What BLCK VC does

BLCK VC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 to connect, engage, empower, and advance Black venture investors. The organization operates three core educational programs that segment the addressable population along the VC career ladder: Black Venture Institute (BVI), a curriculum-based program co-developed with Berkeley Haas School of Business, Berkeley Executive Education, Salesforce Ventures, and Operator Collective for Black operators and executives transitioning into angel, scout, and venture investing; Breaking into Venture (BiV), a 9-week program preparing early-career Black professionals for Analyst, Associate, and Senior Associate roles; and Scout Network, launched in partnership with Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital to support Black scouts and accredited angel investors with deal-sharing, networking, and education.

Supporting these programs is the annual State of Black Venture Report (published 2022, 2023, and 2025), sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank through its Catalyst 2045 initiative, which tracks representation and systemic barriers in the venture ecosystem. BLCK VC also operates eight regional chapters across the US and Canada (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington D.C.), an online community platform (BLCK VC HUB) hosted on Circle, and a Shopify-powered merchandise storefront at shop.blckvc.org.

Revenue is generated through charitable donations (processed via Donorbox), corporate sponsorships (Salesforce Ventures, GV, SVB, Cooley, Sequoia, Lightspeed, AWS, Berkeley Haas), and merchandise sales. All educational programs are provided free of charge to participants. The organization is governed by a Board that includes senior practitioners from GV, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Plexo Capital, Nasdaq, Khosla Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Wellington Access Ventures, and is led by Co-Founder and Board Co-Chair Frederik Groce. The nonprofit is not venture-backed, has no parent entity, and is headquartered in San Francisco.

Name

BLCK VC

Legal name

BLCK VC

Website

https://blckvc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BLCK VC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2017 that connects, educates, and advances Black venture investors through three free programs — Black Venture Institute, Breaking into Venture, and Scout Network — across eight US and Canadian chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital Diversity and Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (6112)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

Keywords

• Venture capital diversity programs
• Nonprofit investor education
• Venture capital research reports
• Black investor community building
• Angel investor training

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasay

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, BLCK VC generates revenue through charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations who support their mission to increase Black representation in venture capital.
2. Merchandise Sales: BLCK VC operates an e-commerce store (shop.blckvc.org) selling branded merchandise including clothing, accessories, and drinkware. Proceeds support nonprofit programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BLCK VC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates educational programs, community chapters, and research publications to increase Black representation in the venture capital industry. Its core offerings include the Black Venture Institute (a Berkeley Haas co-developed curriculum program), Breaking into Venture (a 9-week early-career pipeline), the Scout Network (training for Black scouts and angel investors), the annual State of Black Venture Report, the BLCK VC HUB online community platform, and a branded merchandise e-commerce shop.

Product overview

BLCK VC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating as a platform of interconnected programs designed to increase Black representation in venture capital. The core portfolio consists of Black Venture Institute (a curriculum-based educational program in partnership with Berkeley Haas), Breaking into Venture (a 9-week career development pipeline for early-career professionals), and Scout Network (a program supporting Black scouts and angel investors in partnership with Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital). Supporting these programs is the State of Black Venture Report (annual research publication tracking industry representation since 2022), the BLCK VC HUB community platform, regional chapters across major U.S. cities, and an e-commerce merchandise shop. Together, these offerings create a comprehensive ecosystem from education and entry-level preparation through advanced investor development and community building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Black Venture Institute (BVI): A curriculum-based program teaching Black operators and executives the foundational elements to become angel, scout, and venture investors. Developed in partnership with Berkeley Haas School of Business and Berkeley Executive Education.
• Breaking into Venture (BIV)
• Scout Network

Products and services

• State of Black Venture Report Annual research publication providing comprehensive analysis of Black professionals across roles in the venture capital ecosystem. Tracks representation, systemic barriers, and strategies toward equity, supported by Silicon Valley Bank's Catalyst 2045 initiative.
• BLCK VC Shop Direct-to-consumer e-commerce store selling branded merchandise including clothing, accessories, and drinkware. Products range from $21.99 (Heavy Cotton Tank Top) to $66.99 (Trendy Women's Cropped Sweatshirt). All purchases are tax-deductible and support BLCK VC nonprofit programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300 Black Venture Institute graduates over 3 years
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Berkeley Haas School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitially co-developed the Black Venture Institute (BVI) program with Berkeley Executive Education. The program leverages the MBA-style curriculum and professors from UC Berkeley to teach foundational venture principles.
• Berkeley Executive EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the Black Venture Institute curriculum, providing the educational framework and academic credibility for the program.
• Salesforce VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of the Black Venture Institute program, helping to develop and fund the initiative to make venture capital knowledge accessible to Black operators and executives.
• Operator CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed the Black Venture Institute program alongside BLCK VC, Salesforce Ventures, and Berkeley. Partner in making venture capital knowledge and networks more accessible.
• Lightspeed Venture PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunch partner for the BLCK VC Scout Network program. Lightspeed provides support for training, mentoring, and connecting Black scouts and angel investors.
• Sequoia CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunch partner for the BLCK VC Scout Network program alongside Lightspeed Venture Partners. Supports the initiative to provide Black scouts with knowledge, network, and tools.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWS collaborated on the 2023 State of Black Venture event, hosting panels with Black venture leaders to discuss obstacles Black investors and founders face within the ecosystem.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• All Raise: Nonprofit focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in venture capital; offers similar programs, community-building, and research, but historically centered on women in VC, making it the most structurally comparable peer.
• Diversity VC: Global nonprofit championing diversity and inclusion in the venture capital industry through community, research, and a standard for VC firms; closely overlaps BLCK VC's mission and programming model across multiple underrepresented groups.
• Kauffman Fellows: Fellowship program identifying and developing the next generation of venture capital leaders through a two-year applied curriculum and global network; comparable to BLCK VC's Black Venture Institute and Breaking into Venture as a talent-pipeline program.

Emerging players

• Pipeline Angels: Network and training program that changes the face of angel investing and capital access for women and non-binary investors; overlaps with BLCK VC's Scout Network in serving underrepresented angel investors.
• VC Unlocked (NFX): Educational program from NFX for first-time VC investors across demographics; comparable as a VC talent-development program, though not specifically focused on underrepresentation.
• VC Include: Nonprofit initiative focused on increasing representation of women and historically excluded groups in venture capital; similar mission and ecosystem-building approach as BLCK VC, with overlapping partnership universe.
• Black Founders Network: Community organization supporting Black tech founders; complementary rather than directly competitive, but shares the broader Black tech ecosystem-building function and overlap with BLCK VC's investor-and-founder constituency.

Broad incumbents

• National Venture Capital Association (NVCA): Trade association representing the entire US venture capital industry; broader in scope than BLCK VC but functions as the industry-wide community, data, and policy body that BLCK VC engages at the diversity vertical.
• Sequoia Arc (formerly Sequoia Access): Sequoia's initiative broadening access to venture capital for non-traditional talent; a direct sponsor of BLCK VC's Scout Network and comparable as a large-firm-led diversity and pipeline effort.

Regional players

• AfroTech: Conference and community platform convening Black professionals across the technology and venture ecosystem; comparable as a community-and-events builder for Black talent in tech, though broader than the VC-specific focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BLCKVC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blckvc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BLCK VC