As Google for Startups named Black Founders Fund II (2021) recipients, their selections validated a regional trend we’ve been noticing in the national startup ecosystem. 

We’ve noticed that an increasing number of diverse founders and social entrepreneurs joining the Goodie Nation community hail from three states outside of our homebase, Georgia. 

The three emerging hubs are Texas, New York, and California. Today’s post will focus on factors giving rise to the emergence of Texas as a hub for diverse founders and social entrepreneurs. 

 

Engaged Investor Community

A common finding from conversations with panelists during the Venture Atlanta Creating Momentum Series powered by Georgia Power, Goodie Nation, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber was that a startup ecosystem emerges when an investor community is activated. 

We’ve heard from founders, community partners, and the Creating Momentum panelists that Texas investors outside of Austin are starting to welcome the idea of investing in startups in less traditional industries. 

This slow but growing shift in risk tolerance among investors is a huge factor in the development of Texas’ entire startup ecosystem which includes its diverse founder community. Though changing preferences among investors raises the tide for all founders, there are other factors contributing to Texas’ emergence as a hub for diverse founders specifically. 

 

Resources for Diverse Founders

As new and existing organizations prioritize diverse founders for resource and funding allocation, they both validate and strengthen diverse-led startups in the Texas ecosystem. Such an effect helps increase the likelihood that local investors without a focus on diverse-led startups will allocate funding to diverse founders. 

Local organizations and funds such as BEAM Angel Network, Notley, Portfolia, Impact Ventures, Agave Fund, and Urban Capital Network as well as national organizations are to thank for bolstering and validating this growing community of diverse founders in Texas.  

 

Emergence of Game-Changing Diverse Founders

We’re witnessing an exciting era where diverse founders like ShearShare Co-Founder Courtney Caldwell, Kanarys Co-Founder Mandy Price, and CourMed Founder Derrick Miles are making household names for themselves in Texas. 

These leaders, of course, pave the way for diverse founders in close proximity by contributing to the institutional knowledge shared among diverse founders through various channels including our founder community. 

Emergence of these big founders also assists in normalizing the idea of investing in diverse-led startups — which further builds the trust needed for activating local investors to engage with diverse founders.

 

Active Community of Diverse Founders

We know from listening to Black Founders Fund I (2020) recipients and speaking with panelists from the Creating Momentum Series, that an active diverse founder community is critical for cultivating a diverse startup hub. 

Notley Partner Kelli Mason and Bandwagon Founder Harold Hughes have both spoken to the growing sense of comradeship among diverse founders in Texas as they join communities like ours and collaborate at local co-working spaces.

The cultivation and acceleration of these relationships between diverse founders in Texas is conducive to sharing the institutional knowledge needed for diverse founders to succeed. 

 

Our Sights are Set on Texas

We expect this trend to continue growing as more resources are pushed into the Texas diverse founder community, so we will do what we can to stoke the fire of positive change. 

If you want to join us in building up diverse founders in Texas, the best way to get involved is to get in touch with our Texas founders including Black Founders Fund I and II recipients as well as the other Texas founders in our community!

 

Meet Our Texas Founders

We want to provide as much value to our founders as we possibly can, and a great way to do that is to connect these founders with our excellent network! 

If you’d like to continue closing the relationship gap by helping these founders, see below for how you can get started today.

 

Here’s How You Can Help Them Today

Step 1 – Scroll down the list of founders to find the one(s) you might be able to assist. 

Step 2 – Click on their card for more information, and then click on the “Introduction Link” to start the process of getting in contact with them. 

Note: Please do not contact the founders if you are a service provider. You can register here as an expert instead!