Noramay Cadena

Amplifying this effort from the folks at Engine | Advocacy & Foundation: Startup founders of color continue to face profound obstacles to securing the capital they need across all funding streams. Congress can act by passing legislation to ensure that founders of color are better able to access loans and equity capital. We’re asking founders and ecosystem partners of color to sign on to our letter asking policymakers to pass two pieces of legislation that will encourage investment in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), and raise the permitted size of, and the number of permitted accredited investors in, 3(c)(1) investment funds so that more diverse founders are funded.  https://lnkd.in/g_kAqHcb

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Leigh Morgan Madilyn Pawlowski Emily Parkhurst Abigail Franco Yoko Miyashita and Leigh McMillan came into the University of Washington to share why they like to be a leader 🔹 Being Entrepreneurial is a mindset — It can be learned. 🔹 Align your work with the right incentives— Pay attention to misaligned incentives 🔹 Stay resilient and confident—Many of us face imposter syndrome, but embracing challenges head-on and thriving in uncertainty leads to success. 🔹Celebrate small wins is crucial in keeping momentum. Leaders have to do this. A simple thank you can go along way. 🔹 Use your voice in a helpful way—Women’s insights matter yet we don't always share our voice. For example, women are less likely to speak to journalists. 🔹Leadership journeys are unique—No path is linear. Be in positive environments where people support each other.

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Sounds like an amazing #vacancy to work on the intersection of systemic #riskassessment and #nature. I love their explicit wording: "ASRA is founded on a set of principles including non-human sanctity. Incorporating nature into #riskanalysis is not merely a matter of #environmental #stewardship or human self-preservation. #Naturecentric approaches attribute intrinsic value to all living organisms and ecosystems, independent of their utility to humans. This perspective recognizes the #interconnectedness of all life forms and the importance of preserving the integrity and health of other #species and #ecosystems for their own sake, and not just as a resource for humans. This approach involves evaluating the impacts of human activities on #biodiversity, #habitat #connectivity, and #ecological #processes."

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Early this year, in a conversation prompted by the announcement of Techstars’ departure from Seattle, Jesse R. Canedo asked me what are the biggest challenges for founders in Seattle. Where does our startup ecosystem need to focus resources to best support new ventures at the earliest stages? I realized I didn’t really know. Of course I could share the basic ingredients of any functioning entrepreneurial ecosystem, but my experience of the fundraising environment in this area has mostly been on the other side of the table. I decided to talk to some founders, and I discovered they had a lot to say (I was as surprised as you). I’ve summarized the conversations here, and if you’re at all interested in the state of early stage venture in our region I hope you’ll take a look. Some interesting points: -Money is a need, yes, but the #1 thing founders felt they lacked here was community across different levels of entrepreneurial success and between founders and investors -We have a lot of pre-seed VCs but not a lot of pre-seed checks -For the most part the founders I interviewed declined to name specific investors. However, there were two notable exceptions: by far the most frequent was First Row Partners. Despite several of the founders actually being rejected by the fund, literally every single mention (nearly 50% of my conversations) was highly positive and expressed gratitude for the help and support provided by Yoko Okano and Minda Brusse. The other VC mentioned by name, also positively, was Ascend VC, with founders expressing appreciation for the fund’s efforts to build community and connect networks. Finally, while they understandably requested anonymity, a huge thank you to the founders and others who took time to speak with me so frankly about their experiences and opinions. I appreciate you. **If you’re curious, the image I used was created with Microsoft Designer using the prompt “Cave painting style representation of a female startup founder in Seattle”. I was mostly just playing around with the tool but this image was so delightfully weird that I needed to share it. You’re welcome.** https://lnkd.in/g6hadENz

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True partnerships are transformative catalysts for change. They transcend mere funding, embracing deep listening, dynamic collaboration, and vibrant community-building. Recent experiences at the MARGULF FOUNDATION Grantee Convening, Culture Shifting Summit, EdLoC, and Google Impact Summit have reignited my passion for reimagining how funders can evolve to genuinely empower social impact leaders. In my latest Camelback Ventures blog, I dive into the heart of this crucial conversation: ➡️ How can we build partnerships that fuel innovation? ➡️ What does holistic support for entrepreneurs of color and women really look like? ➡️ How might we create an ecosystem where visionary ideas thrive? Join me in exploring how we can reshape the landscape of social impact. Together, we can craft a future where diverse voices lead the charge in solving our most pressing challenges. Read the full article and let's continue this vital dialogue. How are you reimagining partnerships in your work? 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eW7UrGXu #SocialImpact #EquitablePartnerships #InnovationInFunding #DiversityInEntrepreneurship #SystemicChange

