Press Release
Founders First Capital Partners Recognized as ImpactAssets 50 Emerging Impact Manager
ImpactAssets cites Founders First on distinctive list of “fund managers to watch” with “potential to create meaningful change”
SAN DIEGO, CA | April 11, 2023 – Founders First Capital Partners (“Founders First”), announced today that it has been recognized as an ImpactAssets 50 2023 (IA 50) Emerging Impact Manager.
Receiving the impact investing industry credential marks Founders First’s continued momentum toward growing diverse-led companies outside of major capital markets, while offering a scalable platform for mission-driven investors. To-date, Founders First has served over 700 companies with its accelerator programs and tools, and is working toward funding 1,000 companies by 2031 to drive equitable job and wealth creation in regions across the country.
Founders First has pioneered combining high-quality advisory services with non-dilutive revenue-based financing (RBF), helping high-potential BIPOC, women, veteran, LGBTQ+, and inclusive businesses in low and moderate-income areas grow toward the mid-market. RBF is an innovative capital solution that offers the large check size, flexibility, and wrap-around support of an equity investment, while ensuring founders can preserve their full ownership without dilution or giving up control.
In 2021, Founders First launched its Change Catalyst Fund, in partnership with Reynders McVeigh Capital Management, which provides institutional and individual impact investors the opportunity to support the growth of diverse-led companies in local communities while achieving competitive, reliable returns.
“Founders First is proving that investing in diverse founders is not just the right thing to do, but can offer an attractive impact investing opportunity for mission-driven investors,” said Kim Folsom, Founders First founder, chairperson, and CEO, “We thank ImpactAssets and their Review Committee for this honor, as well as our investors, partners, and most importantly, our member companies, for making this achievement possible as we work together to build an inclusive economy that works for all.”
The IA 50 is a free, publicly available, searchable database of impact investment fund managers for impact investors, family offices, corporations, foundations and institutional investors. The IA 50 Emerging Impact Managers list “spotlight[s] newer fund managers to watch that demonstrate potential to create meaningful impact.” This year’s IA50 edition includes fund managers representing $122.48 billion in assets, invested across a range of asset classes and impact themes.
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About Founders First Capital Partners
Founders First Capital Partners is building a comprehensive ecosystem through its proprietary platform to empower underrepresented founders to become leading, premium-wage job creators within their communities. The firm provides revenue-based funding and business acceleration support to service-based small businesses located outside of major capital markets such as Silicon Valley and New York City. Founders First Capital Partners focuses on supporting businesses led by women, people of color, military veterans and LGBTQIA+, and businesses located in low-to-moderate income areas as well as companies dedicated to inclusive hiring practices. For more information, visit foundersfirstcapitalpartners.com
Founders First is supported by Series A equity investors including Rockefeller Foundation, Surdna Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Living Cities, Kauffman Foundation, Schultz Family Foundation, Spring Point Partners, Pivotal Ventures (a Melinda French Gates company), Lindmor Foundation, The Impact Seat, as well as a variety of other leading high net worth individuals and institutional investors.
About ImpactAssets
ImpactAssets is an impact investing trailblazer, dedicated to changing the trajectory of our planet’s future and improving the lives of all people. As a leading impact investing firm, we offer deep strategic expertise to help our clients define and execute on their impact goals. Founded in 2010, ImpactAssets increases flows of money to impact investing in partnership with our clients through our impact investment platform and field-building initiatives, including the IA 50 database of private debt and equity impact fund managers. ImpactAssets has more than $2 billion in assets in 1,700 donor advised fund accounts, working with purpose-driven individuals and their wealth managers, family offices, foundations and corporations. ImpactAssets is an independent 501(c)(3) organization.About the ImpactAssets 50
The IA 50 is the first publicly available database that provides a gateway into the world of impact investing for donors and/or investors and their financial advisors, offering an easy way to identify experienced impact investment firms and explore the landscape of potential investment opportunities. The IA 50 is intended to illustrate the breadth of impact investment fund managers operating today, though it is not a comprehensive list. Firms have been selected to demonstrate a wide range of impact investing activities across geographies, sectors and asset classes.
The IA 50 is not an index or investable platform and does not constitute an offering or solicitation to buy or sell securities or a private placement, or recommend specific products. Nor is this an endorsement of any of the listed fund managers. It is not a replacement for due diligence. To be considered for the IA 50 2023, fund managers needed to have at least $25 million in assets under management, more than three years of experience as a firm with impact investing, documented social and/or environmental impact and be available for US investment. Additional details on the selection process are available here. The IA 50 Emerging Impact Managers list is intended to spotlight newer fund managers to watch that demonstrate potential to create meaningful impact. Criteria such as minimum track record or minimum assets under management may not be applicable.
The IA 50 Review Committee includes: Andrew Lee, Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing, UBS Global Wealth Management; Christina Leijonhufvud, CEO, BlueMark and Co-Founder, Tideline; Cynthia Muller, Director of Mission Investment, W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Danielle Reed, Senior Vice President, ESG & Impact Investing, Jordan Park Group; Jennifer Kenning, CEO & Co-Founder, Align Impact; Justina Lai, Chief Impact Officer and Shareholder, Wetherby Asset Management; Karl “Charly” Kleissner, Ph.D., Co-Founder of Toniic and KL Felicitas Foundation; Kate Starr, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Flat World Partners; Liesel Pritzker Simmons, Co-Founder and Principal of Blue Haven Initiative; Malaika Maphalala, CPWA® Private Wealth Advisor, Natural Investments, LLC; Margret Trilli, CEO and Chief Investment Officer, ImpactAssets; Mark Berryman, Managing Director of Impact Investing, The CAPROCK Group; Ronald A. Homer, Chief Strategist, Impact Investing, RBC Global Asset Management (US) Inc.; and Stephanie Cohn Rupp, CEO and Partner, Veris Wealth Partners.
Media Contact
Founders First Capital Partners
Tracy Fuga
Founders First Capital Partners
rbfinfo@f1stcp.com
858-328-3008
