Introducing The RUNWAY ROOTED Fund
Credit: Megan Totah Design
We are beyond thrilled to unveil our latest reparative finance venture:
RUNWAY ROOTED Fund, our first in-house integrated capital investment fund that stands as a testament to our steadfast commitment to empowering creative Black entrepreneurs and the communities they serve.
Picture this: a $50 million integrated capital fund with a purpose as powerful as the roots that anchor our communities. The ROOTED Fund is all about rebuilding, reclaiming, and restoring power in Black communities and guiding our financial partners to move in right relationship to address historical harms.
In a landscape marked by massive wealth disparities, The ROOTED Fund embodies our mission to bridge the racial wealth gap in this country. Redressing the ever-widening wealth disparity requires a radical and reparative approach to funding Black businesses and building emergent financial infrastructure to meet the unique needs of Black entrepreneurial ecosystems. Since our beginnings in 2017, we have been champions of economic justice and catalysts for change. Through comprehensive and repair-centered financial solutions, we are putting our vision into motion and building an economy rooted in equity and justice where Black people are truly loved.
The ROOTED Fund is a pivotal initiative to provide reparative capital and holistic business support to our growing portfolio of entrepreneurs, while simultaneously transforming the culture, practices, and policies of financial institutions, investors, and lenders to cultivate more equitable outcomes for Black communities across the U.S. This isn't just about funding Black-owned enterprises; it is about thoughtfully and strategically shifting how things have traditionally operated in finance to create long-term systems change.
As part of ROOTED Fund, we’ve outlined a series of impact goals that serve as north stars towards meaningful and measurable change:
One of the Fund’s key objectives is to Grow Entrepreneur & Community Wealth–wealth that encompasses revenue growth, financial security, mental and physical health, credit improvement, retirement planning, and improving overall quality of life.
Another impact goal is Building Worker Power by creating quality green jobs, championing health benefits, flexibility, and opportunities for shared leadership and employee ownership.
Cultural Production is celebrated as a powerful vehicle for change. Black artists and creators contribute profoundly to the cultural tapestry. Through initiatives that showcase art, storytelling, and collaboration across its portfolio, The ROOTED Fund brings cultural richness to the forefront of its mission.
Change must be rooted in Community-Led approaches. By actively partnering with local organizations and community leaders to provide financial and political education and training, we can Build Power to impact policy changes and increase entrepreneur community engagement.
We are calling for a Culture Shift–not only in how we partner with funders and investors to move capital, but also in working with entrepreneurs to promote values-driven business growth that balances the needs of its people, community, and planet alongside profits.
RUNWAY ROOTED Fund is part of a larger movement to transform finance for people and the planet.
We are elated to be named among this year’s list of The Transformative 25, a selection of funds, banks, and initiatives that represent the next generation of impact investing. T25 funds and initiatives go beyond the limitations of traditional approaches to advance the values shared in the many emerging impact frameworks being developed in the fields of finance and investing, including: regenerative/non-extractive finance, restorative economics, social movement investing, social justice investing, deep impact investing, just transition investing, transformative investing, and integrated/full spectrum capital approaches.
The ROOTED Fund signifies a departure from conventional investing paradigms.
It is a vessel of restitution, a mechanism of revitalization, and a runway for transformative shifts. This is an opportunity to become a part of history in the making. It is a call to action for investors, funders, and wealth holders who understand the transformative potential of reparative capital and share our dedication to fostering collective wealth and building power in Black communities.
IT TAKES AN ECOSYSTEM TO BRIDGE THE WEALTH GAP
IT TAKES AN ECOSYSTEM TO BRIDGE THE WEALTH GAP
