Building a startup is hard.

Twitter And Amazon Back Accelerator Program For Entrepreneurs Of Color - afrotech.com/twitter-and-am… via AfroTech cc: Saba Karim at Rising Stars Fund program for entrepreneurs of color (by Techstars)

Thank you all for the incredible response to our launch. We couldn’t be happier and are excited to start investing. Our goal is to get back to everyone who applied, but it’ll take some time. If you DM’d, please include your email so we can let you know about next steps.

A like if you have ever been told “just get your family and friends” to invest for now.

Friends and family funding is a critical early capital source for many founders. While great ideas can come from anywhere, not everyone has a network they can tap into. This missing funding holds back too many entrepreneurs. We aim to change this.

You are AMAZING.

Committing to diversity, equity, and inclusion is important - no matter where you are on your entrepreneurial journey. How are you ensuring your startup grows with diverse perspectives?

In the last few months I invested in Rising Stars Fund and Runner 2.0💜. Next week I’m investing into a coffee company co-founded by Snoop Dogg. It’s fun to back people and teams you believe in ✨

Building a startup is hard.

LIKE if you enjoy reading fundraising announcements celebrating underrepresented founders of color. RETWEET if you dislike reading in the same article that last year was a record low in Venture Capital that went into underrepresented founders of color.

Lolita Taub 💰 VC but for “family & friends round” 🔮 Any industry 👶 Pre-seed, pre-revenue, pre-accelerator 💸 $100,000 🇺🇸 USA 💫 Rising Stars Fund

Blue looks good on you, . Everyone, go follow our fearless leader!

I'm more convinced today than ever that venture capital will be the most important asset category in the world going forward. Cycles will occur and the mega-bubble of 2021 will washout returns, but this is the only class that meaningfully will drive societal transformation

ICYMI: Techstars alum Marcus Bullock chatted with #GiveFirst Podcast host David Cohen about launching his company Flikshop and how he’s using his company to help reshape the criminal justice system: tsta.rs/7xZn50JEQcP

Who are you building for? Not for, but really for?

Our first community webinar went great! Founders loved getting to meet each other, and we did it "town hall style" where they each got to share their biggest challenges and help one another. At the end, we did Q&A. Everyone was grinning ear to ear, including us!

20+ VC funds focused on writing checks to diverse founders💰👇🏼

Did you hear? Amazon’s new Catalytic Capital initiative will invest in venture capital funds that support companies led by underrepresented founders, including Techstars Rising Stars, our pre-seed fund investing in founders of color in the US. tsta.rs/2L0950L2tCp

Black, Latino, women, and LGBTQIA+ founders are underrepresented across the total number of funded startups. Today, we're introducing Amazon Catalytic Capital, a $150 million initiative to invest in VC funds that support them. ➡️ amzn.to/3T2qdNr.

Who’s in Oakland today and wants to chat about Rising Stars with Saba Karim? Founder meetup 4-6pm.