In The State of Black Tech video series with Henry Childs II, we’re taking an honest look at the challenges and opportunities in recruiting Black tech talent. This interview with Tracy Gray focuses on Funding.
Tracy Gray is a former senior adviser to the L.A. mayor, venture capital fund investment professional, and systems engineer on the Space Shuttle program. She is the Founder & Managing Partner of the 22 Fund https://the22fund.com/, and Founder of the nonprofit We Are Enough https://www.weareenough.biz/ . Tracy is recognized as a multifaceted leader in social and economic equity in finance. The 22 fund invests in high potential women and minority-owned tech-based manufacturing and exporting companies, with a mission of creating the jobs of the future in underserved communities. Her inspiration came from the numbers: even though women are starting businesses at 1.5 times the rate of men, they receive less than 3% of venture capital and 4% of commercial loans. She founded We Are Enough to educate women on how and why to invest in women-owned/led businesses.
BayOne is a minority-owned Talent Solutions Partner based in the Bay Area, and we have a passion for diversity in the Tech Industry. We help companies build teams. We specialize in the following domains: Project & Program Management, Cloud Computing & I.T. Infrastructure Management, Big Data Services, Software & Quality Engineering, User Experience Design. We help companies solve their talent gap by providing qualified experts on-demand, training their legacy workforce on future technologies, and automating their business processes.
Henry Childs II is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the Chairman and CEO of BCF Capital, America’s most comprehensive financing and intellectual capital organization exclusively serving NMSDC-certified businesses. Since its inception, BCF has provided $225 million in financing to minority firms. He is also founder and CEO of the Minority Wealth Commission, which is the largest national organization intentionally dedicated to reducing the racial wealth gap impacting the U.S., and he is on BayOne Solutions’ advisory board. Henry’s goal is to facilitate the growth and competitiveness of the nearly 11 million minority-owned businesses in the United States. Henry Childs believes in the power of innovative finance solutions and multi-stakeholder engagement to help break down some of the most persistent barriers faced by minority communities and businesses. He believes that unleashing the power of the minority economy will invigorate the U.S. economy setting it on a trajectory to lead in the new digital economy. He believes that ethical technology should amplify the potential of all individuals and contribute to a more equitable and sustainable economic and social system for all people and places.