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✨ PDM Consulting: 2024 Year-In-Review As 2025 approaches, we’re proud to celebrate a year of transformative work, meaningful partnerships, and impactful advocacy. From designing custom trainings to advancing critical conversations at the intersections of social justice, PDM Consulting is honored to have collaborated with many passionate changemakers. Here’s a look back at the highlights of our year. 🌟 2024 Highlights 🚀 Key Milestones - Expert Facilitation: Delivered 20+ tailored lectures, workshops, and trainings on DEI, LGBTQ+ justice, health equity, and reproductive health/rights/justice. - Powerful Advocacy: Supported organizations in creating strategies that centered equity, inclusion, and justice across industries. - Community Impact: Partnered with nonprofits, labor unions, and advocacy groups to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and participate in digital brainstorms for moving forward technologically. 📣 Speaking Engagements -Keynote presentations at national conferences, including a standout performance at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research’s 2024 Power+ Summit, where we focused on intersectionality in the movement for reproductive rights and justice. - Panelist for critical conversations on post-election on LGBTQ+ advocacy in a changing landscape. 💼 Trusted Partnerships - Worked with 10+ diverse clients, from corporations to nonprofit organizations providing consulting that fostered organizational growth and deeper alignment with social justice principles. 📊 By the Numbers - 10+ Clients served across nonprofits, corporations, and advocacy organizations. - 20+ Events where Preston Mitchum delivered keynote addresses or served as a panelist. - Positive Feedback from clients, highlighting our expertise, professionalism, and tailored approach. ✨ Looking Ahead to 2025 As we step into the new year, we’re more determined than ever to champion: -Racial and Reproductive Justice: Voting rights; Economic Empowerment; Abortion Access; Contraceptive Equity - Gender Equity: Fighting against Sexual Assault and Gender-Based Violence; Protecting against Discrimination; Promoting Title IX - LGBTQ+ Liberation: Ensuring Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender and Nonbinary People; Supporting Mental Health Funding and Services; Ensuring Previous Legal Protections To all our clients, collaborators, and supporters—thank you for trusting us and joining us on this journey. Let’s continue creating sustainable, impactful change together. 📩 Ready to Work Together? Let’s connect in 2025 to bring your vision to life. In solidarity, Preston Mitchum Founder & CEO, PDM Consulting

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I have a podcast. If you’re into that sort of thing. It’s not good. But it is consistent. Every week. Wherever you listen to podcasts that are actually good. #podcast #pdx #portland #startups https://lnkd.in/g3gAhurv

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How to Raise a Series A in 2024: What Founders Should Know. The venture capital market may be stabilizing, but raising a Series A is still tough. Here’s how founders can navigate today’s challenges: 1. Start Early: Begin fundraising with 12-15 months of runway left. Investors recommend prepping your business model and metrics at least 12-18 months in advance. 2. Focus on Metrics: Investors are prioritizing profitability and customer retention. A strong product-market fit is essential. Founders need to demonstrate a clear path to profitability and solid unit economics. 3. Prepare Your Pitch: Decks should emphasize the team’s strengths, market potential, and customer acquisition costs. Metrics, not flashy presentations, will secure the funding. P.S. When do you plan to start your Series A journey? Learn more about how we are helping Startups raise Series A: https://lnkd.in/dKFgJcbF #StartupFunding #SeriesA #VentureCapital

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What does access to capital mean to you? 💸 For me, it’s about leveling the playing field and creating opportunities for folks who have been historically marginalized. More financial literacy. More programs and grant funding to support female and underrepresented founders. Thank you to Derrick Tang at IBank California for the opportunity to share my experience and insights with the entire team at IBank for a half hour panel discussion with two other incredibly bright and successful leaders Lauren Faber O’Connor at Lowercarbon Capital and Sam Polk, CFA, CEO of Everytable. Special thanks to Shrina Kurani for recommending me!! We discussed where we have seen the impact/consequence of lack of access to capital and where there is need for greater access/investment. My biggest point of view that I emphatically communicated: More non-dilutive capital for early stage founders!! And within 20 years, I want to see a fully transformed energy grid. That’s not much to ask, is it?! #climate #founders #accesstocapital

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To help bridge the information gap between founders & investors, Nick Khormaei & I built a comprehensive map of the Seattle venture ecosystem. Check out the slide deck below for a breakdown and reach out to us if you'd like to see our full data-set!

