Ashlee Wisdom, MPH, thank you for sharing these powerful takeaways. The resilience, determination, and vision of Black founders and fund managers were truly inspiring throughout the event. As you so eloquently stated, the companies being built by Black entrepreneurs in healthcare aren’t just “nice-to-have” but necessary. It’s this collective drive that is transforming barriers into opportunities for meaningful change. We couldn’t agree more that mentorship, sponsorship, and community are essential to success. The summit was a testament to the strength of what happens when leaders, founders, and advocates come together to exchange ideas, amplify voices, and invest in one another’s success. Thank you for being part of this important conversation and helping to propel the movement forward. Let’s continue the work and the conversations—together! #BHIS2024 #BreakingBarriers #HealthcareInnovation
I had the privilege to participate in the Black Healthcare & Innovation Summit, hosted by The Leverage Network Inc. The theme was 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴, where we explored ways to overcome the obstacles those of us building and investing in healthcare innovation often face. Here are a few key takeaways: 🔹 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬. Raising capital as black founders is challenging and can take its toll, but what drives us forward is knowing our companies are not “nice-to-have” businesses—they are necessary. Despite the obstacles we face, we are not giving up. Our resilience uniquely positions us to build within healthcare, and we’re well-equipped to succeed. 🔹 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬. Black fund managers also shared the obstacles they face in raising capital. Though they are uniquely positioned to understand the solutions we are building, when they aren’t receiving the funding they need, it trickles down to us as Black founders and CEOs, making it more difficult for us to secure capital for our businesses. 🔹 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐲𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬. We also emphasized the importance of building wealth for the Black community. As Black founders, we’re excited about building companies that make a tangible impact. However, we also look forward to successful exits that place us in a position to invest in other Black entrepreneurs and venture funds that are investing in the future... and not the status quo. 🔹 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬. As Black founders, we need the support of leaders and seasoned executives who are willing to share their expertise and lessons learned. Mentors who've walked the path we are walking can guide us on what to watch out for, so we can avoid pitfalls and more of us can succeed. Mentorship is necessary, but sponsorship is even more important. As founders we need champions who believe in our vision and believe in us as leaders and are willing to speak our names and mention our companies in rooms we aren't in. Lastly, we discussed the vital importance of building a community of fellow Black founders. This journey isn’t one we can—or should—take alone. Supporting and uplifting one another is essential to our collective success. Thank you, The Leverage Network Inc., for the opportunity to participate in this summit. It was a dynamic and engaging discussion! #HealthEquity #BlackFounders #TheLeverageNetwork #BlackHealthcareInnovationSummit