Taj Eldridge, senior director of investments at LACI, observes that talent is universal but opportunity is not. He’s working to change this in many ways, most recently by launching a new $250 million fund called Include Ventures that’s focused on underrepresented entrepreneurs and investors.
“Some of the founders I talked to have said they don’t want to get funding just because they’re Black,” Eldridge told the L.A. Venture podcast. “And my thing is, well, I’ve seen the opposite side of it. I’ve seen not getting money because I’m Black. So, you know, right now, let’s just move things forward.”
For today’s curation of must-read tech and innovation articles, the Plug In South LA Beat, we go inside Eldridge’s approach to reducing the wealth gap — and its close connection to clean tech:
Photo: Taj Eldridge. Credit: Valence