Harlem Capital Partners

Nearing the end of his time at Harvard Business School, Henri Pierre-Jacques had an uncomfortable realization: He didn't want to work for a "non-minority-owned" firm. His background was in private equity, and minority-owned financial firms are rare. Already an active angel investor, he decided instead to start his own business. Teaming with colleagues Jarrid Tingle and Brandon Bryant, as well as entrepreneur John Henry, Pierre-Jacques founded Harlem Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in female, black, and Latinx founders. As of March 2019, Harlem Capital had closed on about $7.5 million of a proposed $25 million fund. The company now has four portfolio companies: men's skin care company Pangaea; health tech company Moving Analytics; supply chain software Sudu; and menstrual products maker Aunt Flow. The long-term goal: to raise a billion-dollar fund and invest in 1,000 diverse founders in the next 20 years.