2023 #HeinzAward for the Economy winner Kathryn Finney is breaking down the barriers that have long hindered Black and Brown women from entering the tech startup ecosystem. As the founding partner of Genius Guild, she invests in companies led by diverse founders across the U.S.

The Heinz Awards (October 25, 2023)

On Sept 20th, the Heinz Family Foundation named Genius Guild’s managing general partner, Kathryn Finney, as a recipient of the prestigious 28th Heinz Awards for the Economy.

The Heinz Awards (September 20, 2023)

Kathryn was the first woman to keynote Denver Startup Week, where she also led a breakfast with women entrepreneurs and investors and held two book signings.

Denver Startup Week (September 19, 2023)

Kathryn recently spoke with PayPal CEO Dan Schulman for Marie Claire’s Ambition Issue. They discussed the most important things they’ve learned through their journeys, Kathryn’s tips for women looking to take their careers to the next level, and creating a career with purpose.

Marie Claire (August 25, 2023)

Kathryn spoke with Bridget Fitzpatrick, the co-founder of ASBN Small Business Network, on The Female Founder show about how she helps diverse entrepreneurs find funding.

The Female Founder Show (June 12, 2023)

On this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, we hear an interview with Kathryn Finney that took place at SXSW. Kathryn is a longtime community contributor and she is the Founder and Managing General Partner of Genius Guild, a Chicago-based venture fund that invests in scalable businesses led by Black founders using innovation to build and promote healthy communities.

Startup of the Year Podcast (April 27, 2023)

Of the $150 billion in U.S. venture capital less than 1 percent of total funding goes to Black founders. Black led startups are an underestimated, overlooked business opportunity that represents a prolific investment opportunity. Kathryn Finney, Managing General Partner of the venture fund, is working to change that, increasing Black wealth and injecting capital into startups led by Black entrepreneurs. Kathryn shares her journey and storied career as an entrepreneur, inclusion champion, and investor to encourage Black founders and female entrepreneurs to build their damn thing.

SXSW (April 19, 2023)

Who are the changemakers?

Kathryn was interviewed by Kate Cronin for Moderna’s SXSW panel with Jacqueline Jones, where they discussed what it takes to become a #changemaker, how companies can use their platforms for good, and how to build an effective and engaging approach to drive action.

SXSW 2023 (March 12, 2023)

Three years after the pandemic shutdown, the crisis may be receding, but we don’t seem any closer to the “new normal” than we were back then, especially when it comes to the workplace. More than two-thirds of Americans aren’t feeling engaged with their work, according to a recent Gallup poll, and job unhappiness is at a record high. Many are considering switching careers altogether. Forget the Great Resignation. Millions of Americans are looking for a Great…

The Wall Street Journal (March 10, 2023)

Daring to be different feels risky. There’s constant pressure to “read the room” or “tone it down.”

Kathryn is a model for how being yourself can get you ahead in both business and relationships. She is: an author, an entrepreneur, a fund manager, and a celebrated non-conformist.

And she does it all in incredible style.

A Bit of Optimism with Simon Sinek (December 7, 2022)

Kathryn was selected by her peers as one of the most important VCs in the Midwest. She was recognized on Business Insider’s list for her impressive resume as an investor, founder, and author, and epidemiologist.

Business Insider (November 3, 2022)

Kathryn joined host Denise Hamilton for a takeover episode of the podcast The Will to Change to discuss her book and the importance for founders to move beyond the idea phase of their business.

The Will to Change Podcast (October 28, 2022)

Kathryn joined host Deborah Owens for a conversation about how Black women can get their fair share of venture capital, build wealth, and achieve financial freedom on The Black Star Network’s weekly television show, Get Wealthy.

Get Wealthy with Deborah Owens (October 24, 2022)

Kathryn spoke at the 2022 Inc. 5000 Conference and Gala in Phoenix, Arizona on October 21st. Her session, Why Building a Diverse Team Can Take Your Company Further, examined the best path forward in making startups, and the overall startup sector, more inclusive and inviting for individuals of all backgrounds, genders, and races.

Inc. 5000 (October 21, 2022)

Kathryn participated in a fireside chat moderated by June Cohen at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, California on October 19th. Kathryn shared her investment thesis, explored the question ‘what happens when everyone wins?’ and spoke about her experience as a woman of color navigating the complexities building a successful company and venture capital fund.

