As our city, state and world continue to confront racism and injustice, Austin-based accelerator DivInc has revealed eight startups from across the U.S. for its first even Social Justice Innovation Accelerator program.
The move is significant in that the program is among the first of its kind since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May and worldwide protests that followed. It's also a unique community collaboration that brought DivInc together with Capital Factory and Notely Ventures -- and with additional support from AppSumo, Kendra Scott, adMixt and Wild Basin Investments.
Here's a look at the new cohort, with descriptions provided by DivInc:
- Lone Star Justice Alliance (non-profit, Austin) A legal organization improving the lives of youth and emerging adults in the justice system.
- Break The Box (for-profit, Austin, TX) An Opportunity Zone fund with a thesis of closing the racial wealth gap by exponentially increasing the number African American home owners across the nation.
- Melanoid Exchange (for-profit, Houston, TX) Building more Black millionaires by guiding minority business owners through the world of eCommerce and giving the world a place to shop from them.
- Civic Links (for-profit, San Francisco, CA) Helping those in need navigate and access relevant government benefits and support.
- Thawra Network (for-profit, Dearborn, MI) Revolutionizing the lived experiences of Arabs and Muslims in America through identity affirming and groundbreaking media production.
- Amplify RJ (for-profit, Los Angeles, CA) Teaching the public the origins, philosophy, practices, and values of Restorative Justice through modern, digital platforms.
- SayLambda (for-profit, Washington, D.C.) Providing renters, first-time home buyers, and housing counselors with real-time data on the latest assistance programs, grants, and home ownership incentives tailored to an individual’s profile, to increase access to affordable housing.
- Vngle (for-profit, Atlanta, GA) Covering the stories you don’t hear about and the perspectives you don’t get, we give you “various angles” on news for communities, by communities.
The accelerator, announced in June, sought out entrepreneurs with plans to help eliminate racism in criminal justice systems, health care, education, voting and housing. It's a 12-week program that includes mentorship, access to capital and public-private partnership opportunities.
"With yet another wave of injustice and national anger reaching new heights this year, my team and I are ready to take action again, in the best way we know how,” Preston James, CEO at DivInc, said in the announcement. “We will use our expertise to help entrepreneurs and activists all over the country apply their skills to create systems-level change. By marrying innovation and activism, we can and will create a lasting impact.”
