Included VC, the first global initiative of its kind creating diversity within venture capital supported by 12 world-class funds and 100 community partners, today announces the success of its second grant. From inception to completion of the fellowship, of the 29 fellows actively seeking positions at VC, 22 (76%) have secured job opportunities, thus far, in just nine months to date. That’s nearly half (49%) of the total 45 Included VC fellows securing careers in the global venture capital ecosystem since the fully funded, nine-month program began.
The international collaboration of global venture capital partners supporting the Included VC Fellowship’s mission to shape a more diverse future in the industry are Creandum, Daphni, HSBC Ventures, Kaya VC, K-Fund, Mangrove Capital Partners, Mouro Capital (formerly Santander Innoventures), M12 – the venture fund of Microsoft, Notion Capital, Seedcamp and Wilson Sonsini. So far, HV Capital has joined as new partners for the third scholarship in 2022.
The included VC has proven to be an accessible alternative to the traditional MBA route to venture capital as the world’s only scholarship for diverse people. Fellows have once again demonstrated a remarkable track record of success from acceptance to employment within the ecosystem. Surprisingly, in just nine months, 22 of the 29 (76% to date) who continue to aspire to a career in VC out of a total of 45 fellows (still the 49% who started the program) have accepted opportunities directly through the second scholarship with even more to announce in the pipeline before scholarship III. Fellows come out equipped for top-tier companies, joining Founders Factory, Capital T, Atomico, Octopus Ventures, Frontline, Warner Ventures, and OmniAfrica.
The included VC provides opportunities for those experiencing underrepresentation or disadvantage, allowing them to overcome traditional barriers and access careers in the venture capital ecosystem. Chris Tottman, Founder of Included VC and General Partner of Notion, said: “The fellows’ achievements are remarkable and could not be possible without the invaluable time and resources of our global partners. A truly diverse venture capital ecosystem can only be achieved achieve through real commitments to attract people from underrepresented communities, connect them to the incredible networks that exist and provide the necessary professional support they need to transform the industry. ”
The second scholarship leads Included VC from proof of concept to a proven leader in international business education, having once again demonstrated that there are credible and alternative pathways to venture capital. By combining fully funded learning, business coaching, and industry networking, today’s achievements show results that even expensive MBA programs and paid scholarships, some in excess of $ 80K USD, cannot meet on the job. post-scholarship within a competitive and often exclusive job market.
Included VC’s ongoing mission is to change the face of the venture capital industry with impactful scholarships that dramatically increase diversity. Fellowship II represented an even greater number of nationalities, representative of an increasingly diverse cohort of individuals, including 25 nationalities, from 21 countries that called 31 cities around the world home. Ultimately, funds benefit through stronger community networks and global talent that improve origination, deal flow, and returns on investment, all bolstered by equal opportunity access. Of the 45 Fellows, between the ages of 19 and 45, 31% are black, 31% Asian and 12% are mixed race, while 52% of the Fellows are women, 30% are neurodiverse, 15% are disabled and 17% are from the LGTBQIA + community.
Sharing a commitment to positively shape the future of venture capital, Included VC is backed by a global collaboration of 12 international venture capitals and 100 community partners. Together they enable the next generation of investors, opening doors to those who otherwise would not have had access, supporting the discovery and development of global talent. Incoming inquiries to Included VC continue to increase as the number of 50 community partners last year rapidly doubled year over year. Included VC has previously worked with dozens of global advocacy and advocacy organizations with broad networks in the communities they serve.
Nikita Thakrar, Co-Founder and CEO of Included VC, said: “An overwhelming number of 2nd Included VC scholarship, from all backgrounds and corners of the world, have been placed in top-tier positions within the VC ecosystem. Fellowship II demonstrated a growing global presence and Included VC will expand for the third consecutive year the next Fellowship cohort again, doubling last year’s total to welcome 100 new Fellows, multiplying the number of people represented and the impact that the experience can bring to empower the next generation to drive change in VC. Today’s fellows are and will continue to be part of the family around the world that gets ignored founder agreements and impacts hiring positively, for diversity. ”
Matt Goldstein, Founding Partner and UK Leader of M12, said: “Preparing people for a career in the company is admirable, but aligning employers to hire them thereafter is revolutionary. The included VC focuses on the broader education and employment portfolio, and they know there are biases at every stage. By securing industry partners to move fellows into investment roles, Included VC will drive more meaningful change. ”
Ore Adeyemi, MD and Head of Strategic Investments in Innovation (SII) at HSBC, said: “For us, it was important to find a partner that was taking concrete steps to provide training resources and access to industry professionals to underrepresented groups, with the goal of increasing representation in the venture capital industry. A little piece of advice I would give to fellows is to stay ready – always be ready to seize the right opportunity when it comes your way, stepping in and stepping forward, and always be ready to work. ”
Applications are now open and due to demand, Included VC has now doubled its income capacity, providing 100 places for those with a passion for technology, entrepreneurship and venture capital, a belief in the potential of VC to effect change and personal commitment to progress.
Extraordinary entrepreneurs and inclusive team players are eligible for the fully funded nine-month scholarship. The diversity requirement is not exhaustive, but it captures gender, ethnicity, non-typical titles, intergenerational diversity, disability, neural diversity, and applicants from excluded communities, such as refugees and former prisoners.
