Assessment of the Financial Landscape for Underrepresented Founders & DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Start-Ups 

Situation

Our client wanted to better understand the financial landscape for start-ups founded by underrepresented individuals focused on DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), particularly in relation to the tools and funding sources available.

Objective

The objective was to gain insights into the pain points and unmet needs of minority founders regarding the finances and funding of their start-ups.

Our Work

10EQS assessed the availability of financial instruments focused on financial equity for minority start-up owners. 10EQS further explored key pain points of founders and investors and identified gaps for our client to tap into in order to support these companies and individuals in their mission.

Project Team
  • Ex-McKinsey Management Consultant with extensive Nonprofit and public sector industry experience
  • 2 Associate Consultants conducting secondary research
  • 10EQS Delivery Operations (=PMO) providing quality assurance, process management and expert recruitment
  • 9 industry experts
Industry Experts (sample)
  • CEO – Nonprofit dedicated to African American Empowerment (US) 
  • Business Opportunity Specialist – Independent Government Agency (US)
  • Solutions Officer – Regional CDFI (US)
  • Business Advisor – Small Businesses Program – Global Investment Bank (US)

Results

The insights helped our client to better understand potential roles they could play in addressing minority business owners’ unmet needs and connecting them with investors