We believe in underrepresented founders who are black, brown, women or any other historically marginalized group in America. Our thesis is that with access and and opportunity, there is a massive opportunity in technology to create wealth for underrepresented populations much like the Pullman porters in the 19th and 20th century.
The history of the Pullman porter is the history of the black middle class in America. These distinguished men were former slaves who served on American railroads for 100 years from the late 1860s until the late 20th century. Until the 1960s, Pullman porters were exclusively black and have been widely credited with contributing to the development of the black middle class in America. Much of the wealth generated during that time evaporated in the successive years, particularly during the financial crises of 2008.
We are not the first to come up with this idea. Rather, we are inspired by others in the venture capital and tech communities who also believe that we are in the midst of another renaissance of talent for underrepresented communities.