Three years ago on this date, Kapor Center announced Goodie Nation was one of 10 winners of the Tech Done Right Challenge. As a winner, we received a $100,000 grant that allowed us to launch the Intentionally Good program. We started with a pilot cohort of 10 Atlanta-based founders, and we asked what it would look like if Metro Atlanta rallied behind them with the relationships they need to realize their potential. But our plan was always to expand to new markets – both ethnically and geographically. Since then, we’ve gone on to support an additional 350 primarily black founders across 30+ states and 9 countries outside the United States of America putting more than $35 million into their hands directly or indirectly. 

Today represents a major milestone in our vision to build a community of the best diverse founders and social entrepreneurs that have graduated from accelerators and similar entrepreneur support programs from around the world with Google for Startups’ announcement of the recipients of the inaugural Latino Founders Fund. We’ll welcome these 50 Latinx-led startups spanning 20+ cities, 20+ industries, and 40+ accelerators/incubators into our Intentionally Good community where they’ll receive $100,000 each as well as a dedicated coach, introductions to investors, corporates, and experts, group therapy, and more.  

Goodie Nation is now in a new era. We have 400+ founders in our program, but we’ve only met about 40% of them in-person. We’re deeply focused on creating value for them by building community with not only awesome founders, but with investors, experts, large and ecosystem developers. And we’re now starting to see a “flywheel of impact” where the more experienced founders are supporting the newer founders.

This year, we’re asking what it would look like if the Americas rallied behind 50 of the top Latinx-led startups from the US and gave them the relationships they need to realize their potential. Let’s be intentional about supporting them – intentionally good. Fund Latino founders. This is tech done right..

Check out the full list of the Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund recipients on Google’s site here.