Google for Entrepreneurs Exchange: Black Founders is a week-long immersion program focused on addressing the funding gap for startups led by Black founders. Established in 2016, this program displays how American Underground and Google for Entrepreneurs strive to move the needle on diversity by addressing the key components to building a successful business: mentorship, training, and access to capital.

The focus is to:

– prepare Black founders for an angel/seed stage round raise (i.e. less than $750k);
– provide useful tools around the unique challenges that face Black founders;
– pair each founder with a team of mentors and advisors to capitalize on strategic opportunities for the startup.

The week will culminate with Durham’s annual celebration of Black Wall Street Homecoming which welcomes venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and others in the entrepreneurial community to Durham.