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How to Create More Women and Minority Tech Founders
I'm the head of development for a venture capital studio and I've been thinking about how I can use my skills to make more of an impact. I came up with building tech companies for women and minority founders for equity only (i.e. it wouldn't cost any out of pocket money ).
Is this a worthwhile effort? Here are a few of my concerns...
- I'm white. I don't know if this matters but I thought I'd mention it.
- Taking equity. This will be a business. The primary reason for making it a business and not a non profit, is that I think I can raise money for it if I can show how it can make money. This means more companies will be built that otherwise would not have been and it also proves to investors that they have been ignoring a hugely talented group of people. Also, it would be an amazing company to run.
I've built a site and am accepting submissions at www.sturdyfalcon.com ( funny name, I know ) , but really do want help shaping the mission / purpose of this project.
Thanks,
Andrew
- Tan__ 10y agoI'm not a founder, but I am a minority/female developer in New York. I have a couple of ideas for web apps, but I don't know the first thing about business. Anyway, if I could be of any assistance feel free to let me know. www.tanwill.nyc Good luck to you!
- andrewpierno 10y agoAwesome, thank you!
- imaginenore 10y agoIf you're selecting projects based on the gender/race of the owner instead of the merits of the project and the team's skills / compatibility, you're going to lose in long term.
- andrewpierno 10y agoI agree completely. I will be selecting based on merit, it's just that this will only be open to that group of people.
- imaginenore 10y agoSo not on merit. That's like saying "I will create The Olympics for black people only to fight racism".
- Tan__ 10y agoHe just stated that he will be selecting based on merit. Other requirements will not necessarily negate that.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- andrewpierno 10y agoI disagree. Its a huge pool of people, it would be like if Y combinator said we're only taking women. There is a shit ton of women who would apply and get in on merit within that group. I think it would still be a normal distribution of awful ideas, amazing ideas, and that scary part in the middle.
- imaginenore 10y agoHe just stated that merit is a secondary requirement, while the primary one is the genitalia. I'm not saying it's not his right to discriminate based on gender, he supports sexism, and openly so. I'm just saying it's not efficient.
- andrewpierno 10y agotroll
- imaginenore 10y agoYou couldn't construct an actual counterargument when your sexism was pointed out. So you degraded yourself to calling names. Weak.
- 10y ago
- pesfandiar 10y agoIt could still be merit based, but in an underserved VC segment. I like this idea and wish them good luck.
- bbcbasic 10y agoI suspect that while OP has a good handle on the value of money, he might value other things too.
- awareBrah 10y agoI don't think it's a worthwhile effort in the slightest. You don't see people as individuals, rather as categories. "I'm making an impact by helping minority/women" "I'm white" Nothing will get better by doing this. Instead, judge each human by their unique characteristics. People don't want to be recognized because of these attributes, but instead because they really accomplished something worthwhile, or did something extraordinary. Not be born with X genatalia or Y skin colour.
- matttheatheist 10y agoWe minorities have always made top engineers. For example, here's my latest product: www.enrad.io (and no, we don't want your money.) If you really want diversity in the startup ecosystem, simply fund and hire minorities...and stop merely talking about it. Seriously, stop moving your lips and just hire some people. We're everywhere. And we're very good.
- bbcbasic 10y agoSomething I like about working in Sydney, Australia is that the teams I have been in are very ethnically diverse - people from all continents, countless countries. Also age diversity is good. Although still not as many women in tech roles unfortunately. I have worked for established companies though not startups but I am sure it is the same.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- bbcbasic 10y agoInvest in startups in foreign countries, particularly 'non-western' countries. Find a way to help funnel some of that Silicon Valley investment money over to other countries. Whether that is your own money or other funds. Also politically - make other countries create a good startup environment. One thing that springs to mind is the tax treatment of startups should be special.
- codeonfire 10y agoJust a few questions. Are you doing this because of white guilt? Do you come from a wealthy white background? Do you/did you have a trust fund? What about the tens of millions of dirt poor non-minorities in the country? Do you think there should be more women and minority tech founders than the proportion of their respective population?
- Chos89 10y agoNot sure how to feel about this, are there any laws that prevent minorities and women to become tech founders? Just don't discriminate people and that should be enough. As accepting only white males into certain programs would be considered racist, so is this IMO.