EPISODE 15: Building the 3rd Reconstruction and restructuring Capital, with Julianne Zimmerman and Ed Dugger III, Reinventure Capital

EPISODE 15:  BUILDING THE 3RD RECONSTRUCTION AND RESTRUCTURING CAPITAL, WITH JULIANNE ZIMMERMAN AND ED DUGGER III, REINVENTURE CAPITAL

Never has this podcast episode been more timely than now. The Black Lives Matter movement is finally getting the recognition it deserves and I really wanted to showcase 2 incredible investors, who are on a mission to truly change funding for Black diverse founders. In this episode you'll hear from Ed Dugger III and Julianne Zimmerman, Managing Directors at Reinventure Capital, about the 3rd Reconstruction, what it means for all of us, and how their new fund is building on over 30 years of incredible financial results from Ed Dugger III, from investing in black founders. The time is now. Let's all help make the change happen, that America and the world needs, to heal and grow together. You'll get great resources in the shownotes below too. So Listen up, and please leave a Review on Apple or Spotify, so others can learn about us! We'd really appreciate it.

About our Guests:

Ed Dugger III (President)
As a founding partner and President of Reinventure Capital, Ed’s professional career has come full circle. An early pioneer in impact investing, he also has had careers as a real estate developer, business strategy consultant, interim CFO  and now has re-entered the profession of venture capital with over 30 years of deep business development and venture capital experience and a track record of notable achievements.
Ed’s VC career began at age 25 and accelerated at age 27 when he became CEO of one of the larger venture capital firms in the nation, backed and mentored by such board directors as the CEO of Morgan Stanley and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of JP Morgan. As head of one of the earliest impact VC funds, he invested in growth industries to consciously expand business opportunities for entrepreneurs of color, achieving an IRR of 32% during its last decade.
In addition to generating a top quartile return, Ed also helped launch some of the nation’s most successful African American controlled companies, both private and public, and assisted them in attracting over $2 billion in conventional capital, while achieving 30% diversity among managers and employees and generating over 7,000 family supporting jobs. 
Most recently Ed has responded to our nation’s current challenges, stemming from persistent racial, social and economic inequities, by forming Reinventure Capital. Once again he is targeting the vast, untapped reservoir of innovative, entrepreneurial talent, comprised of those of color and women consistently overlooked by the mainstream investment community. In so doing, Ed is implementing a proven contrarian investment playbook, as before, ensuring an impact rich return on capital AND inclusion. For more on Ed’s journey as a pioneering VC and lifelong advocate for racial equity, see his Ed Talks, first person accounts of his experience as a Black man in America.
Based in Boston, Ed is a graduate of Harvard College and Princeton University (MPA-UP, School of Public and International Affairs).

Learn more about Ed here:

---

​Julianne Zimmerman (Managing Director)

For more than 25 years Julianne has been putting technology and capital to work for the greater good in the US and abroad.  Along the way she has contributed in a variety of roles:  Co-Founder of a seed-stage investment firm;  VP of Communications at a utility-scale energy storage company;  Co-founder and Director of Business Development of a biofuel company;  VP of Engineering at a water purification company;  and trusted mentor, board member, advisor, or consultant to many more. She invests heavily in cultivating community, including as a mentor with the MIT Venture Mentoring Service and life deacon in her church;  she created and teaches a top-rated course on Innovative Social Enterprises at Tufts University. Julianne speaks and writes for a wide variety of domestic and global audiences such as GreenMoney, GreenBiz, Sloan EMBA, GIST Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, TBLI, Impact Metropolis, EY Strategic Growth Forum, and the MIT Nuts & Bolts Course, among others;  she also frequently serves as a judge for technology and entrepreneurship competitions, and as a connectrix for innovators around the world.
Julianne earned two undergraduate degrees from MIT (Aero/Astro Engineering and Literature / Humanities), an MS from the University of Maryland, and an executive certificate in sustainability management from the Presidio Graduate School;  she previously volunteered as a certified Emergency Medical Technician in Maryland (PGFD 1) and Massachusetts (Boston Marathon finish line medical services);  she served as a research diver at the University of Maryland Space Systems Laboratory.  She was twice a finalist in the NASA astronaut selection process.

​Learn more about Julianne Here:

In today's episode you'll learn:

• Some cool fun facts about both Ed and Julianne and learn a bit more about them and their impressive commitment over the years to funding black and diverse founders
• About the 3rd Reconstruction - of change that will hopefully bring more economic equality to people of colour, particularly in America.
• Their Majority Success model for their fund Reinventure Capital - what it is and how they implement it daily
• How has Covid-19 impacted funding?
• Answers to live questions from the audience about specific tips for different types of startups and early stage founders on the fundraising trail
• What needs to change in funding- for female and black founders
• Key Do's and Don'ts for female founders who are pitching investors

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

• About the 3rd Reconstruction
• Rethink Investment Strategy 
• About our new website and positioning
• Debunk persistant falsehoods, connect with peers and allies, channel capital

How to connect with Julianne and Ed

• Website: Reinventure Capital
• Twitter: @juliannezim, @ReinventureCap @edduggeriii
• LinkedIn:  Julianne Zimmerman Ed Dugger III
• Blog: https://reinventurecapital.com/blog/

---