Queen Latifah Backs Essence Fund for Women of Color in the Arts - Impactalpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

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Women Rising The Latest

(https://impactalpha.com/category/themes/women-

rising/) | August 26, 2018 Helping companies tap ‘alternative capital’ for sustainable growth Queen Latifah (https://impactalpha.‐ com/helping-compa‐ backs Essence nies-tap-alternative- capital-for-sustainable- fund for women of growth/) Inclusive Economy | August color in the arts 27, 2018 What’s Next: Building a trusted identity for the impact investing move‐ ment (https://impactal‐ pha.com/whats-next- building-a-trusted-iden‐ tity-for-the-impact-in‐ vesting-movement/) What's Next | August 27, 2018

The Brief's Big 7 (https://impactalpha.‐ com/the-briefs-big-7- remaining-rich-looking- through-impact-lenses- Jessica Pothering stakeholders-stake- their-claim-terms- (https://impactalpha.com/author/jessica/)(https://impactalpha.com/author/jessica/) sheets-for-the-80/)

https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-of…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 1 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

ImpactAlpha, August 25 – Singer/songwriter Queen Latifah’s production company, Flavor Unit Entertainment, is the ﬁrst investor in Es-

sence Ventures’ planned $20 million fund for (https://impactalpha.‐ film, television and documentary productions com/the-briefs-big-7- remaining-rich-looking- by women of color. Latifah will join Essence through-impact-lenses- Ventures’ investment committee. stakeholders-stake- their-claim-terms- sheets-for-the-80/) Essence Ventures, the parent company of Es- sence magazine and Essence Festival, is itself a Beneficial Return fi‐ nances Ecofiltro's ce‐ black-woman-run investment firm. It has built ramic water filters for Guatemala (https://im‐ a portfolio of content companies that cater to pactalpha.com/benefi‐ women of color. Its investment fund aims to cial-return-finances- ecofiltros-ceramic-wa‐ “help the women they are serving, who are ter-filters-for- still underrepresented in media, see more fre- guatemala/) Impact Tech | August 26, quent, and more authentic versions of them- 2018 selves reflected in the content they consume,” MacArthur Foundation Inc.com reported (https://www.inc.com/so- backs Self-Help credit nia-thompson/essence-ventures-announces- union and 'community- led solutions' for Chica‐ 20-million-fund-to-support-makers-of-color- go (https://impactal‐ why-this-spells-opportunity-for-your-busi- pha.com/macarthur- foundation-backs-self- ness.html) in July when the fund was help-credit-union-and- community-led-solu‐ announced. tions-for-chicago/) Full Stack Capital | August The new fund will both back new media 26, 2018

projects and share ownership rights to “com- Queen Latifah backs Es‐ bat the frequent power imbalance sence fund for women of color in the arts (https://impactalpha.‐

https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-of…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 2 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

(https://www.walkerslegacy.com/queen-lati- com/queen-latifah- backs-essence-fund-for- fah-announces-20-million-investment-in-cre- women-of-color-in-the- ators-of-color/) that exists in entertainment.” arts/) Women Rising | August 26, 2018 Queen Latifah is the latest culture icon to make a financial commitment to black entre- The Brief's Big 7: Re‐ maining rich, looking preneurs. Last week, venture capital firm An- through impact lenses, stakeholders stake their dreessen Horowitz announced its Cultural claim, terms sheets for Leadership Fund (https://a16z.- the 80% (https://im‐ pactalpha.com/the- com/2018/08/22/introducing-the-cultural- briefs-big-7-remaining- leadership-fund/), which aims to accelerate rich-looking-through- impact-lenses-stake‐ black cultural influence in new consumer ser- holders-stake-their- vices. It has drawn backing from Sean “Diddy” claim-terms-sheets-for- the-80/) Combs, Shonda Rhimes, Will and Jada Smith, The Brief | August 24, 2018 Chance the Rapper, and other “cultural Impact lenses and in‐ leaders.” vestment edges, Nige‐ ria’s Allpro gains Micro‐ Andreessen Horowitz partner Chris Lyons will traction, new demand for demand dividend invest in companies in the venture firm’s port- (https://impactalpha.‐ com/impact-lenses-and- folio that partner with the fund’s limited part- investment-edges-nige‐ ners to “connect the greatest cultural leaders rias-allpro-gains-micro‐ traction-new-demand- in the world to the best new technology com- for-demand-dividend/) panies. The firm will also seek to “enable more The Brief | August 23, 2018

