business ownership opportunities for all, and how, together, we can do this in a decade, rather than the 700 years it would otherwise take.
