Over the last 50 years, venture capital has fueled the advancement of American innovation, creating immense value, jobs, wealth, and life-changing products and services. Though venture capital as an industry may be young and as an asset class may be small, high-growth startups and their long-term investors have truly changed the world.
While venture capital spurred incredible advances in its first 50 years, the industry systematically excluded women, people of color, and other underrepresented minorities from participating and benefiting from many of those opportunities and benefits. For VC to reach its full potential as an industry, we must expand opportunities for people of all backgrounds to access, participate, and thrive in the venture ecosystem.
We must educate future leaders on best practices and help them learn from the industry’s rich history – both the good and the bad. We must help firms build strong, healthy cultures and values. We must keep the public and the community informed, through qualitative and quantitative insights.
By investing in tomorrow’s leaders today, we shape the future of venture capital.