Welcome VC Include’s New Executive Director
It’s been an incredibly intense 4 years.
At the start of 2020, news of the upcoming pandemic was beginning to spread. No one realized in a few short months we would have a lockdown of life as we knew it. For many of us, the pandemic ushered in massive, seemingly immediate changes to our lives.
As a small business owner with a mission to change the face of finance and the alternative investments industry, I was concerned about my livelihood… my mother was having health issues, and I had just moved to San Francisco to build a base in Silicon Valley. I was getting daily calls from fund managers also concerned about what the pandemic would do to their fundraising efforts, how to support their families, and weather the storm.
Then an incredible thing happened in 2020 – the INCLUDE platform began to grow at a rapid pace. The prior three years of advising fund managers, and holding national GP-LP dinners and forums, provided the basis for the growth.
With the first funding commitment, I was adamant that in order to realize this dream – a thriving community of mission, vision and values aligned impact investors who could drive alpha and impact - I needed to find the best of the best: A stellar team of staff, advisors, and partners that were also determined to go above and beyond, driven by their passion for the mission and what we could accomplish together.
There is no way I could have built the platform without the constant, consistent and fervent support of my funders, investors, and the industry, who welcomed me as this “outsider” – an impact investor with a passion for justice, access, opportunity, and the determination to capture our collective value.
You see, I came from a family that was focused on education, ideas and equity. We didn’t speak the language of finance, investments or even entrepreneurship for that matter. During my first few years, I was questioned (a lot lol) but I was also able to capture a moment in time that was open to supporting women-led, BIPOC entrepreneurs and fund managers. Sadly, that concept is now out of vogue and the very idea of inclusion is currently unpopular in the eyes of many.
As the platform grew, I have to admit, I began to get weary… but my closest advisors and mentors pushed me on, and encouraged me to keep going. I could not rest until I found leaders that would take my vision, share my passion, and go above and beyond.
I found that quality in a man that I met in 2018, who was working for one of the largest community foundations that had an early and steadfast commitment to finding and investing in diverse managers. He subsequently joined the board as Sr. Advisor.
VCI had grown to the point that we needed new leadership to continue over-delivering. After a public search of 300+ applicants, our board determined that we need look no further, and elected Milton Speid to take the lead and usher in the next growth phase of VC Include - one that will expand our programs, advocacy and impact.
Milton, I’m honored that your warmth, expertise, fervent passion, and efficacy will permeate VC Include in the years to come. As I have experienced, I will be here to support your growing vision and strategy to take VCI to the next level. I’d like to ask the VCI community to welcome Milton with open arms!
With gratitude,
Bahiyah Yasmeen
