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Destiny, you manage one of the most active funds investing in Black founders. What do you look for first?

The founder. Always the founder first. I am investing in a person's ability to navigate uncertainty, build teams, and persist through adversity. The idea matters, the market matters — but the founder is the variable I can least replicate if I get it wrong.

What is the most common reason you pass on a Black-founded company?

Lack of market clarity. Founders who cannot articulate precisely who their customer is, what specific problem they solve, and why they are the right team to solve it. Passion is not a strategy. I need to see that you understand your market deeply.

What do you wish more Black founders knew about the fundraising process?

That it is a relationship business, not a transaction business. The founders who raise successfully have built genuine relationships with investors long before they open a round. You should be having coffee with potential investors 18 months before you need their money.

What is your vision for the Black venture ecosystem in the next decade?

A fully mature ecosystem where Black founders have access to capital at every stage, Black LPs are investing in Black funds, and the outcomes speak for themselves. We are building that now. It will be real within a decade.