About
Our work focuses on who is making investment decisions and what investment strategies and products are being utilized.
Launched in early 2022, Catalyze is a national nonprofit democratizing access to capital, networks, and resources for Capital Entrepreneurs—investors who are moving capital in innovative and inspiring ways.
Catalyze aims to close financial gaps for underserved entrepreneurs and communities by mobilizing capital for underrepresented and innovative capital providers.
The U.S. capital ecosystem is broken. Under-representation within asset management is a problem worth addressing, especially when diverse investors are 2–3x more likely than their non-diverse peers to back diverse founders. Moreover, lenders and VCs are not funding 83% of U.S. entrepreneurs—leaving room for better-suited capital solutions.
We believe that mobilizing capital for under-represented investors will increase the flow of capital to underserved founders and communities. Our work focuses on who is making investment decisions and what investment strategies and products are being utilized.
By increasing diversity in the asset management industry, and expanding the use of innovative capital strategies, we believe that there will be a more equitable and efficient flow of capital to historically underrepresented founders and communities across the U.S.
Catalyze Team
Advisory Board
Arbor Lane Consulting
Founder & Principal
Christine Barth
Melissa Bradley
1863 Ventures
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Melissa Cheong
Blackhorn Ventures
Founder & Principal
Advisory Board
Worthmore
Founder & CEO
Rodney Foxworth
Brigette Lumpkins
Bivium Westfuller
Director, Client Portfolio Manager
David Lynn
Mission Driven Finance
Co-Founder & CEO
Funders
Strategic Partners
Partnership Interest