*By Madison Alworth*
Minorities are often underserved when it comes to the VC funding space, but one social enterprise group has ambitions to change that.
"Innovation happens everywhere, in every community, in every gender, in every race, every class," Kathryn Finnerty founder of digitalundivided, said Thursday in an interview with Cheddar.
But less than 1 percent of American venture capital-backed founders in 2016 were black, according to the Center for Global Policy Solutions.
Part of the problem is that people in minority communities just don't have access to the right investors.
"The average person doesn't know a VC and probably doesn't know how to actually connect, and that's one of the things we do at digitalundivided," Finnerty said.
The group is committed to changing the narrative by guiding talented black and Latina women founders through the start-up process in a 9-month incubator program. digitalundivded's work starts at the beginning and helps innovators navigate the complex planning and funding ecosystem.
Finnerty is optimistic she'll be able to effect change. According to her company's estimates, the number of start-ups founded by black women has more than doubled since 2016. And support seems to be following.
"There has been increased attention on this problem," Finnerty said. "There has been increased investment in the space, as well."
[Applications](https://www.digitalundivided.com/big-incubator-general-faq/) for the 2019 digitalundivided incubator program open on December 6.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/encouraging-and-enabling-female-entrepreneurs-of-color-to-succeed).
A London judge rejected Prince Harry's bid to pay for his own police protection Tuesday, denying the royal's request to challenge the U.K. government in court.
In entertainment today, De Niro's getting tips and Netflix is going to make us all pay.
An Illinois attorney general's office investigation released Tuesday found that 451 Catholic clergy sexually abused nearly 2,000 children in the state over a nearly 70-year period, which was more than four times the 103 individuals the church named when the state began its review in 2018.
Paramount Global is set to absorb Showtime into Paramount+, creating a single streaming option to compete with the likes of Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max. The company also plans to raise the monthly price from $9.99 to $11.99 per month after the integration.
HBO released a sneak peek of next week's series finale for 'Succession' after four seasons.
Dua Lipa is teasing her new single from the upcoming 'Barbie' movie.
Warner Bros. released the official trailer for the upcoming musical film, 'The Color Purple,' based on the novel and 1985 original film.
Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. noticed a young boy who had a sign that read he had beaten cancer. Guerrero decided to surprise the young fan.
From the newest 'American Idol' to the end of a 'Bill & Ted's' hot spot, here are your top entertainment headlines.
Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier is taking a staycation, and all week he'll be trying out different summer activities in New York and the surrounding area that will hopefully serve as an inspiration no matter where you live. On Monday, Shannon traveled to Huntington, New York to get a taste of the boating life. He spoke with Maggie Maskery, head of public relations for Discover Boating, about some of the best boat share options.
