Our New CEO's First 100 Days: A Bold Vision for the Future

 
 

From Day 1 to 100:

How We Thrive and Evolve

From Day 1, Camelback Ventures felt like coming home. Now that we’re at Day 100, I would like to say thank you, #CamelbackFam for the warm welcome. My commitment to the work we’re doing today and the possibilities for tomorrow are higher than ever. We are focused on continuing to evolve as an organization and social impact movement centered on equity in venture funding for entrepreneurs of color and women, and it’s exciting.

In these last three months, there has been much to reflect on and celebrate. The opportunities to build and deepen connections within the Camelback Family at Guardian Summit (watch my fireside chat) and Welcome Week for Cohort 13 of our Camelback Fellowship as well as connecting with friends old and new at New Schools Venture Fund Summit, ASU-GSV, and MIT Solve were meaningful moments to reflect on my purpose and vision for Camelback. I was also proud to be recognized by Biz New Orleans as one of its New & Notables and to have our mission highlighted in the magazine.

While I was meeting and planning for the future with our team, fellows, and community, I often reflected on how far access to funding has moved for entrepreneurs of color and women. While we haven’t seen nearly enough progress, I can’t help but reflect on the idea that this is part of the social justice moment our ancestors fought to see realized. Thriving Black businesses, people of color and women innovating for social change, and all of us working, ruthlessly, for a more equitable world. Our fight to keep the progress we’ve made and take it further is getting harder. We’re seeing a decline in funding for undervalued  entrepreneurs and new and revived barriers to equitable entrepreneurship. It will take greater dedication and collaboration, along with ingenuity and agility to continue to lift up diverse founders. 

My confidence in Camelback’s ability to meet the moment is unmatched. In large part, that’s due to our fearless fellows and community. I have the highest confidence we can reach ambitious goals because of our team and the culture of care, our founder, Aaron Walker built as the foundation of Camelback. Getting to know our remarkable team and understanding their personal stories, it’s clear this is an incredible group that is empowered to be themselves. I’ve heard countless expressions of commitment and openness to Camelback’s mission. Those sentiments are the seeds of innovation. In my experience, with such a passionate and skilled team, there’s no limit to where we can go and grow. 

The current needs and opportunities of social impact innovators shape our priorities. As we look ahead my strategic focus will be on three tranches of action:

  • Deepening relationships
    The benefits of a strong network are many. For our Fellows and organization, a large community opens greater access to resources, knowledge, and opportunities. This was front and center as I connected with many of our amazing Fellows including Tiffany Green from Uprooted Academy, William Jackson from Village of Wisdom, Aimee Eubanks Davis from Braven,  Kathryn Breish from GoPursue, Larry Irvin from Brothers Empowered to Teach, and Byron Arthur from The Arthur School. 

    We are steadfast in our commitment to nurture the relationships we have and continue the work of Capital Collaborative and Guardian Summit, which are needed to build stronger connections with the philanthropic community and increase support for our fellows as they grow their organizations and strengthen their impact.  Our dedicated community is undoubtedly the mighty force needed to drive our mission and work at this moment in time. Our collective action and coalition building are needed because we can achieve more together.

  • Heightened collaboration
    Our next phase of growth will require even greater collaboration. It’s an acceleration of the path we’ve been on to not simply support entrepreneurs but to redefine the landscape in which they do business. I’m energized by the ongoing support and conversations with existing partners like Margulf Foundation, Paula Sneed and Lawrence Bass, and others.  We’ll be exploring innovative ways to connect our initiatives and the people in our community to collaborate at new levels. Closer collaboration is where we’ll find our strength and growth.

  • Fortifying operations
    A highly talented team can soar when they have clear goals and supportive processes. We have a tremendous foundation that’s been built in the past nine years. As we look to the future and seek to achieve new ambitious goals we’ll continue to strengthen our operational infrastructure and capacity to support our growing organization and community.  

We know that progress is never a straight line. As we commit to these actions, we’ll celebrate gains and own up to missteps. I know that our community will support us while holding us accountable for carrying out our vision for a more equitable entrepreneurship ecosystem. I welcome all of you on this journey as we forge ahead together.

In community,

-Shawna

Camelback Ventures New CEO - First 100 Days: Shawna Young

 

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from the ceo, perspectivesShawna Young#camelbackfam, #ruthlessforgood