young African Americans to enter the technol- The Impact Alpha: ogy industry” by donating the fund’s fees to Strategic lenses give im‐ pact investors an edge non-proﬁts cultivating black tech talent. on the future (https://im‐ pactalpha.com/the-im‐ pact-alpha-strategic- lenses-give-impact-in‐

https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-of…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 3 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

“One group of people has been responsible for vestors-an-edge-on-the- future/) more cultural inﬂuence than any other and The Impact Alpha | August perhaps all other groups combined. African 23, 2018 Americans invented all modern forms of music ‘Demand dividend’ from jazz to blues to rock and roll to hip hop. emerges as alternative to venture capital fi‐ In the United States, most fashion, dance, and nancing (https://im‐ pactalpha.com/demand- language innovation has come from this rela- dividend-emerges-as- tively small community,” Andreessen alternative-to-venture- capital-financing/) Horowitz wrote on its website. Inclusive Economy | August 23, 2018 ImpactAlpha has been tracking the increasing Lagos-based Microtrac‐ number of venture capitalists dedicating fund- tion backs school-fi‐ ing to entrepreneurs of color. Most of the ef- nance startup Allpro (https://impactalpha.‐ forts to rebalance who gets early startup capi- com/lagos-based-micro‐ tal are being led by black and Latino investors traction-backs-school- finance-startup-allpro/) and business leaders. Community Finance | Au‐ gust 22, 2018

Trocafone in Brazil raises Investors are $3 million to find buyers putting serious for used electronics cash into black (https://impactalpha.‐ and Latino- com/trocafone-in-brazil- founded raises-3-million-to-find- businesses buyers-for-used- electronics/) SDGs | August 22, 2018

" # $ ! Amazon-backed Capital Float acquires Indian (http (http (http personal finance compa‐ You might alsos://w like...s://t ://w ny (https://impactalpha.‐ com/amazon-backed- ww.- wit- ww.l capital-float-acquires- face ter.- inke https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-of…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 4 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM face ter.- inke indian-personal-fi‐ boo com din.- nance-company/) k.- /in- com Inclusive Economy | August 22, 2018 com tent/ /sha

/sha twee reAr Challenging financial ex‐ clusion, Finance in Mo‐ rer/s t? ticle tion’s sustainable har- text ? forestry fund, UBS’ de‐ velopment-bank bond er.p =Qu mini fund, the Fortune 56 The Brief’s Big 7: Impact lenses hp?and eenThe Impact=tru Alpha: (https://impactalpha.‐ Remaining rich, investment edges, Strategic lenses com/challenging-finan‐ looking through Nigeria’s Allprou=ht %20give impacte&tit cial-exclusion-finance- impact lenses, gains investors an edge stakeholders stake Microtraction,tps:/ new Lati-on thele=Q future in-motions-sustainable- their claim, terms demand for forestry-fund-ubs-devel‐ sheets for the 80% demand dividend/imp fah Aug 23,uee 2018 opment-bank-bond-

