Access and Opportunity

Guest host Ian Folau turns the tables on Carla and her co-head in the Multicultural Innovation Lab, Alice Vilma, asking why they do the work they do to level the funding landscape for women and multicultural entrepreneurs. Ian brings his perspective as a founder, a graduate of the Multicultural Innovation Lab, and now as a VC, to bear on the work of the lab and the paths that brought Carla and Alice to the work they now do in support of emerging tech-enabled companies.

Carla speaks with VC Miriam Rivera, founder of Ulu Ventures, and Ritu Narayan, co-founder of Zūm, a new kind of ride service for kids aimed at families and schools. They discuss their journeys and how a consistent model of decision-making can lead to better choices, help level the playing field, and increase entrepreneurial and business diversity.

On this episode of Access and Opportunity, we welcome investor Mallun Yen, partner and founder of Operator Collective. Operator Collective is a disruptive new approach to venture capital which brings senior operating leaders from diverse backgrounds together with founders of startup companies. We also hear from one of the leaders of those startup companies, Kieran Snyder, the co-founder and CEO of Textio, an augmenting writing platform that analyzes text to find the patterns that cause some to succeed, where others fail. In this episode, Mallun and Kieran take us on a journey where we explore what it takes to build a diverse and well-rounded portfolio company, what leadership looks like during a time of crisis and why having the right tone when sharing messaging means everything. Come on and join us for the ride.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

© 2020 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.

On this episode of Access and Opportunity we welcome investor Natalia Oberti Noguera, founder and CEO of Pipeline Angels. Pipeline is changing the face of angel investing by lowering the barriers to entry and bringing more non-traditional investors into the angel ecosystem, providing capital for more women, non-binary and femme entrepreneurs. Also joining us is the co-founder and CEO of the maternal health startup Mahmee, Melissa Hanna. As the daughter of an obstetrics nurse, Melissa grew up knowing the challenges that women, and specifically women of color, face when confronting the healthcare system. Pipeline Angels first invested in Mahmee in 2015—serving as its friends & family round—and additional members participated in Mahmee's 2019 follow-on round.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

© 2020 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.

On this episode of Access and Opportunity, we welcome investor Jesse Draper, founding partner of Halogen Ventures. With Halogen Ventures, Jesse has committed to investing in early stage consumer technology startups that have a woman as a member of the founding team. We also hear from one of those founders, Esther Crawford, the co-founder and CEO of Squad, an online platform that helps connect people all over the world through screen-sharing. Jesse and Esther take us on a journey from their very first encounter, to their individual commitments going into the deal, and to their respective shifts in priorities during COVID-19. Come on and join us for the ride.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast. 

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

© 2020 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.

Welcome to Access and Opportunity, Season 6. This season, we are looking at the relationships behind the deal. We'll be talking to women venture capitalists who are working to change the funding landscape and a founder of one of their portfolio companies. In this episode, we welcome venture capitalist Kesha Cash, who has spent nearly a decade focused on impact investing. Currently, Kesha serves as the Founder and General Partner of Impact America Fund, the largest black-women-led impact VC firm in the U.S., and a fund that invests with a racial equity lens. We also welcome Diishan Imira, Founder and CEO of Mayvenn, the technology platform that not only provides high-quality beauty products, but that also empowers beauty professionals to grow their business, while providing their clients with exceptional customer support.

Kesha and Impact America Fund first invested in Mayvenn back in 2014. Since then, Mayvenn has become the fund's largest investment. Kesha and Diishan share with us the importance of investing in the black small-business community, the ways in which they've managed to build a healthy relationship as entrepreneur and investor, and the strategic decisions that guided them through the unexpected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Come on and join us for the ride.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity 

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

© 2020 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.

Welcome back for Season 6 of Access & Opportunity! We're staying focused on the challenges faced by women and multicultural-led businesses in accessing capital, and the overlooked opportunities they represent for investors. But this season Carla is looking at the issue through the lens of six successful relationships.  

In each episode we'll talk, together, with a woman investor who is working to change the funding landscape and the leader of one of her portfolio companies. These relationships will offer new perspectives (and playbook points!) on how to make the entire investment ecosystem more inclusive. Stay tuned for Episode 1.

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

© 2020 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.

Today communities of color are in pain as they are forced to navigate the confluence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the continued murder of and violence against black lives. Join us for a special episode of Access & Opportunity, as we continue to try to bridge the gap between the social and economic injustices that oppress communities of color. 

In this new episode we revisit conversations with black entrepreneurs and investors who have shared their playbook points for how to overcome barriers to success that exist for entrepreneurs because of the color of their skin. Through listening to and elevating their stories we can help identify the economic manifestations of racism, learn from each other and work towards a more equitable society.

Welcome back to Access & Opportunity. In these unprecedented times of COVID-19, we're checking in with some of our favorite guests from previous seasons to understand how they're adjusting their schedules, their businesses, their outlook, and their investing styles. In this episode, Carla welcomes back Hope Knight, President and CEO of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation and a member of the New York City Planning Commission.

Ms. Knight was the inaugural guest on Access & Opportunity almost two years ago. We wanted to see how, despite the current circumstances, she continues to nurture opportunities for businesses in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, in New York City. We discuss how she's supporting her partner businesses and tenants, how she's managing the challenges of remote leadership, and her hopes for a relatively rapid recovery.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

© 2020 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.

Welcome back to Access & Opportunity. In these unprecedented times of COVID-19, we're checking in with some of our favorite guests from previous seasons to understand how they're adjusting their schedules, their businesses, their outlook, and their investing styles. In this episode, Carla welcomes back Dr. Freda Kapor Klein, Founding Partner at Kapor Capital and founder and co-chair of the Kapor Center for Social Impact.

Dr. Kapor Klein appeared in season one and in season three, so we wanted to see how, despite the current circumstances, she continues to create opportunities for underserved communities and to close the gap in the venture funding landscape. We discuss how she's thinking about new investments, how she sees the challenges and the silver linings that many startup businesses are facing in the time of COVID-19, and specifically, how it's affecting early-stage companies, the investing community, and the VC community.

https://www.morganstanley.com/what-we-do/inclusive-innovation-and-opportunity

The guest speakers are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. (“Morgan Stanley”). The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and figures contained herein has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information or data contained in this podcast.

This podcast does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

© 2020 Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Members SIPC.