Founders' Engagement Toolkit
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When we launched the Diversity VC Standard a little over three years ago, we were excited to introduce the first Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I) framework built by and for venture capitalists focused on how to build inclusiveness into their policies and practices. Before the Standard, very few funds had any policies in place related to DE&I; most had none. Now we have certified nearly 100 VC funds across the world that are making strides on DE&I – and the industry is ready for the next step.
We have come together with a number of funds to build out a suite of toolkits which build upon our earlier versions published in 2018. Our Standard assesses funds on three broad subjects: Internal Operations, Deal Flow, and Portfolio Guidance. We have collected significantly more data and insights since 2018, which has enabled us to finesse our thinking so that we can provide deeper context across these three subjects. Our new-and-improved toolkits cover these subjects:
- Internal Operations, which includes aspects connected to Operational Excellence
- Founders’ Engagement (this toolkit), which includes aspects linked to Deal Flow and Portfolio Guidance
These toolkits include several examples of best practices, and case studies from Member funds demonstrating how each recommendation might be adopted. We know there is no one-size-fits-all option for VCs, so these toolkits are intended to showcase those examples that we feel are most applicable across the board. We offer more curated options for Diversity VC Members, who have access to the full Standard platform, research, and community support. To learn more about Diversity VC Membership, fill out our interest form here.
This toolkit is a valuable resource for current and prospective founders and investors, showing what good looks like at all stages of the journey towards truly inclusive investment. I would encourage everyone involved in building or investing in businesses to use this toolkit to identify ways to implement best practice everyday.
– Suzi Gillespie, Head of Research, BVCA
We deeply appreciate the help and support from these and other contributors in creating this new toolkit. It clearly shows the commitment of funds to make our sector more inclusive for all.
