The venture capital industry plays an important role in empowering small businesses—the backbone of America’s economy. The industry makes up a mere 0.2% of GDP, but delivers a stunning 21% of U.S. GDP in the form of revenue backed by venture capital. That said, the practice of leaving founders of color out of the VC equation is being exacerbated in real time, as Black startup entrepreneurs only received 1.2% of the $147 billion invested in American startups during the first half of 2021. READ MORE