Tradeblock is donating $1 of every February trade to Colorwave, a non-profit aiming to make the startup space more equitable & inclusive; providing BIPOC leaders with mentorship and job opportunities at VC-backed startups.

Best kept secret that shouldn’t be a secret .... COLORWAVE

When you pull the brilliant on stage unexpectedly :) ... thank you to Touré Owen, Lorenzo Castillo, Marissa Haines, Orlando Gil and the entire Colorwave team for having me. Axios is proud to be your partner.

I'm excited to share that I'm working with Colorwave's Venture Partner Growth Committee and the Founder Engagement Growth Committee. These roles allow me to enhance the pipeline for underserved founders and provide access to investors for the betterment of overlooked communities with innovative ideas. Colorwave is dedicated to building a self-sustaining ecosystem of underrepresented tech operators and founders. By connecting them to job and investment opportunities, Colorwave has helped its community of over 500 overlooked entrepreneurs generate an estimated total of $10M in compensation and equity. The organization partners with venture funds and mission-aligned organizations to connect its members to career-advancing opportunities. Grateful for the leadership of Lorenzo Castillo, John R., and Sasha Mack at Colorwave for including me in these amazing committees! FYI: If you're a venture capitalist looking for more diverse collaborations, let's connect. And if you're a founder seeking better accessibility and opportunities, check out Colorwave's programs and connect with leadership and alumni who can assist you! Looking forward to continuing to assist and grow this fantastic organization with a purposeful mission!

Colorwave has been instrumental to my personal and professional growth over the last year. BIPOC professionals are often multi-passionate, multi-skilled, and multi-dimensional, which makes them incredible candidates for start-ups, tech companies, and VCs. Colorwave honors those unique identities by training Fellows to expand their understanding of their transferable skills and connects them to experts in the space to elevate exponentially. Say yes to yourself this year, and form part of this incredible group!

This past month, I had the incredible opportunity to coach 10 phenomenal alumni on their leadership and entrepreneurial journeys through a partnership with Colorwave. It was an absolute joy to coach them on developing executive presence, career progression, and limiting beliefs reframing, helping them refine their skills and develop strategic visions. A huge thank you to Trebby L. Ellington, M.Ed. and the Colorwave team for this fantastic partnership! To the alumni I coached – it was an honor to work with you. Your dedication, hunger for success, and innovative spirits were truly motivating.

My name is Aaron and I'm a Latino, 2x founder, believer, husband, and GTM strategist. At 21 I started my first business, and I was completely lost. I thought my goal was simple: develop young leaders in my community so they could lead meaningful careers and spark transformation. Turns out it was a lot harder than I expected, and I didn't accomplish the things I set out to do. Fast forward 10 years, and I've been one of the first hires at 3 different startups, while also starting my second LLC. I love the startup economy and want to help other Latinos and POC find their way into the industry Enter Colorwave, a nonprofit doing amazing work to accomplish this and more. If you're a person of color wanting to break into the startup economy, comment below and send me a DM! Colorwave has an incredible community that's 500 people strong and growing! It's a great way to learn about startups and the wealth building opportunities available to you. If that doesn't fit you but you want to connect with other startup founders, feel free to introduce yourself as well! Much love, 🌎 Aaron

I am officially an alum of Colorwave! It was an amazing experience filled with so much growth, learning, and joy. I met some of the most supportive people I plan to keep in touch with for years to come. Thank you so much to the Colorwave team and all the excellent guest speakers who made this fellowship and experience possible.

I am so proud to announce that last week I graduated from Colorwave! I am now an alumni and can't wait to get started supporting the next cohort. I feel so lucky to have been chosen to be a part of this community and to be able to gain the knowledge that I have over the past 7 weeks.

Colorwave is a very special company. Their mission is to help reduce America’s racial wealth gap by connecting underrepresented professionals to opportunities across the innovation economy. Not only is this a powerful mission, it’s necessary.

Yay!!!!!!!!!!! After 7 weeks of learning and engaging with the Colorwave community. It's official, I am an alum. Thank you Colorwave, I could not be more proud to be in community with an organization whose values align with mine - closing the racial wealth gap and connecting professionals of color to leadership opportunities. In the last few weeks the career development program exposed the cohort members to the VC and start-up industry. I loved connecting and learning from industry leaders - it's amazing learning from people in different industries, even hearing people give advice that I'd give was refreshing.

Colorwave an organization to learn and grow in the innovation/tech economy.

I'm thrilled to share that I am now a proud alumni of Colorwave! It has been an incredible journey of growth, learning, and connection, and I'm grateful for every moment of it. A huge shoutout to the Colorwave program for providing such an enriching experience. From the industry-leading speakers to the comprehensive program materials and excellent curriculum, every aspect of the program was top-notch. Special thanks to the entire team & admin for fostering a supportive community that continues to thrive even beyond the program's duration. If you're looking to elevate your career and be a part of an amazing community of like-minded professionals, I highly encourage you to check out ColorWave and join me in this fantastic journey! Let's grow together!