Aug 24, 2018 Aug 23, 2018 ac- %20(https://impactalpha.com/the-n%2 fund-the-fortune-56/) impact-alpha- The Brief | August 22, 2018 (https://impactalpha.com/the-(https://impactalpha.com/impact- talp backstrategic-lenses-give-0Lati briefs-big-7- lenses-and- impact-investors-an- Extending invitations to remaining-rich- investment-edges-ha.- s%2 fah edge-on-the-future/) the financial system looking-through- nigerias-allpro-gains-com 0Ess %20 means challenging the impact-lenses- microtraction-new- roots of exclusion stakeholders-stake- demand-for-demand-/que ence back (https://impactalpha.‐ their-claim-terms- dividend/) en- %20f s%2 com/extending-invita‐ sheets-for-the-80/) lati- und 0Ess tions-to-the-financial- system-means-challeng‐ fah- %20f ence ing-the-roots-of- back or% %20f exclusion/) Inclusive Economy | August Back to Top Stories (https://impactalpha.com)s- 20w und 22, 2018 es- ome %20f India’s Reliance Jio tops senc n%2 or% Fortune list of compa‐ e- 0of 20w nies changing the world (https://impactalpha.‐ fund %20 ome com/indias-reliance-jio- -for- col- n%2 tops-fortune-list-of-com‐ panies-changing-the- wo or% 0of world/) men 20in %20 Good Business | August 22,

-of- %20 col- https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-of…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 5 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

-of- %20 col- 2018

col- the or% UBS offers development- or- %20 20in bank bond fund as a in- arts %20 fixed-income alternative (https://impactalpha.‐ the- &url the com/ubs-offers-develop‐ arts/ =htt %20 ment-bank-bond-fund- as-a-fixed-income- ) ps% arts alternative/) 3A% &url Personal Finance | August 21, 2018 2F% =htt

2Fim ps:// Finance in Motion and Unique raise $60 million pact imp for sustainable forestry al- ac- fund (https://impactal‐ pha.com/finance-in-mo‐ pha. talp tion-and-unique-raise- com ha.- 60-million-for-sustain‐ able-forestry-fund/) %2F com SDGs | August 21, 2018 que /que Leapfrog Ventures backs en- en- Rwandan microcredit lati- lati- startup Exuus (https://impactalpha.‐ fah- fah- com/leapfrog-ventures- back back backs-rwandan-micro‐ credit-startup-exuus/) s- s- Inclusive Economy | August es- es- 21, 2018

senc senc Scaling stakeholder cap‐ e- e- italism, Rise Fund’s alt- credit play, growing fund fund pipeline of black and -for- -for- Latino-founded firms (https://impactalpha.‐ wo wo com/scaling-stakehold‐ men men er-capitalism-rise-funds- alt-credit-play-growing- -of- -of- https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-of…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 6 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

pipeline-of-black-and- col- col- latino-founded-firms/) or- or- The Brief | August 21, 2018

in- in- Corporations don’t need the- the- Elizabeth Warren to ‘benefit’ from stakehold‐ arts arts/ er capitalism (https://im‐ %2F &su pactalpha.com/corpo‐ rations-dont-need-eliza‐ &) mm beth-warren-to-benefit- ary= from-stakeholder- capitalism/) Imp Good Business | August 21, ac- 2018

tAlp Brac and Osiris Group ha% launch impact fund for Bangladesh and other 2C+ frontier markets Aug (https://impactalpha.‐ com/brac-and-osiris- ust+ group-launch-impact- 25+ fund/) SDGs | August 21, 2018 %E2

%80 Rise Fund backs alterna‐

%93 tive-credit scoring start‐ up Mines (https://im‐ %C2 pactalpha.com/rise-

%A0 fund-backs-alternative- credit-scoring-startup- Sing mines/) Inclusive Economy | August er% 21, 2018 2F-

song Investors are putting se‐ rious cash into black and writ Latino-founded busi‐ er+ nesses (https://impactal‐ pha.com/investors-are- Que putting-serious-cash- en+L https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-of…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 7 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

en+L into-black-and-latino- ati- founded-businesses/) Inclusive Economy | August fah 21, 2018 %E2 Tennessee impact fund's %80 first investment aims to %99 ease traffic congestion (https://impactalpha.‐ s+pr com/tennessee-impact- od- funds-first-investment- aims-to-ease-traffic- uc- congestion/) tion Inclusive Economy | August 20, 2018 +co

mpa Ceniarth’s $200 million shift, Branson’s climate- ny% smart accelerator, War‐ 2C+F ren’s mandate for stake‐ holder capitalism la- (https://impactalpha.‐ vor+ com/ceniarths-200-mil‐ lion-shift-bransons-cli‐ Unit mate-smart-accelerator- +Ent warrens-mandate-for- stakeholder-capitalism/) e...) The Brief | August 20, 2018

