The “future of work” is something that we talk a lot about at Voodle – we believe it will be more distributed, inclusive, transparent, and productive. In some ways, the future is already here! The pandemic accelerated trends towards a more flexible, asynchronous workplace and gave us all permission to be more authentic. However, in other ways, we are still waiting for the other aspects to catch up. Particularly when it comes to inclusivity. A lot of us are focused on inclusion and belonging, and at Voodle we’re building a product that genuinely equips everyone to be seen and heard. But the reality is, this is so much bigger than any one organization or any one product can solve. If we want to see concrete change, we have to build an ecosystem that will generate a better future of work for everyone.
We can’t promote the Future of Work without supporting those who are shaping it.
This brings me to our latest initiative – the Voodle Visionaries Grant. This is our chance to
use our app at its best and put our money where our mouth is when it comes to our values. Our grant is targeting women, non-binary, and BIPOC founders who are as committed to building a better future of work as we are.
Why just female, non-binary, and/or BIPOC founders? Today female entrepreneurs own 38% of all businesses in the US, but they receive just 2.3% of VC funding. BIPOC receives less business financing, less often and at higher rates. While 2021 was a record-breaking year with startups raising $147 billion, only 1.2% of the money raised went to Black founders. Our goal at Voodle is to inspire and be a part of the wave of solutions that enable the new world of work, and ensure diverse voices have a platform to be heard.
Women, Non-Binary and BIPOC business leaders have always been there advocating for a better future of work. They’re the true Visionaries. The ones that bring diversity of thought to leadership. They’re the ones actually moving the needle and disrupting the industry, because turning their values into action has always been an integral part of how they work. Our goal is to give these innovators a well-deserved spotlight, and a little bit of cash too!
Respecting entrepreneurs’ time – 60 seconds is all it takes.
The Voodle Visionaries Grant is a straightforward way to invest in and bring attention to founders who are dramatically underrepresented in funding. The grant application process aims to be more inclusive and accessible – without all the meetings and powerpoint presentations.
Having a succinct and compelling “elevator pitch” is incredibly important for founders. And creating and sharing one using asynchronous short video is a phenomenal opportunity for feedback and growth, at scale.
This program is a chance for startups to briefly share their core message and story, while putting the real human behind the idea front and center. We want to keep people at the heart of the discussion about the future of work. That starts with founders and who’s getting funded. Join us! To learn more about the Voodle Visionaries Grant, click here.