Citi Impact Fund

We bridge the financial and cultural divides that have kept low- and moderate-income people of color on the sidelines of the modern economy. We make early-stage investments in tech-driven businesses that create new frameworks of ownership and opportunity within marginalized communities. We also help our founders get traction with institutional investors, who often don’t have the expertise or lived experience in these communities to appreciate the huge opportunities at hand. We know that investing in social impact does not require sacrificing on financial returns. WHY WE DO THIS WORK “IAF came out of a lifetime of straddling two worlds: the world of Section 8 housing, working-class parents, and public assistance where I grew up, and the world of Wall Street and big business that I came to inhabit. It’s about advancing opportunity for black and brown people through foundational change. It’s about building an economy, a world, where people of color are no longer outsiders - where they truly belong.” - Kesha Cash, Founder & General Partner This is morally imperative. Decades of structural racism and oppression have created a major wealth gap for communities of color - and that gap is growing. We are capable of creating a more just and equitable future for these communities, and so that is what we must do. This is smart investing. Traditional investors chronically undervalue or overlook business opportunities in low- and moderate-income communities. This is about all of us. Economic disenfranchisement impacts everyone, not just those of us at the margins. To thrive as a whole society, we must make real economic participation and agency possible for all people of color - entrepreneurs, consumers, workers, everyone. This is personal. Everyone on our team is a person of color, a woman, or both, and many of us come from the kinds of communities our portfolio companies serve. We know what we are capable of, and we live by this truth: “best-in-class” can’t exist without the whole class present. OUR APPROACH “We want to see institutional changes in how products and services are designed, who designs them, and who they are designed for. If we're building companies and products and solutions that affect a community, that community must be drawn into the decision-making process. Is this an unusual or radical proposition? I don't think so.” - Kaiton Williams, Investor & Cultural Technologist speaking before an audience of global corporate directors We invest primarily from Seed to Series B. We focus on companies that are growing quickly, with demonstrated traction in a $1B+ market, and make investments in the range of $250K to $3M. We also provide bridge funding between rounds when we believe that an influx of capital will help a company weather a storm, make key hires, or negotiate better terms. The inherent impact standard. We look for business models whose potential for success is directly linked to their potential for impact at scale. This means that the forces that drive business success must also contribute to increased ownership, opportunity, or other forms of empowerment. We call this connection "inherent impact," and it’s the standard for the depth and durability of the impact we want to have. Lived experience as a competitive advantage. Our entrepreneurs have direct knowledge of the communities, systems, and problems we want to address. This is not an emotional preference on our part. We've learned that founders with lived experience, rather than an outsider's assumptions, have a deeper sense of urgency and are best-equipped to design products with scale and staying power. Technological innovation with thoughtful constraints. Venture-backed startups often achieve their "hockey stick growth" at the expense of the companies themselves and to the communities they intend to serve. We want ethical, inclusive, and sustainable outcomes, so we look for products and services that are built and scaled with careful constraints and dedication to their workers and customers.

Our work directs how capital is formed and distributed to expand opportunities for Black and historically excluded communities. We actively reimagine the innovation economy by developing the next generation of venture capital leaders in communities where entrepreneurs face barriers to accessing capital. Our vision is to build a global innovation economy where Black and historically excluded innovators can boldly create, fail, invest, and thrive. Our origins are rooted in the legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which forged opportunities for Black Americans in a time when our country would not. We are anchored in this intention, and similar to HBCUs, we purposefully extend our support to all overlooked communities, including but not limited to Indigenous, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and undocumented immigrants. We know that innovation lives within us–and has been untapped, underinvested, and ignored for far too long.

Slauson & Co. is a $75M early stage venture capital firm rooted in economic inclusion. The firm is led by Austin Clements and Ajay Relan and focuses on investing SMB Tech, tools that support the next generation of small businesses owners, and culturally relevant consumer products and services, scalable products and services for customers and communities that have historically been underserved or overlooked. Our team believes economic inclusion can be the foundation for strong investment performance. Each partner and advisor has committed capital (financial, social, & political) to improve outcomes in our communities, all the while building and maintaining successful, category-defining businesses. We have a committed investor base of some of the most respected corporations, foundations, creatives, and tech entrepreneurs across the country. We are looking to grow our core investment team and want to hear from you! Learn about us in WSJ, Forbes, and from our perspective.

Our mission is not only to drive returns and create jobs in Tulsa, but also to be an example to the world of inclusion, equality, and equity across all races, genders, educational backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses. We believe in leading by example and are proud of the diversity of our team and our portfolio. Our Team: The team at Atento Capital shares a common goal of doing both good and well. We want to deliver for our shareholders, but we have an equal focus on doing good by our stakeholders. Each team member has a passion for making the world a better place, and we subscribe to the notion that social change can be driven through economic opportunity. We also believe in an inclusive universe of entrepreneurs that reflects the broader diversity of humanity. And we work with passion each day to achieve our goals and turn our dreams into reality. The founding team has a very diverse background, but we are all generalist investors. Our team is a combination of successful entrepreneurs and traditional finance analysts. All of us are competitive and thrive on the process of improvement. We are honored to work at Atento and feel incredibly grateful to work at the crossroads of entrepreneurship, economic development, finance, and social improvement. For us, work is not a chore, it is a passion, and that is the same mindset we look for in all of our partners.

For nearly 30 years, we have successfully identified and cultivated growth-oriented businesses that create good jobs for people living in areas overlooked by traditional VC firms. We finance and help to grow businesses that pay a living wage, provide basic benefits and host a fair and engaging workplace that offers opportunities for training and advancement. We view our investment relationships as collaborative partnerships. In addition to capital investment, we are actively involved in our portfolio companies – bringing our knowledge of socially responsible management practices and working together with our parent company, CEI, to introduce workforce development specialists along with environmental, technical assistance and consulting relationships. We view our investment relationships as collaborative partnerships. In addition to capital investment, we are actively involved in our portfolio companies – bringing our knowledge of socially responsible management practices and working together with our parent company, CEI, to introduce workforce development specialists along with environmental, technical assistance and consulting relationships. We focus our investments on dynamic, socially minded companies that exhibit a dual potential for high growth and positive community impact, particularly those that: Create good jobs and wealth building opportunities for workers with an emphasis on jobs targeted to people with low-to-moderate incomes, in alignment with CEI’s Good Jobs Framework. Are located in markets with more limited access to equity capital including rural areas and small cities. Are led by individuals underserved by the current equity markets, including people of color, women and veterans. Increase the availability of environmentally sustainable products/services that preserve natural resources, reduce waste/pollution or increase the adoption of renewable energy/clean technology. Strong investment candidates will also exhibit: Create good jobs and wealth building opportunities for workers with an emphasis on jobs targeted to people with low-to-moderate incomes, in alignment with CEI’s Good Jobs Framework. Prospects for attractive returns with an appealing market opportunity, realistic projections, appropriate valuation, and pragmatic exit plan. A competitive advantage through proprietary interest in technology, intellectual property, distribution system or other unique attribute. A deep commitment to social benefits including quality employment opportunities and environmental stewardship. Each portfolio company is required to sign a social agreement, securing a commitment to promote CEI’s mission. A viable exit plan within a reasonable time frame.

UBIZ Venture Capital (UVC) is a vehicle that has been strategically established to provide underserved or disadvantaged small businesses an opportunity to compete and grow in their industry. Intense pre-loan counseling and technical training that are aligned with access to capital are the core pillars of UBIZ service delivery model.