📢 HCP Newsletter: Celebrating Black Excellence at the White House 🏛️ – February 2024
Harlem Capital’s monthly recap on our portfolio companies, industry news, events & beyond! 🏎️💨
The Headlines 🗞️
⚖️ Harlem Capital Heads to the White House
While we celebrate and embody the spirit of black excellence every day, we’d be remiss not to mention the momentous Black History Month we experienced.
Last week, MP Jarrid Tingle traveled to the nation's capital to speak on a panel at the White House. Jarrid joined other Black entrepreneurs to celebrate the achievements of Black male leaders across a variety of fields, including professional sports, media, academia, and finance.
This incredible invitation comes shortly after both Jarrid and our other MP Henri Pierre-Jacques had the opportunity to meet President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden in person. The significance of these events is not lost on us as we continue to further our mission of changing the face of entrepreneurship by investing in diverse ideas, people, and companies.
Check out the official White House briefing on the panel here!
🦄 Diving Deep into Diversity: Unicorn Trailblazers
HCP’s 2023 Diverse Unicorn Report highlights the journeys and profiles of the 38 Black and Latino-founded unicorns since 2013. The report highlights notable trends like the linear progression of time between deal rounds and the prevalence of engineering and computer science degrees among founders. The report also features interviews with founders providing perspective on their paths to success.
Read our full blog post here.
💯 Partners Propelling Change
Congrats to Jarrid, Henri, and Brandon on being recognized among the 58 Black investors driving change in VC by Business Insider! The article highlights the Black venture capitalists who remain steadfast in their commitment to supporting founders of color in the startup ecosystem. Read more about the Black investors changing the venture capital industry here.
Henri and Jarrid were also named to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Capitalism (DEIC) Power100 List presented by Blueprint Capital Advisors! The list recognizes the icons, advocates, and asset managers who are “changing the face of capital and entrepreneurship.” This honor rounds out an incredibly notable and truly blessed Black History Month for the Harlem Capital team.
Portfolio News 🏆
📦 Storage for Your Stuf Reimagined
Commercial Observer did a deep dive with Stuf CEO Katharine Lau, who’s utilizing unused spaces in office buildings for convenient, high-end storage solutions that can be accessed through an app. Inspired by modern brands like Warby Parker and Allbirds, Stuf aims to revolutionize the self-storage experience, bringing the space into the 21st century.
🔓 Next Level Work Perks
Compt's must-read Lifestyle Benefits Benchmarking 2024 Report unveils the significant shifts in HR, emphasizing culture reinvention, mental health focus, and broker-led innovation. An essential guide for forward-thinking culture shapers and people leaders embracing the future of work.
✈️ Breaking Down Borders & Barriers in Commerce
OpenBorder announced a $10M Seed Round led by Peak XV (formerly Sequoia) earlier this month! The platform provides e-commerce merchants instant access to international customers through the automation of logistical needs. OpenBorder’s goal is to help merchants tap into the $2 trillion cross-border market, leveraging partnerships and AI to optimize performance and reduce costs.
Harlem Capital Related 🚀
🌉 SF Nights with Our Founders
There’s nothing quite like breaking bread with our portfolio company founders – this time in SF! Brandon organized the night, filled with brilliant conversations and delicious eats in the city by the bay. We loved connecting IRL with our West Coast founders to kick off the new year.
☀️ A Miami Meeting of the Minds
On the other side of the country, Henri hosted a lunch for our Miami founders. Miami has quickly become a hub for HCP with seven founders located in the 305, compared to zero just three years ago. Miami now closely follows SF and NYC for us, showing the staying power of its tech boom.
🎤 Opportunity Miami: A Masterclass
HCP momentum in Miami hit a fever pitch as Henri hopped on Opportunity Miami’s live audience podcast to talk about all things Harlem Capital and our mission to change the face of entrepreneurship. Check out the full conversation here!
🚨 Jobs in VC 🧑🏾💻
Nicole’s weekly VC jobs roundup ➡ shoot your shot!
Jobs at HCP portfolio companies harlem.capital/jobs.
Helpful Resources 💯
Thought exercise: Take AI out of your pitch deck. Would it still be a good business?
The state of B2B contracts in 2024: Growth Unhinged 📈📈
The real-life data behind B2B contracts in 2024.
Industrial Resilience: General Catalyst ⚒️⚒️
Investing in infrastructure, supply chain, and manufacturing in the digital age.