Wonderschool raises $20 million to launch preschools and childcare centers (https://im‐ pactalpha.com/wonder‐ school-raises-20-million- to-launch-preschools- and-childcare-centers/) Dealflow | August 20, 2018

Full Harvest secures $8.5 million to help farmers sell “ugly” produce

https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-of…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 8 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

(https://impactalpha.‐ com/full-harvest-se‐ cures-8-5-million-to-sell- ugly-produce/) Regeneration | August 20, 2018

Richard Branson launch‐ es accelerator to bolster Caribbean climate re‐ silience (https://im‐ pactalpha.com/richard- branson-launches-accel‐ erator-to-bolster-car‐ ibbean-climate- resilience/) Billionaires | August 20, 2018

Fighting poverty and re‐ maining rich: Ceniarth shifts portfolio to im‐ pact-first capital preser‐ vation (https://impactal‐ pha.com/fighting-pover‐ ty-and-remaining-rich- ceniarth-shifts-portfolio- to-impact-first-capital- preservation/) Smarter Money | August 20, 2018

The Brief’s Big 6: Look‐ ing ahead at O-Zones, looking back at Pay for Success, growing deal pipelines in inclusive fin‐ tech, Arctic tech, mini- grids (https://impactal‐ pha.com/the-briefs-big- 6-looking-ahead-at-o- zones-looking-back-at- pay-for-success-grow‐

https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-of…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 9 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

ing-deal-pipelines-in- inclusive-fintech-arctic- tech-mini-grids/) The Brief | August 9, 2018

Getting into the inclusive opportunity zone, Black‐ Rock’s ESG debt funds, extreme-weather insur‐ ance (https://impactal‐ pha.com/getting-into- the-inclusive-opportuni‐ ty-zone-blackrocks-esg- debt-funds-extreme- weather-insurance/) The Brief | August 9, 2018

The Impact Alpha: Get‐ ting into the zone of in‐ clusive opportunity (https://impactalpha.‐ com/the-impact-alpha- getting-into-the-zone- of-inclusive- opportunity/) The Impact Alpha | August 9, 2018

Opportunity zone advo‐ cates call for market transparency and im‐ pact accountability (https://impactalpha.‐ com/opportunity-zone- advocates-call-for-mar‐ ket-transparency-and- impact-accountability/) Inclusive Economy | August 9, 2018

Living Cities’ pay-for- success lessons, Shaq at‐

https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-o…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 10 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

tacks gig-worker chal‐ lenges, pipelines in re‐ newable mini-grids and inclusive fintech (https://impactalpha.‐ com/living-cities-pay- for-success-lessons- shaq-attacks-gig-work‐ er-challenges-pipelines- in-renewable-mini-grids- and-inclusive-fintech/) The Brief | August 8, 2018

FloodFlash raises £1.9 million to meet growing demand for flood insur‐ ance (https://impactal‐ pha.com/floodflash-rais‐ es-1-9-million-to-meet- growing-demand-for- flood-insurance/) Climate Finance | August 8, 2018

ZipGo raises $29 million to transition to all-elec‐ tric busses (https://im‐ pactalpha.com/zipgo- raises-29-million-to- transition-to-all-electric- busses/) Climate Finance | August 8, 2018

BlackRock adds emerg‐ ing market debt funds to impact investing mix (https://impactalpha.‐ com/blackrock-adds- emerging-market-debt- funds-to-impact-invest‐ ing-mix/)

https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-o…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 11 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

