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Our Mission

Genius is equally distributed across zip-codes. Access and Opportunity is not.

Impact Ventures is here to change that; we believe in the value of leveraging the genius of all people, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or class. We envision an economy where access, opportunity, and prosperity is shared. Our mission is to empower talented, yet under-estimated Women and Communities of Color to build generational wealth through inclusive entrepreneurship, community wealth building, and integrated capital

We believe our communities already possess the genius necessary to lead vibrant, healthy, and stable lives. Through direct entrepreneurial support services, equitable investing, and community wealth building we manifest our greatest equalizer in closing the wealth divide. By creating more equitable and diverse economic systems, we envision an economy where access, opportunity, and prosperity is shared.

Board of Directors

Greer Christian

Ted Hill

Drexel Owusu

Roy Lopez

Ben Magill

Marc Womack

Aimee Cunningham

Annika Cail

Ashford Chancelor

Jennifer Hobson

John Jaggers

Our Team

We are a team of passionate and experience entrepreneurs, investors, and change agents. We have experienced first hand the challenges of being an under-estimated founder and apply our unique live experiences to ensuring those after us have less barriers and more access. In partnership with our staff, we work with a host of freelancers, agencies, and a network of 160+ mentors to execute high-touch educational and experiential programming.

Gina Kennedy

Director of Development
Eugenia “Gina” Kennedy is a master networker, consensus builder, and advocate inspired to bring equity to communities through social change, resource development and self-actualization.
Gina’s passion for breathing belief into others started as a young girl, with parents who opened their hearts and homes to those in the community in need of a glimmer of hope.
Gina currently serves as Director of Development of Impact Ventures. Gina expertly leverages her social currency to connect members of the community and organizations with desired resources. Her professional background of working in social service organizations, serving as a counselor, and grants management have equipped her with the right measure of warmth, passion and determination that will effectively attract attention from potential supporters of Impact Ventures, and raise awareness of the organization’s mission.
When not working, Gina can be found cheering on her son Chase’s sports team, spending time with her family, supporting a friend during an important moment in their life, or serving the community through her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Shambreka Ward

Sr. Program Manager
Shambreka Ward is a creative thinker, organization enthusiast, and servant leadership advocate. She is passionate about activating confidence and innovation in others and propelling their genius to maximum greatness.
Shambreka serves as Impact Ventures Sr. Program Manager where she develops and executes the Impact Venture Accelerators and aids in access to services and resources for founder growth and advancement. Shambreka comes from over 8 years in leadership and training roles in beauty retail, project management, and telecommunications. When she is not exercising her passion for developing others, she enjoys spending quality time with family and friends and expanding her cultural intelligence through travel and culinary art.

Benjamin J. Vann

Founder & CEO

Benjamin Vann is a community builder, serial problem solver, and financial activist working at the intersection of technology, impact, policy, and capital. As a 5th generation entrepreneur, he is passionate about building new systems that center marginalized people and move them towards economic freedom and self-determination.

Benjamin currently serves as Impact Ventures Founder & CEO and leads overall strategic direction, executive management, and fundraising efforts. Benjamin’s journey to this work started in banking and corporate finance and evolved into social entrepreneurship, community organizing, global micro-finance, and impact investing. When he is not strategizing on how to leverage capital to heal communities, he enjoys playing music and exploring city sites with his wife Cashmere and two sons Benjamin II and Braxton.

Donna Henry

Sr Director of Programs

Donna Henry is an ecosystem builder, entrepreneur advocate, and inspired to bridge the economic wealth gap in communities of color.  

Donna’s passion for entrepreneurship started at an early age working in a family-owned business most of her life. She believes small business ownership is a pillar of wealth that can close the gap. 

Donna is currently the Senior Director of Programs at Impact Ventures. Donna brings years of experience in program development, entrepreneur consulting, and ecosystem building. Her professional background as an accountant has equipped her with the skillset to understand the difficulties of an early-stage business, and the growing pains of a scaling business.  

When Donna is not working you will find her riding her Peloton, traveling, reading a good book and serving her community through Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Her favorite saying is “How you do anything is how you do everything.”   

Anisah Khan

Marketing Manager

Anisah Khan is a creative visionary, advocacy seeker, and passionate planner creating lasting impact through story-telling and community-centric events. As a woman and minority, she strives to be a part of innovative movements that close opportunity gaps and help people reach their fullest potential.

In her role as Marketing and Events Manager, Anisah brings her previous nonprofit marketing and communications experience from both local and national organizations – from managing social media accounts and donor communications to her project management efforts. Outside of sharing community stories and bringing people together through her work at Impact Ventures, Anisah enjoys family time as a mother of two, traveling, and living simply by embracing a minimalist lifestyle.

Katherine White

Sr. Business Advisor

Katherine White is an enthusiastic community connector, intentional strategizer, and creative problem-solver. She has a diverse background as a former accountant, educator, entrepreneur, and over a decade of experience in social services and nonprofit program management. Katherine is passionate about positively impacting and empowering underrepresented communities of color.

As Sr. Business Associate at Impact Ventures, Katherine utilizes her skills to recruit mentors and help build a supportive community for founders. Katherine’s expertise in community engagement ensures that she creates an environment where founders and mentors have access to the support they need. Outside of her professional life, Katherine enjoys pursuing her interests in traveling, performing improv, reading, and spending quality time with her loved ones.

Jennifer James

Sr. Business Advisor
Jennifer James is a consumer-obsessed Product Leader, Creative Partner and Brand Strategist that delivers game-changing product concepts and profitable growth by combining customer and data-driven insights with strong instinct. Creating a culture of belonging is central to her leadership philosophy. Jennifer is at her best working with a teams to develop innovative solutions for consumers to live their best lives.
Jennifer serves as Inclusive Capital Fund Sr. Impact Investment Officer where she leads the due diligence process with qualified candidates of the fund. Jennifer comes from over 10 years of experience entrepreneurship, product development, and technology innovation.  Outside of working with entrepreneurs, Jennifer loves being a sports mom and spending time with her family that includes her husband and 3 kids.

Olivia Cantu

Events Manager
Jennifer James is a consumer-obsessed Product Leader, Creative Partner and Brand Strategist that delivers game-changing product concepts and profitable growth by combining customer and data-driven insights with strong instinct. Creating a culture of belonging is central to her leadership philosophy. Jennifer is at her best working with a teams to develop innovative solutions for consumers to live their best lives.
Jennifer serves as Inclusive Capital Fund Sr. Impact Investment Officer where she leads the due diligence process with qualified candidates of the fund. Jennifer comes from over 10 years of experience entrepreneurship, product development, and technology innovation.  Outside of working with entrepreneurs, Jennifer loves being a sports mom and spending time with her family that includes her husband and 3 kids.

Join Our Team

Impact Ventures is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, national origin, religion, physical or mental handicaps or disabilities, marital status, Veteran status, sexual orientation, nor any other basis prohibited by law.

We are committed to recognizing and rewarding our employees, maintaining a work environment that is fun and exciting, and providing opportunities for personal and professional growth. We pride ourselves in establishing mutually beneficial relationships with our staff and volunteers.

Employment Opportunities:

Current Openings:

Press

Impact Ventures believes that sharing the stories and work of under-represented entrepreneurs is important piece to creating a more diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. We invite journalists, bloggers, digital influencers, podcasters, and other media outlets to contact us for opportunities to partner with us in telling our stories.

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