I love startup folks. They’re creative. And resilient. And optimistic. And when one path doesn’t pay off, they’ll quickly start right down another one. So it should come as no surprise that two Portland founders—both representing notoriously under funded demographics among the ranks of venture capital funded startups—would look for an opportunity to fund their companies in new way. Meet Fund a Founder.
Women and minority founders are at a disadvantage when it comes to funding their startups through traditional venture capital.
Despite the calls to action in the media, the public outcry about these statistics, and slow moving strategic government interventions, black founders and female founders (especially black female founders) struggle to secure the early stage cash needed to nurture their products into the market.
So like entrepreneurs do, these Portland founders are taking a different path. Drawing inspiration from the story of Airbnb’s early funding through Obama O’s, they have launched an apparel line designed to celebrate their peers—and fund startups at the same time.
The apparel, emblazoned with phrases like “Black Founders Matter” and “Fund Female Founders,” went on sale, this week. Starting at around $50 per tshirt, the current line features a variety of styles and price points.
Their goal?
Our goal is to raise $1 million as part of the Fund a Founder campaign. When you buy our limited edition Fund Female Founders and Black Founder Matter products, you raise awareness around the importance of funding women and minority founders, and you have a direct impact on the cash flow of women and minority led ventures.
For more information or to purchase your apparel, visit Fund a Founder. To follow along with the progress of the campaign, follow @fundafounder on Twitter or Instagram.
