Fearless Fund Collaborates With the Cru to Launch Women of Color Grant and Networking Program

The program will offer seventy-five women of color business owners monetary grants, educational resources, and peer coaching, powered by the Tory Burch Foundation

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fearless Fund, the first venture capital fund built by women of color, for women of color, has partnered with peer coaching platform The Cru and the Tory Burch Foundation for a multi-phase program that will provide grants between the size of $10,000 - $20,000, resources, and peer coaching services to women of color-led businesses. Interested candidates should identify as a woman of color-led, for-profit business and complete their entry form by February 9, 2022 for a chance to be selected.

“We are beyond thrilled to be working with The Cru and The Tory Burch Foundation to provide women of color-led small businesses with the capital and support they so greatly deserve. We understand it’s not enough to only give an investment, which is why we are especially excited to have The Cru team offer their mentorship and coaching services to ensure these women achieve their goals and have long, successful careers as founders,” said Arian Simone, General Partner and Co-Founder of Fearless Fund.

Women of color-led businesses are vital to our economy and statistically are growing at a faster rate than any other demographic, yet they still only received 1.2% of the record $147B U.S. venture capital funding in 2021 (Crunchbase). Knowing this, Fearless Fund, The Cru, and The Tory Burch Foundation have committed to providing a total of seventy-five small businesses grants for a multi-million dollar total investment, with each founder also having access to a peer network that will help them continue to build and grow their professional goals.

“As a founder, I’ve experienced the pivotal role that capital, connection and coaching plays in fueling our success. I'm proud that The Cru is partnering with Tory Burch Foundation and the Fearless Fund to provide all three to women of color small business owners. By investing in their leadership we're advancing their companies and fueling our nation's most untapped innovation source,” said Tiffany Dufu, Founder and CEO of The Cru.

“These grants are a step towards making the business landscape more equitable for women of color entrepreneurs,” adds Laurie Fabiano, Tory Burch Foundation President.

For more information and all entry qualifications, please visit www.fearless.fund/tory-burch-foundation.

About Fearless Fund

Fearless Fund invests in women of color led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed level or series A financing. Our mission is to bridge the gap in venture capital funding for women of color founders building scalable, growth aggressive companies. For more information on Fearless Fund, please visit www.fearless.fund.

About The Cru

Founded by Tiffany Dufu in 2018, The Cru matches diverse, mid-career women in accountability circles. 58% of their members are women of color. It’s the fastest-growing peer coaching platform that offers personalization based on individual goals. Over the past year, The Cru has grown 450% in membership as women crave an affordable and structured way to build meaningful relationships, expand their network, and realize their life intentions.

The Cru’s model is virtual—supported by robust digital tools and a member-based platform—offering individuals the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and support one-another regardless of geography. For more information, please visit thecru.com.

About the Tory Burch Foundation

Founded by fashion designer Tory Burch, the Tory Burch Foundation empowers women and women entrepreneurs by providing access to capital, education and digital resources. Learn more on ToryBurchFoundation.org.