Camelback Ventures is proud to welcome our first cohort of 2023 education and conscious tech innovators to the #CamelbackFam!
Read More“To move towards building more equitable systems, we must also be willing to take a deep look at our history. The value of knowing your history is like a bow and arrow, you must pull back to be able to spring forward. We must pull back and really acknowledge the ways different groups of people have historically been (and continue to be) marginalized, in order to spring forward and build a future that centers the liberation of us all.”
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“…the system that currently governs how philanthropy flows upholds white supremacy. And if everyday citizens and communities of color don’t know how that system works—or, more accurately, doesn’t work—we can’t agitate, advocate for, imagine, design, or demand change to a system that quietly affects us all.”
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“St. Louis Black Authors of Children’s Literature began by supporting the work of local Black self-published authors, providing avenues to get their books in the hands of children. Our core goal is to ensure Black children are getting quality books and Black authors are being supported and valued.”
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“I hope to leave a legacy of commitment to community wellness, to democratizing access to health and well-being, and to approaching complex crises with an intersectional, cross-disciplinary methodology.”
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“Across the Deep South, we see examples of foundations and philanthropists creating complicated grant applications and reporting requirements in order to dole out small sums of money to communities upon whose backs their wealth was built in the first place. Imagine the trauma of applying for funds from a foundation that bears the name of the people that enslaved your ancestors. And then being forced to center the shortcomings of your community in order to convince them that your request is justified.”
Read More“Given the current youth mental health crisis, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, it has never been more evident that adolescents and young adults are in desperate need of authentic, fun, and culturally-relevant ways to learn about their emotions. We built ThinkHuman to meet young people right where they are (on streaming sites) to help address this need.”
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“I did not become a co-founder of Collective Climb out of an initial desire to be an entrepreneur. What started off as an informal practice became something important to the lives of young people and their families in my community. In essence, I entered the entrepreneurial space because it became a necessity to expand these efforts and because I couldn't see myself doing anything else.”
Read More“I hope that future generations will be active and equal co-creators in building communities that serve everyone equitably. If they are, I believe we’ll see governments, nonprofits, and businesses that are not only responsive to community needs, but proactively collaborating with their communities to promote the common good.”
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“I hope to democratize information about the criminal legal system and contribute to increasing transparency and accountability.”
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“I had aspired to become a foreign service officer and ambassador, but due to changing budgets and presidencies, my dream got derailed. I looked inward and thought about the problems that I wanted to solve as a second-generation American. I came to the conclusion that I could best use my talents to support nonprofits and healthcare organizations that work with communities like the one I come from by giving them access to tools and support they otherwise would not have.”
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“Racism works to separate people - to undermine human relationships through fear, violence, and misinformation. Relationships are an antidote to these insidious, confusing ideas and building them is an essential skill in order for racial equity in philanthropy to become reality.”
Read More“Since creating FLi Sci, I’ve been able to have far more meaningful engagement with the people I love the most in the world who give me hope: other FLi students of color. In all of my interactions with them, I am reminded of the strengths of my community—and how the challenges they face are systemic and structural, not intrinsic or individual.”
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“I think what is so unique about us is that we build with the community we serve and not for them. We believe in speaking Truth to power, disrupting corrupt systems, and the power that parents have when they activate their advocacy on behalf of their children and all children.”
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As you embark on your entrepreneurial journey, it is always helpful to learn from those who have come before you. Here are seven tips from Camelback Fellows to motivate you to keep pushing forward.
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“Unlocked Labs is my opportunity to provide even a measure of that support to all Justice Involved Individuals. Because we all deserve to be supported. We all are worthy of the opportunity to realize our potential and become our fullest selves.”
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“Money is constantly flowing and it is unbelievably abundant…when it is not being hoarded. In a capitalist society where folks are ‘perishing on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity’, love looks like access to abundant capital.”
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“I love that I have the ability to work alongside my team to bring innovative solutions to today's most pressing problems like literacy.”
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“When we incorrectly label the money in foundations and donor-advised funds as still belonging to the founders, we then also act like the money – and the foundation – belong to them, which perpetuates a concentration of power at odds with our sector’s aims. Words matter. Our words influence who holds power.”
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"I've embraced an entrepreneurial mindset to mitigate a life of risks. I am sharing the factors I use now for early and mature founders alike -- this framework has kept me focused, sane, and committed."
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