Masters of Scale (October 19, 2022)

On October 12th, Kathryn attended the Chicago Smart Business Dealmakers Conference and Awards, where she was honored as a 2022 Dealmaker of the Year award winner. Kathryn was recognized for her business savvy, investing success, and societal impact.

Chicago Smart Business Dealmakers Conference and Awards (October 12, 2022)

Kelly connects with Kathryn Finney, the Managing Partner of Genius Guild, a $20 million dollar venture fund & studio that invests in amazing Black founders. She is a serial entrepreneur, and she’s written a new book: “Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business if You’re Not a Rich White Guy.”

Getting to Yes, And…Podcast (October 4, 2022)

Kathryn joined host Bridget Fitzpatrick on the Atlanta Small Business Network’s “The Female Founder” series to discuss her journey so far as an investor and how diverse entrepreneurs can find funding.

Atlanta Small Business Network (September 30, 2022)

Kathryn joined moderator Colin Mahin for a 40-minute virtual fireside chat about her book, personal journey, experiences as an entrepreneur and investor, and advice for new entrepreneurs on the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center’s Author in Residence Series on September 29th.

Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center (September 29, 2022)

Kathryn joined Geri Stengel from ForbesWomen to discuss how to get your entrepreneurial venture started if you aren’t a rich white guy.

Forbes Women (September 14, 2022)

Kathryn joined host Gene Marks on his podcast BizBooks to discuss her experience starting a business and to provide steps to achieving success.

BizBooks (September 14, 2022)

Responding to a recent study done by The Motley Fool, Kathryn provided insights on why men are oftentimes more overconfident than women when it comes to investing.

The Motley Fool (September 13, 2022)

On September 9th, Kathryn participated in a live conversation with Eve Rodsky about her new book and role as an investor on The Female Quotient’s Virtual Author Conversation Series.

The Female Quotient (September 9, 2022)

In this episode, Vanessa sits down with Kathryn to talk about the difference between Entitleds and Builders in the business world and how to change our thinking and strategies to create the business we're confident we can.

I Hadn't Considered That (August 22, 2022)

Kathryn chatted with Emma Hinchliffe and Paige McGlauflin from Fortune to explain how Adam Neumann’s comeback sends a signal to female founders and founders of color that you can really mess up as a white guy and still get second chances to win.

Fortune (August 18, 2022)

There are infinite ways to be Black. To be Black and joyful or awestruck. To be Black and to amplify, or to agitate, or to celebrate. They are all important. They are all glorious. And nothing quite captures this truth like literature.

All Ways Black is a community dedicated to Black literature – reading it, sharing it, living it, loving it.

All Ways Black (August 4, 2022)

Kathryn Finney is the managing partner of Genius Guild, a $20 million dollar venture fund and studio that invests in amazing Black founders. Selected as one of the most influential women in tech by Inc Magazine, her groundbreaking work has laid the foundation for generations of Black entrepreneurs and investors.

She recently took some time to discuss her love of New Haven pizza, furnishing a New Haven apartment on a budget, and how the Yale community has impacted her life.

Yale Alumni Voices (July 26, 2022)

On this week’s episode, I talk with Kathryn Finney, a former Yale-trained epidemiologist turned blogger turned investor and philanthropist. Before Wordpress even existed and you had to print out photos and then scan and upload them online, Kathryn created her blog, The Budget Fashionista. After running that for many years, she sold the blog and founded digitalundivided, a social enterprise focused on helping Black women own their work.

Lessons from a Quitter Podcast (July 5, 2022)

Don’t wait for the system to let you in—break down the door and build your damn thing. In this episode, our incredible guest, Kathryn Finney digs into how you can build your businesses in a world that has overlooked and underestimated you. She discloses the power of entrepreneurship and why it is essential to understand the value of everyone’s work. Let’s build a startup and break down the barriers!

Build Your Network Podcast (June 30, 2022)

Kathryn Finney created Genius Guild to support Black entrepreneurs in their VC and startup journeys. Her new book, Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You’re Not a Rich White Guy, provides a guide for entrepreneurs on building a startup from the ground up, arming folks with networks and resources—and “responses to investors who say ‘great pitch, but I just don’t do Black women.’”

