Introducing Cohort 4 of the Capital Collaborative by Camelback Ventures
Camelback Ventures is proud to welcome our fourth cohort of Capital Collaborators as part of our Capital Collaborative program - a racial affinity cohort for mid- to senior-level white leaders from grantmaking foundations and corporations focused on making funding networks more diverse and funding processes more equitable. Over a 7-month period, these philanthropic leaders will engage in an immersive, thoughtful, and action-oriented curriculum where they will explore, learn, challenge and support each other, while taking ownership of undoing unequal systems and unlearning their own biases.
Cohort 4 Capital Collaborators
Collaborators are listed alphabetically by name, and share details as provided by leaders. Our fourth staff Capital Collaborate cohort has six collaborators, including:
AMBER ROOS senior director of Altria
Amber on why she joined the Capital Collaborative Cohort: “To deepen my understanding and increase the tools in my toolbox to affect positive outcomes in racial justice, both professionally and personally.”
What is something you are looking forward to working on or accomplishing with this group? “I look forward to working on my own awareness, my courage through vulnerability to have hard conversations and challenge my own thinking, approach, and ability to build bridges for systems change.”
KATHRYN FESSLER senior director of community impact at Altria
Kathryn on why she joined the Capital Collaborative Cohort: “I’ve worked in the philanthropy and nonprofit sectors for a long time – my entire career between the two. Both the promise and challenges in our shared civic life have matured over that time. The Collaborative is a community of learning and practice that can help our sector support our partners better in realizing the promise across the complexities of 21st-century life; specifically, more of our communities becoming places where everyone can thrive.”
What is something you are looking forward to working on or accomplishing with this group? “With my co-Collaborators and supported by the entire Camelback community, I hope to broaden my perspective on what’s newly possible in philanthropy through today’s innovations, sharpen my thinking and skills, and unlock deeper, more effective contributions to community change from me, my team and my organization.”
MEG LONG managing director of learning, evaluation, & measurement at Blue Meridian Partners
Meg on why she joined the Capital Collaborative Cohort: “An accountability buddy at Blue Meridian Partners is an alum of the program and highly recommended the experience. Gaining additional external support is something I have been longing for, for a long time!”
What is something you are looking forward to working on or accomplishing with this group? “Taking time away from daily efforts and work to really restock on energy and time to advance this work forward. Also figuring out ways to engage our investors, investee, and other internal and external partners in this racial equity work in a way that meets them where they are but allows us to move collectively forward.”
TERESA POWER portfolio director of Blue Meridian Partners
Teresa on why she joined the Capital Collaborative Cohort: “Three of my colleagues were in the last cohort and they spoke so highly of the experience. I was inspired when they told me about work they advanced in the past year that they would not have pushed forward if they had not participated in the cohort.”
What is something you are looking forward to working on or accomplishing with this group? “I’d like to understand more about how systemic racism has influenced philanthropy and how I might inadvertently be perpetuating it.”
“I am excited to be working with this group of funders dedicated to centering racial justice and community voices in their work,” said Hannah Whisler, Capital Collaborative Senior Lead. “At a time when many organizations are pulling back from previous commitments, it's so energizing to find new folks to work alongside. With this fourth cohort, I look forward to continuing to dream up ways - big and small - to take action to diversify power in funding.”
To date, Camelback Ventures has engaged nearly 50 foundation leaders and resource allocators to increase fairness in funding by diversifying their networks and equitably investing in BIPOC leaders and their ventures.
You can learn more about The Capital Collaborative by Camelback Ventures and meet past Collaborators. Interested in learning more about our next Capital Collaborative cohort and how you can get involved? Submit an interest form or sign up for the newsletter.