Are leaders of Chicago venture-capital-backed startups becoming more diverse?

June 24, 2022 05:45 AM

Venture-capital-backed startups in the Chicago area have made strides in becoming more gender, ethnically and racially diverse within their CEO, founder and board member positions, according to a new survey.

Chicago:Blend, a nonprofit that works to advance diversity and inclusion within the venture-capital and startup space, announced the findings during a Tuesday webinar. The survey was conducted in partnership with CDW and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the University of Chicago. It includes analysis on self-reported responses from 77 venture-capital-backed startups, all of which are in the greater Chicago area. While the report’s pool of companies is relatively small, this year’s findings show a notable shift.

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