Forbes Editors’ Pick Newsletter (June 29, 2022)

Kathryn Finney, managing partner of Genius Guild, a $20 million venture fund and studio that invests in amazing Black founders and author of Build The Damn Thing, joins the podcast to discuss her evolution into entrepreneurship, the importance of being honest with yourself when thinking about going out on your own, and how your exit number should be your guiding force.

Journey to Launch Podcast (June 22, 2022)

Kathryn Finney, Founder and CEO at Genius Guild, discusses her book Build The Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You’re Not a Rich White Guy.

Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec bring together the latest news from the world of business and finance and the interesting stories of global technology, politics, economics and more by harnessing the power of Bloomberg Businessweek reporters and editor.

Bloomberg Businessweek Radio (June 21, 2022)

The Wall Street Journal (June 16, 2022)

When the COVID pandemic started, I saw firsthand the challenges that Black female founders were facing. That’s why I decided to create the Doonie Fund, named after my grandmother, Kathryn “Doonie” Hale, and raised over $150,000 to provide micro investments to over 1,500 Black women founders. I also founded Genius Guild, in tandem with the Greenhouse Fund, a business creation platform that uses the venture studio model (lab and venture fund) to invest in Black entrepreneurs building scalable businesses that serve Black communities and beyond.

The Motley Fool (June 15, 2022)

Entrepreneur and investor Kathryn Finney joins to share lessons and take-aways from her new book Build the D*mn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business if You're Not a Rich White Guy.

So Money with Farnoosh Torabi Podcast (June 15, 2022)

Today's question: “How do I find the right people to seek career advice from?”

Kathryn Finney is the Managing General Partner of Genius Guild, a $20 million dollar venture fund & studio that invests in Black entrepreneurs building scalable businesses that serve black communities and beyond. She is also the author of "Build the Damn Thing: How to Build a Successful Company When You're Not a Rich White Guy (Portfolio/Penguin Random House).

We're here on #thisisnotadvice to answer all your questions about startups, venture, and the future of work.

Bloomberg BETA’s This is Not Advice with Roy E. Bahat (June 14, 2022)

In this edition of Author Talks, McKinsey Global Publishing’s Kathleen O’Leary chats with Kathryn Finney, founder and managing partner of Genius Guild—a venture capital firm investing in Black-owned start-ups—about her new book, Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You’re Not a Rich White Guy (Portfolio, June 2022). Finney has done just that: in a business world historically geared toward upper-class, Caucasian men, she worked to become one of the first Black women to have a seven-figure start-up exit. After founding several successful companies, Finney is now sharing her entrepreneurial wisdom.

McKinsey & Company (June 10, 2022)

Whether you are an ebook or audio book lover, or still want to get your pages dirty, there are so many great summer reading options with new great leadership and business titles.

And you are not alone.

A recent Deloitte study says girls and women read more than boys and men across their lifetimes. Sadly, those identifying as male read fewer books by female authors.

Deloitte reports, “A study by Nielsen Book Research found that, of the 10 bestselling male authors, readership was roughly evenly divided by gender, with 55% male readers and 45% female readers. In contrast, only 19% of the 10 bestselling female authors’ readers were male, compared to 81% female.”

Take The Lead (June 10, 2022)

In many ways, the tech culture is startup culture, and launching your own startup can be particularly difficult when you’re from a group that’s been historically underrepresented in the sector.

Kathryn Finney is the founder and CEO of Genius Guild, which builds and invests in companies led by Black founders. She’s also the author of a book that comes out this week, “Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You’re Not a Rich White Guy.”

Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams spoke with Finney about her experiences and why the term “startup” is synonymous with tech.

Marketplace Tech (June 9, 2022)

I didn’t know it then, but the startup world wasn’t created for someone like me. In fact, it wasn’t created for the 233-million-plus Americans — and the billions in the world — who aren’t white men. This was especially true for the early 2000s New York startup community. I was met with the harsh reality of pattern matching. This is why it’s easier for some groups (tech bros) to get the funding and support they need to grow their companies than it is for others (everyone else).

MarketWatch (June 9, 2022)

Diversity in the startup and venture capital spaces is still an issue. One recent report from PitchBook shows that companies founded solely by women received only 2.3% of the capital invested in venture-backed startups in 2021. Another from Crunchbase found that Black and Latinx founders represented only 2.6% of funding between 2015 and August 2020.