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Rukaiyah Adams - A Masterclass in Transformative Impact! I've spent two decades watching leaders talk about change, but today I want to celebrate someone who's actually making it happen. Rukaiyah Adams, through her visionary 1803 Fund, isn't just breaking barriers – she's rewriting the entire playbook for community investment. Here's what makes her work extraordinary: In a landscape where we often hear about initiatives that merely scratch the surface, Adams has orchestrated over $8 million in direct investment into Black Portland's future. This isn't just writing checks – it's architecting generational wealth creation in a community that has historically been denied access to capital. What strikes me most is her embodiment of the principle "lift as you climb." While many successful executives might be content with personal achievement, Adams has chosen to build an elevator rather than just climbing the ladder alone. The 1803 Fund represents more than capital deployment; it's a blueprint for how intentional investment can transform communities. To my fellow business leaders: This is what real impact looks like. It's measurable, scalable, and deeply rooted in community needs. Adams shows us that when we align capital with community vision, we don't just fund projects – we fund possibilities. Rukaiyah Adams truly represents our ancestors' wildest dreams realized. But more importantly, she's busy making dreams possible for the next generation. This is leadership. This is legacy. This is how we create lasting change. #LeadershipInAction #CommunityInvestment #TransformativeImpact #BlackExcellence #WealthCreation #Portland #1803Fund #InvestingInCommunity

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#Eval24 is 1 week away! Will you be there? In this month's newsletter we make it easy for you to see where the Social Finance TIG will be and when, and how to stay connected while you're at the conference. #AEASFTIG

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Join us for a candid and eye-opening conversation with Kim Havens and Noa Ries, the dynamic co-founders of Kahilla, as they share their journey of navigating the challenging waters of fundraising while building a thriving B2B platform focused on women's professional development. From bootstrapping to securing seed funding, these powerhouse founders offer unfiltered insights and game-changing strategies. Drawing on their experience of transitioning from a hybrid in-person and digital community to a digital B2B platform, Kim and Noa break down the realities of fundraising as female founders. They share how they secured investments primarily through cold outreach—proving that warm introductions aren’t always necessary for success! Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll learn: ✅ How to craft compelling cold emails that get responses ✅ Balancing fundraising with business growth ✅ Building authentic investor relationships ✅ Navigating gender bias in fundraising conversations Don’t miss their practical wisdom on topics ranging from pitch preparation to co-founder dynamics. Kim and Noa have transformed their passion for women’s professional development into a scalable business solution, and they’re sharing the real-world strategies that helped them create impact and secure investment. This episode is packed with actionable advice for founders at any stage of their fundraising journey. Tune in this week for a must-listen conversation on fundraising, scaling, and breaking barriers as female founders. #fundraising #womenintech #hackingthepatriarchy #hackingthepatriarchypodcast #podcastconversations #startuplife #femalefounders #womeninbusiness #venturecapital #startup #businessgrowth #womensupportingwomen #businessstrategy #investinwomen

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Everyone loves an underdog. I find this story a delight, it's inspiring and a reminder to have & express #gratitude for the people that have given me much needed shots along the way. It's about Wesley Chan a.k.a VC unicorn (and decacorn) spotter, and his (less talked about) personal story. 💪 Learning #Fortitude: Raised by a hard-working immigrant family taught him to recognize nuances and be #adaptable. His parents split and he was raised by his mother. He worked three jobs in high school - parking lot attendant, a waiter and a dishwasher in a lab at the California Institute of Technology. He got the lab dishwashing job via a Craigslist ad. Ellen Rothenberg, the famed gene biologist was the manager of the lab, and she asked him to read a book on biology. He didn't want to get fired, so read it. He barely took high school biology, but Ellen saw something in him and promoted him to lab bench. Soon enough he was part of a group that discovered a protocol for changing stem cells into red blood cells, and Ellen asked if Chan had thought about college. She called the admissions office and he got into MIT (Harvard said no), bad grades and all. He talks with vulnerability about being an outsider in the business, specifically being part of the tiny LGBTQ+ community in venture capital, trying to build deal flow and the difficulties faced when you don't fit into the country club mold. That's one of the reasons he started FPV Ventures two years ago, with Pegah Ebrahimi. They both have unconventional backgrounds, and with that, bring a unique investing style. He focuses on backing founders with grit and non-traditional backgrounds. “Our founders happen to be underrepresented minorities or women, and the really fascinating theme that I keep hearing is that they feel people misunderstand them,” Chan said. “We find founders who have the drive to succeed and have this amazing combination of humility and success. They also make sure that all their people are taken care of.” 🔁 Christine Hall TechCrunch #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #Startup #unicorn #underdog

