Meet Camelback's 2021 Capital Collaborators: Lauren Rush
What drew you to participate in Camelback Ventures’ 2021 Capital Collaborative?
I was drawn to participate in the Capital Collaborative out of a desire to more intentionally support The Mind Trust’s efforts to empower education leaders of color in Indianapolis through our investments and awards. Our organizational budget has doubled in the last 5 years and we have the opportunity to award significant resources in Indianapolis education leaders and nonprofits. If guided by our organizational DEI commitments, I’m confident that these investments present an opportunity to create a more antiracist education community in Indianapolis. Through participation in the Capital Collaborative, I hope to grow in my own leadership such that I can better support The Mind Trust’s efforts - working to ensure that, internally and externally, we’re an organization that is constantly seeking to amplify the power of leaders of color.
What has the highlight of the program been for you so far?
It has been inspiring and uplifting to engage with other white leaders from across the country who are similarly interested in redistributing power and interrogating the way things are and have been done within the funding space. I’m grateful for the space to honestly reflect on failings and shortcomings, with an optimism that, as we know better, we can do better.
Why do you believe it is important for white people in particular to do anti-racism work?
White people continue to hold disproportionate power and, relatedly, access to resources in our country and it's incumbent on us to examine - at a personal level and a systems level - how our actions serve to preserve or disrupt that imbalance. We should listen to, learn from, and follow the leads of people of color, while at the same time not expecting them to be solely responsible for undoing the racist systems and structures that our ancestors built with such intentionality. Racism was created for and by white people and we must participate actively in dismantling it.
What is one action you plan to take in the near future to drive racial equity in your role?
As The Mind Trust and individual leaders from across the team engage in organizational level and personal goal setting for the next year, I plan to support other leaders on the team to consider how goals align with our organizational DEI commitments and pursuit of antiracism. In many areas, we’re already great at viewing our work from an equity-lense perspective, but in some areas we may miss opportunities to make important strides.
What is something you’ve learned that you were excited to share with colleagues, friends, and/or family?
I was blown away by the reflections shared by Dr. Will Jackson of Village of Wisdom and couldn’t wait to share with my colleagues and my husband. Specifically, I was taken by the depths and specificity of Will’s reflections around how his upbringing impacted his beliefs and the way that he approached his role as an educator. The connections that he was able to draw between implicit and explicit lessons he learned from his parents and the way that he then, as an educator, approached his work, was remarkable and a reminder that, to really understand the harmful ideas that I may hold I should examine my past and how it has shaped me. Also, his humility was refreshing and an important reminder for those in justice work to not be self-righteous.
Camelback Ventures’ Capital Collaborative works with white funders and social impact investors who want to deepen their individual and organizational commitment to racial and gender equity — but may not know how. Our unique approach brings together a community of white accomplices to engage in an introspective and concrete curriculum, to diversify their networks and make their grantmaking processes more equitable. You can learn more and sign up for Camelback Ventures’ next Capital Collaborative here.