In her new book, “Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You’re Not a Rich White Guy,” Kathryn Finney, founder and CEO of the venture fund Genius Guild, collects her experiences navigating the startup sector as a founder of color.

Marketplace Tech (June 9, 2022)

Entrepreneurship is an essential tool for building a more equitable society — which is why Kathryn Finney is laser-focused on encouraging people who don’t fit the mold of the stereotypical founder to jump in. Her new book, “Build the Damn Thing,” taps into wisdom from her years at the venture studio Genius Guild and beyond. She brings a message to founders: The universe is conspiring for your greatness.

Masters of Scale: Rapid Response Podcast (June 9, 2022)

Our guest on this episode is Kathryn Finney, author of the new book, "BUILD THE DAMN THING: How to Start a Successful Business If You’re Not a Rich White Guy".

Nobody Told Me! Podcast (June 8, 2022)

Startup founder and author Kathryn Finney shares small changes that helped foster her personal growth and strength as a leader.

How do you find “good” people? First, be a good leader.

In order to build and lead a great team, you have to be the kind of person that people want to build with.

Fastcompany (June 8, 2022)

This episode with Kathryn Finney, the Budget Fashionista turned entrepreneur, investor and author, examines how identifying opportunity can lead to untold success – but this isn't just Kathryn's story. Her own father's career change gave her a "lesson on living", and from there she has gone on to make a hugely positive impact on the world, and as a result has a beautiful, compelling and engaging story to tell.

The Bet On Yourself Podcast (June 8, 2022)

For women founders who might think that the odds don't "appear" to be in your favor . . . There's a moment when you must decide you’re going to be the one who breaks through, and you’re going to go ahead and build the damn thing.

Kathryn Finney spoke with The Good CEO podcast for their Season 3 opener to discuss her exciting, new book, that is a must read for women founders.

Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You're Not a Rich White Guy is available in bookstores today!

The Good CEO Podcast (June 7, 2022)

Kathryn Finney has spent the majority of her career helping business owners of color and other underrepresented groups get started and find funding. As an investor, she has seen what it takes to make a business profitable and what will torpedo your success.

In her book Build the Damn Thing, Finney takes the lessons gleaned from her 20+ year career and shares a template for others who are already in business for themselves or looking to make the leap.

LinkedIn Big Trends in Small Biz (June 7, 2022)

Think you need to go to an elite college and follow all the rules to find success? Think again.

It can take a lifetime to sort through all the truly horrible advice you’ll be told as you create your startup. Often these opinions are stated as facts, until someone proves them to be myths. For example, before 2014, the idea was that you simply couldn’t build a successful startup outside of Silicon Valley.

Entrepreneur (June 7, 2022)

Looking for your next great read? We're here to help! Each week, our marketing team—Dylan Schleicher (DJJS), Gabbi Cisneros (GMC), Emily Porter (EPP), and Jasmine Gonzalez (JAG)—highlights four newly released books we are most excited about.

Book descriptions are provided by the publisher unless otherwise noted.

Porchlight Books (June 7, 2022)

The following is an excerpt on leadership from “Build the Damn Thing: How to Start a Successful Business If You’re Not a Rich White Guy” by Kathryn Finney. Copyright 2022 by Portfolio.

Don’t wait for the system to let you in—break down the door and build your damn thing. For all the Builders striving to build their businesses in a world that has overlooked and underestimated them: This is the essential guide to knowing, breaking, remaking and building your own rules of entrepreneurship in a startup and investing world designed for and by the “Entitleds.”

StartupNation (June 7, 2022)

Join us for a conversation full of indispensable advice for entrepreneurs! Kathryn Finney will discuss how to cut through the bias, prejudice and bullying too often disguised as "feedback" from entitled investors who pretend to be looking for innovation but who are in fact just matching obsolete patterns. She'll reveal how you can get the data, dispense with the BS, and build new companies for a better world!

LinkedIn Live with Kim Scott (June 2, 2022)

S7E27: In this episode, meet Founder and Chief Change Agent of Flying Elephant Deanna Singh, Founder and CEO of Genius Guild Kathryn Finney, and co-creators of Rich & Regular Julien and Kiersten Saunders. Tune in to hear the ways that these authors hope their audiobooks inspire listeners: from the creation of inclusive workplaces to achieving business dreams amidst personal and societal challenges.

