Every year since 2020, Black Tech Fest has hosted Europe`s largest festival of its kind that celebrates Black culture, showcases innovation, and creates pathways for underrepresented talent.
At the October 2023 show, Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Founder, 1000 Black Voices) joined fellow panelists at the event – Rahmon Agbaje and Nora Bavey – to share deep insights into the entrepreneurial journey, the highs, the lows and the in-betweens.
Speaking on a particular topic of current and of immediate interest, Dr. Shaw said: “Venture Capital had a spot – we are looking forward to welcoming more Black VC’s across all stages. So a call to action for more LP’s to invest in and empower Black VC’s, resulting in a positive funding cascade effect with VC’s in turn backing Black founders.
“For example, as Black + female + VC, I would only have a 4% chance of LP funding. Black + founders have only a 0.13% chance of investment according to Crunchbase Q3 2023. Yet, onto the Google Black Founders fund and Techstars, 1000 Black Voices founders go. They certainly have the potential of returning the fund.
“We continue to work toward a more inclusive startup ecosystem”.
