Chicago:Blend’s New Initiative Aims to Diversify City’s VC Workforce

Written by Abel Rodriguez

March 22, 2022Updated: May 9, 2022

While there has been an increasing effort from startups to diversify their workforces through several initiatives, there has been less action from VC firms to do the same. One Chicago organization that has been creating change in the industry recently announced a new program meant to increase diversity in Chicago’s VC community. 

Chicago:Blend, a nonprofit committed to increasing diversity in Chicago’s VC firms and startups, announced on Tuesday that it will launch a bi-annual Chicago Venture Fellows program for aspiring venture capitalists from underrepresented communities. 

“Companies and organizations that prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion recruit the best teams, build better products and produce stronger financial results. Chicago Venture Fellows is a product of our strategy to build a more diverse venture capital talent pipeline and welcome more people into the city’s tech community who might otherwise opt-out,” Joey Mak, executive director of Chicago:Blend, said in a statement. 

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