This Is The Author (June 1, 2022)

For over 30 years, we have partnered with authors, publishers, and businesses to get books to speaking and training events, business conferences, and into company book clubs and reading lists—moving books and ideas into the business world every single day. These are the ones we're currently moving most.

Porchlight (June 2022)

Finney (founder and CEO of Genius Guild, a venture studio that invests in Black entrepreneurs) has written an insightful guide to entrepreneurship with practical and knowledgeable advice. Her step-by-step how-to manual is for readers looking to turn ideas into successful start-ups and will help them translate out-of-the-box thinking into a viable, high-growth company, based on what she calls “the four P’s” of great entrepreneurship: Potential, Process, Performance, and Pivot.

Library Journal (May 6, 2022)

Awe-inspiring chat with Kathryn Finney who is pioneering change on inclusion, investor to encourage Black founders and women entrepreneurs to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and award-winning author with her new book "Build the Damn Thing" due out in June 2022.

Next Gen Leaders (March 13, 2022)

Kathryn Finney is a builder, a venture capitalist, and a visionary. She is the founder and Managing General Partner of Genius Guild, a venture studio with a $20M venture fund that builds and invests in scalable companies led by Black founders that serve their communities and beyond. Kathryn invests in market-based innovations designed to end racism. She is also the founder of The Doonie Fund, supporting over 2,000 Black women entrepreneurs throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

The Mothers of Reinvention Podcast (February 28, 2022)

Masters of Scale — the award-winning business podcast, best-selling book, courses app and community created by WaitWhat in partnership with LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman — is bringing its community together for the first time at the Masters of Scale Summit, a 2-day live event for leaders of fast-scaling, future-facing companies. The Masters of Scale team is seeking a diverse set of entrepreneurs, founders and c-suite executives from around the world to apply to attend the event.

PRNewswire (February 23, 2022)

Kathryn Finney, recipient of the first-ever PayPal Maggie Lena Walker Achievement Award, talks about self-reliance, the importance of looking backwards, and the world-changing power of Black innovation.

Bustle (February 18, 2022)

Meet our next #BlackHistoryMonth feature, @KathrynFinney!

Kathryn is the managing partner of @GeniusGuild, a $20M venture fund & studio that invests in inspiring Black founders.

Berkeley Center for Entrepreneurship (February 10, 2022)

At Kenzie Academy, diversity is one of the foundational pillars upon which the school was built. Learners of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and religious beliefs are welcome to procure an education at Kenzie. So, join us as we show some love for these outstanding individuals and their contributions to the industry in our list of 8 generational Black tech leaders.

Kenzie Academy (February 8, 2022)

For Black History Month, we are highlighting Blacks in Tech making history in the field.

Today we spotlight @KathrynFinney!

Join us in learning more about Kathryn who is currently making history in tech!

Code Crew (February 8, 2022)

We’ve all seen the statistics — women-founded companies receive less than 2% of funding despite consistently performing better than their male counterparts. It’s all we’ve been talking about for the last few years. So why haven’t things changed?

As it turns out, women founders and VCs aren’t putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to raising up other women. The current landscape looks a lot like it did when I started my first company.

Medium (February 2, 2022)

To honor Black History Month, theSkimm is spotlighting Black, female culture carriers who are pushing representation forward in different industries. We started with costume designer Ruth E. Carter. And now, it’s time to meet Kathryn Finney. She’s an entrepreneur, investor, and founder of the venture studio Genius Guild, which is dedicated to promoting and investing in Black businesses. Within her firm, she created two important groups: The Greenhouse Fund — which invests 100% in Black founders. (Note: More than 80% of those founders are Black women.) And The Doonie Fund — which makes micro-investments in Black women entrepreneurs.

The Skimm (February 1, 2022)

In 2020, just 3% of the $147.6 billion invested in venture capital went to Black-founded companies, according to the U.S. Census [from Forbes]. Kathryn Finney, entrepreneur, investor and author chats with Nora and Scott about her latest project called Genius Guild, which combines an incubator, venture studio and fund that supports Black entrepreneurs.

