Mendoza Ventures announces Mendoza Impact, a nonprofit dedicated to closing the diverse founder funding gap

BOSTON, Aug. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mendoza Ventures, a female and Latinx-founded Fintech, AI, and Cybersecurity Venture Capital firm, has launched their new non-profit, Mendoza Impact, to help fund and build the next generation of diverse founders, funders, and VC/PE fund employees. Mendoza Impact builds cohorts of talented individuals to create micro-communities of innovation across the US. As part of the launch, Mendoza Impact hired Jen Hartnett-Bullen as the new Executive Director to build and drive programming, fundraising efforts, and build community across the startup ecosystem.

"Mendoza Impact operates at the intersection of Impact and Venture capital," says Jen Hartnett-Bullen, Executive Director of Mendoza Impact. "The goal is to use donated dollars towards investing in, growing, and developing the next generation of diverse founders, VC employees, and fund managers."

The inaugural diverse founder cohort includes Latino-led Straylight Systems, Black-led Goodfynd, Latina-led Wealthbuild, and Female-led EKOS.AI. This week kicked off with an in-person event at their Boston office. Mendoza Impact will kick off a funders cohort in early 2024 for diverse emerging managers, as they continue the successful diverse MBA fellows program started by Mendoza Ventures, that is now in its third year.

"My goal is to change how capital is distributed across the tech ecosystem," says Senofer Mendoza Founder of Mendoza Impact. "Capital investment should match the make up of its community to start creating impact for those communities."

About Mendoza Ventures
Mendoza Impact is a fintech, AI, and cybersecurity venture fund based in Boston and San Francisco. The firm is run by Adrian and Senofer Mendoza, prior entrepreneurs and veterans of the startup ecosystem. The firm focuses on diversity playing an important role in their investment decisions. Learn more at mendoza-ventures.com.

About Mendoza Impact
Mendoza Impact is a nonprofit dedicated to closing the funding gap across the capital stack. Started in 2023 with the launch of its initial diverse founder cohort fund, the nonprofit will use philanthropic dollars to invest in, and build curriculum for, and establish micro-communities of diverse founders, funders and fellows. Learn more at www.mendozaimpact.org.

Contact

Senofer Mendoza; [email protected]; 617-505-6070

SOURCE Mendoza Ventures