Camelback Ventures Welcomes 11th Cohort of Fellows!
Camelback Ventures is proud to welcome our 11th cohort of 2023 education and conscious tech innovators as part of our rigorous fellowship supporting undervalued entrepreneurs leading social impact ventures across the United States. These 10 founders represent 10 organizations with innovative solutions impacting BIPOC communities such as: career readiness, transparency in government spending, pathways from incarceration to higher education, criminal justice reform, and racial justice in schools. The 2023 cohort proudly joins our community of 130+ entrepreneurs (and counting!) - a group we lovingly call the #CamelbackFam!
2023 Camelback Fellows
Education
Fellows are listed alphabetically by Founder name, and share details as provided by leaders. Education Fellows may be nonprofits, for-profits, hybrids, or schools.
AIYESHIA HUDSON-WONG founder of Liberation Journeys
Chicago, IL - Nonprofit - www.liberationjourneys.org
Liberation Journeys partners with educators and students to co-design learning experiences and school culture initiatives that center student voice, identity affirmation, and racial justice.
Aiyeshia on becoming a Camelback Fellow: “I'm honored and thrilled to have been chosen as a finalist for the Camelback Fellowship! What excites me most about the Fellowship is the opportunity to be part of a community intentionally designed to help entrepreneurs of color and women fail forward, affirm our value, and accelerate our collective liberation.”
DR. JIMMEKA ANDERSON co-founder of Black Girls Film Camp
Charlotte, NC - Nonprofit - www.blackgirlsfilmcamp.com
Black Girls Film Camp provides a safe space for Black girls to learn media literacy and technology skills, collaborate, construct their own narratives centering on Black girlhood, and share their stories with the world through film.
Jimmeka on becoming a Camelback Fellow: “OMG! I am screaming right now. To say that I am super excited about this Fellowship is an understatement. I have been checking my inbox each day for the status of my application. It is an honor to be considered for this opportunity out of so many phenomenal ventures and entrepreneurs. I am looking forward to being in community with fellow leaders and experts. I am also looking forward to my growth as an entrepreneur, expanding the vision of my organization, and building a plan for sustainability with our work.”
PATRICK RODRIGUEZ co-executive director of Georgia Coalition for Higher Education in Prison
Atlanta, GA - Nonprofit - www.gachep.org
Georgia Coalition for Higher Education in Prison (GACHEP) aims to provide people in prison and those who have left prison in Georgia with high-quality educational pathways from pre-college coursework to accredited degree completion.
Patrick on becoming a Camelback Fellow: “As a finalist for the Camelback Fellowship, I am feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. On one hand, I am thrilled at the potential to join such a dynamic and impactful community of changemakers. I am excited about the prospect of deepening my own skills and knowledge, while also contributing to the collective mission of advancing educational access and opportunities for historically disenfranchised communities. I am eager to learn from other fellows and a community of like-minded education advocates while also sharing the experiences I have had with the prison system and how that drives my mission to advance opportunities for incarcerated women and men. I just know that we will be creating innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time. I am honored to be considered for this opportunity and am grateful for the chance to join this community of inspiring and passionate individuals.”
DR. PETER WATTS, JR. co-founder and CEO of Teacher Village
Los Angeles, CA - Nonprofit - www.wattsofpowerfoundation.org/teacher-village
Teacher Village creates a pipeline of well-trained and supported Black male teachers to address the academic achievement, social emotional, and mental health needs of Black elementary school students.
Peter on becoming a Camelback Fellow: “I am thoroughly excited to be part of the Camelback family! I'm looking forward to learning from expert practitioners who are ruthless about changing the landscape in education by disrupting the system in a way that creates opportunities for students of color and leaders of color so that everyone has an opportunity to flourish in this nation.”
TERRANCE LEWIS founder of The Liberation Foundation
Philadelphia, PA - Nonprofit - https://liberation-foundation.org
The Liberation Foundation provides reentry education and support to currently-incarcerated Pennsylvanians preparing to return home from prison, and supports pro se litigants seeking pro bono legal representation.