Business Casual (January 17, 2022)

Closing the racial wealth gap and creating opportunities for economic advancement in underserved communities is essential to building a more equitable financial future for all. This month’s rising leaders are four women who are making strides in this area: the winners of PayPal’s inaugural Maggie Lena Walker (MLW) Award. This award celebrates the many legacies of Maggie Lena Walker, who was the first Black woman – and first woman – to charter and lead a U.S. bank, and recognizes the demonstrated commitment of women from underrepresented groups.

LinkedIn (January 10, 2022)

News stories about women in the workforce over the past few years have been bleak. Faced with more layoffs, higher rates of unemployment and increased child care burdens, women have essentially been set back an entire generation when it comes to workforce participation. This movement has been dubbed a “shecession,” a term often used in regards to white-collar office work, but it’s important to note that jobs in the healthcare and hospitality industry are also seeing a mass exodus. That’s a big impact on two industries that are overwhelmingly female-dominated.

Forbes (January 3, 2022)

If you want to understand the future of business, meet the entrepreneurs who are shaping it on the ground. They’re as likely to be working in Scottsdale or Ann Arbor as Silicon Valley or New York. While some aspire to create the next unicorn, others long to make their living from being creative. They measure success not only in dollars, but in impact and fulfillment.

Forbes (December 15, 2021)

What if there was a way for the wealthy to use an existing tax loophole to invest in diverse emerging asset managers committed to supporting companies led by diverse teams? Well, there may be a way: Donor Advised Funds (DAF) – a charitable investment account – can provide an easy and quick way to move capital to diverse asset managers.

LinkedIn (December 8, 2021)

A key finding from a health care study this month was poignant: “Racial and ethnic inequities are pervasive across all state health systems,” according to the report from the Commonwealth Fund, a health care foundation.

The Covid-19 pandemic only extended the divide, the health care foundation found in an extensive study of U.S. data. Average life expectancy for Black and Hispanic people fell more sharply compared with White people.

Bloomberg (December 1, 2021)

The venture capital industry plays an important role in empowering small businesses—the backbone of America’s economy. The industry makes up a mere 0.2% of GDP, but delivers a stunning 21% of U.S. GDP in the form of revenue backed by venture capital.

Fastcompany (November 19, 2021)

The pervasive racial wealth gap can be attributed to many factors, but one that’s universally known is the lack of access to wealth-building resources among most minority groups. PayPal is honoring one Black woman who broke through those barriers and is aiming to help others do the same.

Essence (October 25, 2021)

[LATEST] - Kathryn’s work has addressed these disparities at their core by connecting Black women entrepreneurs with the funding and resources needed to grow. Under her leadership, digitalundivided helped dozens of Black and Latinx women raise more than $50 million over the past decade, and #ProjectDiane research helped increase venture funding of Black women-owned businesses by 1000%.

Paypal Newsroom (September 30, 2021)

“There’s a huge community there, and it’s also a community that has a lot of disposable income,” said Finney. That’s one of the reasons Finney invested in QuirkChat, an app meant to provide a safe space for people of color to embrace their passions, be it anime, comics, or horror films.”

Marketplace (August 13, 2021)

Real talk with Kathryn Finney about what it takes to be a black woman in front, self-care, preserving our mental health - and her mission to help more black women get the money they need to build out their businesses.

The Good CEO Podcast (August 18, 2021)

“This year I found myself retracing the steps of my great grandparents and moving from the South (this time Atlanta) to the city of Chicago, relocating my venture studio, Genius Guild, and my $10 million investment fund, the Greenhouse Fund. As a successful tech entrepreneur who is married to a Black software engineer, many of my friends were befuddled by our choice to move back to the Midwest.”

INC (August 4, 2021)

The Aspen Institute today named its 2021 Class of Finance Leaders Fellows. The Finance Leaders Fellowship develops high-integrity leaders into an action-oriented community prepared to use their leadership platforms and expertise to redefine the practices and priorities in the global finance industry.

Aspen Finance Leader (July 19, 2021)

“Finney, who is building an incubator and venture fund focused on Black innovation called the Genius Guild and throughout her career has tracked patterns of exclusion in the tech industry, sees parallels between the black experience then [in 1921] and now.”

