WINTER 2022 / REAL-LEADERS.COM 15 LEARNLAUNCH FUND + ACCELERATOR EMERGING IMPACT FUND MANAGER LearnLaunch Fund + Accelerator is a venture capital fund and accelerator that invests in and supports entrepreneurs who are on a mission to transform education positively. Since its inception in 2013, it has invested in 76 companies, of which 66% are run by female and/or BIPOC entrepreneurs. Its allocation of funds matches its portfolio's ethnic and demographic data. To date, its portfolio companies have impacted 20+ million learners globally. It believes that early-stage edtech entrepreneurs need more than just a check and have developed rigorous curation and acceleration methods that allow them to spot innovators on-themove and provides them with the resources they need to scale up. www.LearnLaunch.com QUALITY EDUCATION GENDER EQUALITY CLEAN WATER & SANITATION LIFE BELOW WATER EMERGING IMPACT FUND MANAGER CRAIG DUDENHOEFFER, MANAGING PARTNER Seabird Ventures is a venture capital fund that invests in Seed to Series A stage companies creating solutions to help restore the health of our oceans. "Ocean impact entrepreneurs have the potential to provide the most scalable solutions to the world for solving climate change challenges,” says Craig Dudenhoeffer, managing partner. “We are determined to provide the necessary investment capital to bring these ideas to life – so they can start making an impact here and now." One of the early startups it funded is Cruz Foam, which produces a compostable styrofoam alternative made from discarded shrimp shells already produced by the seafood industry. One of Cruz Foam’s first major customers was Whirlpool. And this spring, Cruz Foam announced that actors and impact investors Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher invested in its latest $3.4 million seed round and also signed on as advisors. The mission of Seabird Ventures is to invest in scalable startups that develop solutions to heal our oceans while also generating financial returns, and Cruz Foam is a shining example of the circular economy at work." www.SeabirdVentures.fund SEABIRD VENTURES WATEREQUITY Founded by engineer Gary White and actor/writer Matt Damon, WaterEquity is the first asset manager exclusively focused on solving one of the most urgent issues of our time — the global water and sanitation crisis. WaterEquity impact investment funds provide debt capital to financial institutions in emerging markets to help scale their water and sanitation microloan portfolios. These microloans then enable low-income consumers to install water and sanitation solutions within their homes, such as a water connection or toilet, leading to improved health outcomes, educational opportunities, and economic security. To date, WaterEquity has helped 3 million people access safe water or sanitation in their homes and communities, with women comprising 97% of individuals directly supported by their investments. www.WaterEquity.org BURNT ISLAND VENTURES EMERGING IMPACT FUND MANAGER Water is life, and Burnt Island Ventures works to ensure water and wastewater services are provided at the right quantity, quality, price, place, and time to benefit as many people in the world as possible. It was founded because the caliber of founders within the world of water had escalated rapidly as talented people woke up to this global challenge. The funding environment wasn't keeping pace — less than 1% of the $50 billion in climate tech funding in 2021 went to water. "We won't be the whole solution, but we're hoping we can show that there are serious companies to build in this $900 billion industry that no one seems to care about, but upon which all life on earth depends,” says Tom Ferguson, managing partner. www.BurntIslandVentures.com TRUE WEALTH VENTURES An Austin-headquartered VC firm that invests exclusively in women-led companies improving environmental or human health. True Wealth Ventures' investment thesis is that womenled companies perform better financially yet remain an untapped market. Its 2018 $19.1 million Fund I close made it one of the largest venture capital funds ever raised at the time, with an exclusive genderdiversity strategy. Fund I’s 80% women limited partners was also unprecedented. True Wealth’s current total assets under management total about $60 million and now boasts 15 portfolio companies. www.TrueWealthvc.com INNOVATIVE IMPACT FUND MANAGERS 2022 IN COLLABORATION WITH
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