Terrance on becoming a Camelback Fellow: “I am humbled and elated to be selected as a Camelback Fellow. When I returned home from prison just a few years ago, I dreamed of creating an organization that would be able to assist those situated as I once was: in prison, without legal or reentry support. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share my vision with you all, and to continue growing the Project HOPE program. I know firsthand just how challenging reentry can be, and educational programming like Project HOPE is an immediate solution to help support incarcerated men and women as they return to their communities ready to be present for their loved ones, follow their passions, and achieve their own goals. I am also humbled by the opportunity to be among outstanding and inspirational individuals. I look forward to learning from them and supporting them as they continue to build their ventures. Together, I know we (and our ventures) can make a long-lasting positive impact!”
Conscious Tech
Fellows are listed alphabetically by Founder name, and share details as provided by leaders. Conscious Tech Fellows may be nonprofits, for-profits, or hybrids.
ALEXANDRA RUIZ-OLIVO founder of Poder Capital
New York, NY - For Profit - www.poder-capital.com
Poder Capital is a fintech company focused on creating affordable financial products for Latinx small business owners (SMBOs).
Alexandra on becoming a Camelback Fellow:? “I am feeling extremely honored and my heart is FULL thinking about joining the Camelback community! I have a lot of incredible social sector mentors and co-conspirators, but few have embarked on the entrepreneurial journey I am on. Currently, the professional experiences I have had the privilege to participate in are mixed in terms of focus (with many folks in my current community of BIPOC entrepreneurs creating for profit businesses). I am really excited to be in community with individuals who share similar values and are actively building social ventures. I am also eager to continue to learn from and alongside people with rich backgrounds/experiences who will enrich my thinking and inform the evolution of Poder Capital.”
ALICIA WILLIAMS co-founder of Abloom
Houston, TX - For Profit - https://justli.co
Abloom is an AI-powered wellbeing tool creating a brighter future for students by understanding their emotional world.
Alicia on becoming a Camelback Fellow: “I feel humbled and grateful. I am most excited about the incredible Camelback community and being able to grow my leadership skills.”
CELENA GREEN founder of ProsperWorks
Tulsa, OK - For Profit - www.getprosperworks.com
ProsperWorks uses behavioral science, software, and an employee-centric focus to help small businesses empower and incentivize their employees to achieve their most critical metrics through gainsharing.
Celena on becoming a Camelback Fellow: “I'm excited about having Camelback as a thought partner and mission-aligned investor in ProsperWorks, and joining a community of builders of Conscious Tech who are solving real problems.”
ISSEL MASSES founder of Sembrando Sentido
San Juan, Puerto Rico - Nonprofit - https://contratosenley.org
Sembrando Sentido develops technology that makes government spending data truly open and strengthens advocacy efforts in our communities for a just and equitable distribution of funds in Puerto Rico.
Issel on becoming a Camelback Fellow: “Joining the Camelback Fellowship presents a unique opportunity to further build our technology products for social justice, while also creating the space to share experiences and learn with other entrepreneurs working towards the same goal.”
KATHRYN BREISCH founder of GoPursue
Washington D.C. - For Profit - https://gopursuecareer.com
GoPursue helps high school and college students figure out which careers to pursue and connects them with mentors in those fields.
Kathryn on becoming a Camelback Fellow: “I couldn’t be more thrilled about joining the Camelback family! There are many supports available to entrepreneurs out there, but nothing is better than being part of a community that specifically supports people who look like me AND values the experience I bring to the table as a former educator. I know the Camelback network is going to be a game changer for our business, so I hope to contribute just as much back to the community as a fellow and eventually alum.”
“The story is you just woke up and you had this great idea and everything worked out.That’s often not the case particularly in entrepreneurship. Camelback is the organization I wish had existed when I started my first two companies particularly around capital, connections, and community,” said Aaron T. Walker, Camelback Ventures CEO & Founder. “I am proud of the $10-million plus of investments we’ve made so far to support BIPOC, women, and nonbinary founders across the country - they are building innovative social impact solutions to uplift marginalized communities.”
To date, Camelback Ventures has invested more than $10-million into emerging entrepreneurs across the country. The 2023 Camelback Fellowship is grateful for the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, McCance Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Kenan Charitable Trust, Margulf Foundation, and Walton Family Foundation.
You can learn more about the Camelback Ventures’ Fellowship and meet past fellows. Camelback Ventures’ next fellowship application window will open in August of 2023. Interested in joining our next fellowship cohort? Fill out our interest form today!