USA Today (July 16, 2021)

Successful start-up entrepreneur Kathryn Finney of The Budget Fashionista started Genius Guild in 2020. The $10 million investment fund aims to back Black founders who are building scalable companies that work with and help Black communities.

Grow from CNBC + Acorns (June 22, 2021)

“Entrepreneur Kathryn Finney’s great-grandparents lost their home and a thriving restaurant business in the 1921 race massacre. Finney launched Genius Guild to address ‘the ways in which capitalism and capitalist markets have been manipulated to limit, exclude, and defraud Black communities-to defraud people like my great grandparents’”

Impact Alpha (June 2, 2021)

“Genius Guild, a new platform created by tech investor and entrepreneur Kathryn Finney, will build and invest in Black-led companies serving Black communities with potential to scale globally.”

Impact Alpha (April 6, 2021)

“Genius Guild is addressing the $16 Trillion lost by the US economy due to anti-black racism by concentrating investment dollars and leadership support in Black companies. The firm takes a 3-pronged approach to investing in innovation.

Cision PR Newswire (April 5, 2021)

“Racism is prevalent, systemic and painful. And it's due time for Black people to benefit financially from its eradication, Kathryn Finney, founder of Genius Guild, told Protocol. Her goal is to invest in and support Black founders who are building solutions to end racism.”

Protocol (April 5, 2021)

“Genius Guild is launching after nearly a year of racial reckoning and social justice movements in the U.S and beyond.”

Forbes (April 5, 2021)

The new firm [Genius Guild] is the brainchild of tech entrepreneur and investor Kathryn Finney and takes a multifaceted approach to helping Black entrepreneurs – offering investment through its Greenhouse Fund to tech-enabled companies, while also offering a lab and studio to help Black Founders build a community and receive business help and advice.”

CrunchBase News (April 5, 2021)

“Finney believes the strategy of impact investing could be applied to resolve the social issues around supporting Black-owned companies”

Afro Tech (April 5, 2021)

Get ready to be impressed beyond your wildest dreams. Kathryn Finney is founder and CEO of digitalundivided, an author, and mentor. It seems she has always been a dreamer and a go-getter her entire life. She graduated from Rutgers University having participated in their student government, honors program, USA Today All Academic team, and had other awards bestowed upon her.

R.Riveter (February 28, 2021)

Description goes hereIt’s black history month and there are so many ways to support and back the black community — this is our way by featuring black women, their impact, and their contributions to the economy.

Medium (February 25, 2021)

The landscape of entrepreneurship has shifted, and women of color are leading the shift. In fact, 89% of all new businesses started by women are founded by women of color. As of 2019, 50% of all women-owned businesses are owned by women of color. While these businesses are spread across every industry, seeing women succeed in tech is something we are always excited to see.

Connected (February 25, 2021)

In celebration of Black History Month, we’re highlighting some of the leading Black innovators shaping the technology world and taking us in bold new directions. Join us in celebrating the tremendous contributions today’s Black women leaders are making to technology, engineering, and beyond.

SmarterCX ( February 23, 2021)

The month of February is Black History Month in the US and we’re taking a look at a few of the inspiring black entrepreneurs who you may or may not have heard of.

In 2003, Kathryn Finney started a fashion blog, simply titled The Budget Fashionista. It only took Finney one year to turn her blog into a business and was named one of the top fashion blogs on the internet.

Snow Plow (2021)

In celebration of Black History Month, we’re highlighting some of the leading Black innovators shaping the technology world and taking us in bold new directions. Join us in celebrating the tremendous contributions today’s Black women leaders are making to technology, engineering, and beyond.

Oracle ( February 23, 2021)

To honor Black History Month, Connected Nation is paying tribute to some of the most influential African American innovators in technology. Kathryn Finney is a female tech entrepreneur known as the “Fairy Godmother of Tech Start-ups.” She works to empower not only women, but women of color looking to emerge in the technology space.

Connected Nation (February 11, 2021)

When Kathryn Finney learned that Black female entrepreneurs and small business owners were struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, she did what she does best- she launched a startup.

On April 5, 2020 (her birthday), She took $10,000 of her own money and created The Doonie fund, a nonprofit foundation named for her enterprising grandmother, Kathryn “Doonie” Hale.

Focus (Spring 2021)