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🌟 30 Days of Startup Gratitude: Honoring David Cohen - Day 12 🌟 Today, I want to shine a spotlight on David Cohen cofounder of Techstars, and express my heartfelt gratitude for his incredible generosity and leadership. Techstars is built on the motto "Give First," and David exemplifies how this is not just a slogan but a way of life—a principle that drives real action and meaningful impact. Through the amazing ParentPreneur Foundation’s relationship with Techstars I had the opportunity to reach out to David for advice. As a founder, asking for help can be daunting, but David’s response was a testament to the "Give First" philosophy. He didn’t just read my email—he took the time to understand my mission with the LEGACY! Card Game and offered to help spread the word. David encouraged me to send him a flyer and a quick summary of my startup, and he shared it within his network. True to Techstars’ ethos, he turned an ordinary request into extraordinary results. His support opened the door to our very first corporate sponsor, who not only purchased the LEGACY! Card Game for their team but also invited me to speak about my journey—building generational wealth, navigating financial struggles as a Black woman, and how this game helps empower families to build their financial legacies. I’ll share more about that incredible sponsor tomorrow, but today is all about giving flowers to David Cohen. As someone who started with “zero” connections in the startup or financial world, I’ve had to learn how to build a network from scratch. It’s been a challenging journey, but people like David make all the difference. His actions reflect the true spirit of "Give First"—helping others without expecting anything in return, simply because it’s the right thing to do. This generosity is what builds stronger communities and fuels the success of founders like me. 🌺 David, thank you for showing the world that ‘Give First’ is more than a motto—it’s a movement. Your willingness to use your platform to uplift others inspires me to keep pushing forward and pay it forward whenever I can. 🌺 #Gratitude #StartupJourney #GenerationalWealth #LEGACYCardGame #Techstars #GiveFirst #DavidCohen #ParentPreneurFoundation #StartupSupport Learn more about Financial Joy School & LEGACY! Card Game visit https://lnkd.in/en8VGMzM

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Fundraising decks are important but only within the context of a well-orchestrated fundraising process. A deck itself is unlikely to directly lead to a term sheet. Rather, it is important to understand how you want to use the deck (or any collateral for that matter) as part of your fundraise process. For example: - Is it to secure the first meeting with a VC? A teaser deck is important. But so is the email snippet and warm referral! - Is it part of a deeper-dive session about your business? Excellent. Is it a deeper dive on product or GTM? And, is the next step a track to a partnership meeting? - Is it a diligence deck? Excellent. Is it more about showcasing the financial plan and key levers? ... what is the ONE thing you want this deck to help you achieve? More tips on fundraising your early-stage round here: https://lnkd.in/gvWYaCwk #startups #venture #fundraising

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Leeze’s new blog is on system solutions to support minors experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Hint: they are all cross-system and/or multidisciplinary approaches that put the power back in the hands of youth themselves. These approaches all also accept referrals/clients under ALL definitions of homelessness including at risk and unstably housed populations. You can’t effectively serve minors if you’re excluding unstably housed youth and youth at risk of imminently losing their housing. We get asked all the time how to best support minors. Check it out 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

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🌟 Attn Non-Profits: Let's partner for Authentic & Powerful Storytelling! 🌟 We’re excited to announce a bigger vertical at Scopio, designed to empower nonprofits through the art of storytelling. Scopio has worked with UNEP beat plastics campaign, Photographed the Obama's books with the black community, brought in artists to design the float parade in New York and published a historic book on COVID. We are announcing a bigger push for storytelling. Our mission at Scopio is to elevate underrepresented voices by connecting organizations with diverse and talented graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, and videographers. We believe partnering with larger organizations gives people a microphone they never had before, and new voices shows the world new and impactful ideas/humanizes! Why Partner with Scopio? By partnering with Scopio, your nonprofit can: 1. Hire Diverse Creatives: Access a network of skilled artists from various backgrounds. 2. Elevate Your Story: Share your mission and impact through compelling visual narratives. 3. Include more Underrepresented Voices: Help bring the stories of diverse communities to the forefront. We’re launching this initiative with powerful organizations committed to making a difference. Together, we can amplify the voices that matter and create impactful stories that resonate. Interested in Partnering? We invite nonprofits to reach out and join us in this mission. Let's work together to bring storytellers forward and make a lasting impact. Book a time on my Linked in or contact us here: https://lnkd.in/g7rDYzVA #nonprofits #designers #campaigns #Marketing #NGO

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