Good Business | August 8, 2018

Adapt to changing needs, and other lessons from Living Cities’ Pay for Success investments (https://impactalpha.‐ com/adapt-to-changing- needs-and-other- lessons-from-living- cities-pay-for-success- investments/) Innovative Finance | August 8, 2018

Solar mini-grid project pipeline comes into fo‐ cus in Africa, Asia and Latin America (https://impactalpha.‐ com/solar-mini-grid- project-pipeline-comes- into-focus-in-africa- asia-and-latin-america/) 2030 Finance | August 7, 2018

JPMorgan, Bharat Inclu‐ sion Initiative launch Fi‐ nancial Inclusion Lab in India (https://impactal‐ pha.com/jpmorgan- bharat-inclusion-initia‐ tive-launch-financial- inclusion-lab-in-india/) Inclusive Economy | August 7, 2018

“Shaq attack” on the gig economy: Steady raises $9 million (https://im‐

https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-o…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 12 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

pactalpha.com/shaq-at‐ tack-on-the-gig-econo‐ my-steady-raises-9- million/) Personal Finance | August 7, 2018

Catalyst Fund stocks the inclusive fintech pipeline with five new startups (https://impactalpha.‐ com/catalyst-fund- stocks-the-inclusive-fin‐ tech-pipeline-with-five- new-startups/) Inclusive Economy | August 7, 2018

Community capital stacks, Calvert backs One Acre Fund, Shuttl buses in India, gender- lens microfinance in Pakistan (https://im‐ pactalpha.com/commu‐ nity-capital-stacks- calvert-backs-one-acre- fund-shuttl-buses-in-in‐ dia-gender-lens-microfi‐ nance-in-pakistan/) The Brief | August 7, 2018

Kashf Foundation se‐ cures $17 million for gen‐ der-lens microfinance in Pakistan (https://im‐ pactalpha.com/kashf- foundation-secures-17- million-for-gender-lens- microfinance-in- pakistan/) Women Rising | August 7,

https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-o…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 13 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

2018

One Acre Fund closes $5 million loan from Calvert Impact (https://im‐ pactalpha.com/one- acre-fund-closes-5-mil‐ lion-loan-from-calvert- impact/) Entrepreneurship | August 7, 2018

Community capital stacks bring the right money to the table in new ‘opportunity zones’ (https://impactalpha.‐ com/community-capital- stacks-bring-the-right- money-to-the-table-in- new-opportunity-zones/) Inclusive Economy | August 7, 2018

Amazon backs Shuttl’s bid to de-congest India’s urban commutes (https://impactalpha.‐ com/amazon-backs- shuttls-bid-to-de-con‐ gest-indias-urban- commutes/) Impact Tech | August 6, 2018

Hand Talk raises early funding for Brazilian sign language app (https://impactalpha.‐ com/hand-talk-raises- early-funding-for-brazil‐ ian-sign-language-app/)

https://impactalpha.com/queen-latifah-backs-essence-fund-for-women-o…_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_57980c6bda-2c4d43ec9a-105283529 Page 14 of 15 Queen Latifah backs Essence fund for women of color in the arts - ImpactAlpha 8/27/18, 7:35 AM

Impact Tech | August 6, 2018

Alaska’s Arctic tech en‐ trepreneurs, African poverty-alleviation bond, Tugende in Ugan‐ da, youth-driven impact in Southeast Asia (https://impactalpha.‐ com/alaskas-arctic- tech-entrepreneurs- african-poverty-allevia‐ tion-bond-tugende-in- uganda-youth-driven- impact-in-southeast- asia-inbox/) The Brief | August 6, 2018

North to the Future: ‘Arc‐ tic tech’ entrepreneurs help Alaska adapt to cli‐ mate change (https://im‐ pactalpha.com/north- to-the-future-arctic- tech-entrepreneurs- help-alaska-adapt-to- climate-change/) Clean Energy | August 6, 2018 See More

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