Our country has an equitable distribution problem: of the $36 trillion in assets under management in North America, only 1.1% is managed by firms owned by women and people of color. In 2017, only 17% of VC-funded startups had a woman founder and between 2012-2014, startups led by African-American women comprised less than 0.2% of all venture deals. How might we go about tackling this huge gap in equity and ensure that future minority and women entrepreneurs don't face the same funding challenges? The answer lies in cultivating a culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in financial systems and addressing implicit bias in investment behavior. In this panel we will examine the role of DEI in Impact Investing and the importance of creating equitable investment ecosystems for entrepreneurs.



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