As an ambitious immigrant and resilient international student striving to be an empowering leader, hearing Madhu share his journey at Colorwave with such openness and vulnerability inspired me deeply. It prompted me to reflect on the kind of leader I aspire to be, mirroring the qualities I admired in Madhu: embracing my own journey, empowering others and acknowledging their humanity, a commitment to improving processes and making them more equitable, and maintaining a sincere care, intentionality, and dedication towards my work and its impact. Thank you Colorwave for this space!

Colorwave is a nonprofit focused on closing the racial wealth gap by making the VC-backed startup ecosystem more representative and equitable. The fellowship equips professionals with the training needed to thrive in today's innovation economy. Let's go COHORT 8!!!!!!!

I'm excited to share that I was accepted to the 8th Cohort of Colorwave! I look forward to learning more about the innovation economy and creating meaningful connections with fellow leaders and creatives aiming to build a more equitable and inclusive economy. Shout out to Rishav A. for sharing his Colorwave experience with me and motivating me to apply!

I am so delighted to share that I have been accepted into the Colorwave Fellowship as part of the Spring 2024 Cohort 8! I am so excited to learn more about the innovation economy, build relationships with forward-thinking leaders and creatives, and contribute to efforts in closing the racial wealth gap. Definitely a great reminder of the power of (re)connecting and building relationships with people.

I'm thrilled to announce that I've embarked on a new journey as a Growth Strategist on the Growth Committee at Colorwave! This committee is an elite gathering of distinguished alumni leaders who are dedicated to forging meaningful connections among themselves while collaborating closely with the leadership of Colorwave. Our collective aim is to enhance, broaden, and refine the organization's impact. A heartfelt thank you to the entire Colorwave team, with a special mention to Lorenzo Castillo for extending this exciting opportunity to me. Together, we are committed to accelerating the growth of Colorwave as we strive to create more accessible opportunities. By leveraging the collective wisdom of venture-backed entrepreneurs, investors, tech executives, and nonprofit leaders, we aim to dismantle barriers and open new pathways for underserved communities within the tech and entrepreneurship landscape.

The Colorwave founders program helped me explore the assumptions that need to be true in order to have an investable startup. And then put it in a singular narrative through a pitch deck. If you're a founder and need some support reach out and let's see if Colorwave is right for you.

My guiding principle is simple: I always want to do what I love and serve others while doing it. Finding ways to help others is something I always search out. A year ago I found Colorwave and I'm proud to announce I'm serving as a Fellowship host. The program is FREE for minorities wanting to break in to the world of startups. I did the program in 2022 and it was surreal sharing a virtual room with over 100 POC. Beyond that, we had conversations with incredible people building awesome businesses. This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If this sounds like you: Minority / Person of Color, Wanting to get into the startup economy, Looking for a community to connect with - You NEED to apply to Colorwave. Join the Wave with us.

Colorwave is an amazing organization - check them out!

The Colorwave team is doing something special. Helping young professionals pivot into well-funded startups. Those same startups are looking for professionals bringing a diverse perspective.

A little late in sharing, but I'm super excited to tell everyone that I’ve started a position as a Social & Digital Content Manager at Green Thumb Industries (GTI)! Colorwave played a big role in providing me the resources to get better aligned with what I was looking for in a future role. A job search can be tricky, so I'm grateful for having resources and a supportive community to tap into. If you're in the process of a job search, everyone's journey looks different, but I always suggest to either tap into and/or build your network.

“Colorwave’s mission is to help reduce America’s racial wealth gap by connecting underrepresented professionals to opportunities across the innovation economy.” What a journey! Beyond grateful for my Colorwave experience. A sincere thank you to my cohort, my coach and the rest of the amazing Colorwave team. The lessons I learned from this program will stick with me.

While I am in the midst of my search for my first software engineering role, I am humbled and excited to announce that I have been accepted at Colorwave fellowship #cohort7. This opportunity allows me to immerse myself in the world of the Tech Innovation economy, startups, and venture capital.

I thankfully found the Colorwave Founder Accelerator. Working with the team provided the opportunity for entrepreneurs to further develop my startup idea in a safe environment with guides who keep founders on track during the inevitable feelings of being overwhelmed and confused.

Great opportunity for early-stage diverse founders. Colorwave leading the way!

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new Venture & Startup Fellow (Cohort 7) position at Colorwave! I'm thrilled to have been chosen for this opportunity and grateful for the mentorship of Lorenzo Castillo and the Colorwave team. I eagerly anticipate contributing to this dynamic ecosystem, where minority leaders are trailblazing in the realms of innovation and venture investing within BIPOC communities