---
title: 'TAO hosts Black Founders Matter Fund event'
date: '2021-02-10T14:57:16-08:00'
type: post
word_count: 234
char_count: 1471
tokens: 305
categories:
  - Events
  - investors
  - Oregon
  - Portland
tags:
  - 'black founder'
  - 'black founders matter'
  - fund
  - 'marceau michel'
  - tao
---

# TAO hosts Black Founders Matter Fund event

If you’re a Black founder seeking venture capital, you may want to look toward a Portland-based fund inspired by the struggles of another Black founder. Marceau Michel knows firsthand the frustrations of raising capital. But that negative experience also served as the motivation to provide a solution for other Black founders: the [Black Founders Matter Fund](https://www.blackfoundersmatter.org/).

> Marceau Michel and Himalaya Rao started this fund after working in venture capital and seeing capital access disparities across communities of color. Marceau Michel was drawn to creating a fund after experiencing first-hand the difficulties of fundraising in a biased investment world. Himalaya Rao previously worked with seven different venture funds to source and screen investment opportunities. It was there that she realized even when there is a willingness to diversify the portfolio, there are significant barriers to achieving that outcome.

TAO will be hosting a discussion with Himalaya and Marceau about these topics, followed by a Q&A session, on February 19, 2021, at 9:00AM. The virtual event is free to attend.

For more information or to RSVP, visit “[Support Equitable Funding with Black Founders Matter](https://web.cvent.com/event/90d21cd4-d6f9-4d0c-9393-efa2b4ae9bdd/summary).”

*\[Full disclosure: Black Founders Matter is a PIE alum. I am the cofounder and general manager of PIE.\]*

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