How Black Women Can Compete in the Boys' Club of Tech
*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).
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Sonja Stills, Commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience being the first female leader in this role, and how she plans on carrying on the legacy of the MEAC.
Sheri Bachstein, CEO of The Weather Company and GM of IBM Watson Advertising, joins ChedHER to discuss her successes in this role, and how she's helping women thrive in the c-suite.
Cate Luzio, CEO and Founder of Luminary, joins ChedHER to discuss how Luminary is supporting women at all stages of their career journeys, and the upcoming Chase for Business Fellowship to support business owners.
