BLCK VC

BLCK VC is a United States 501(c)(3) non-profit set up to increase the number of Black investors in venture capital. It was founded in 2018 by Sydney Sykes and Frederik Groce, who remain board co-chairs, and runs eight chapters across North America (Atlanta, Boston, the DMV, Los Angeles, the Midwest, New York City, San Francisco and Toronto), staffed by more than twenty volunteer chapter leads. The community operates through a Slack member portal, and joining is done through an online application form. Three programmes sit alongside the community: the Black Venture Institute, which prepares Black operators to become angel, scout and venture investors; Breaking into Venture, aimed at entry-level analyst, associate and senior associate roles; and a Scout Network offering training, mentorship and firm connections. BLCK VC also publishes the State of Black Venture report, with editions in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Its published statistics are the case for its own existence: about 3% of venture investors are Black, only 2% of partners are, and nearly 90% of firms with seven or more investors have no Black investor at all.

How it works

Prospective members apply through an online form linked from the Get Involved page, then join the Slack member portal. Chapters in eight cities and regions run local gatherings led by volunteer chapter leads. Separately, the Black Venture Institute, Breaking into Venture and the Scout Network run as structured programmes with their own intakes. Funding comes from corporate sponsors and partner venture firms rather than dues.

Typical member

Members are Black investors working in venture capital, alongside participants in the organisation's pipeline programmes: operators training to become angel, scout or venture investors, and candidates preparing for entry-level analyst, associate and senior associate roles.

BLCK VC is best understood as a pipeline organisation with a network attached: its three named programmes all move people toward investing roles, and the community exists to keep them connected once there. That makes it more useful earlier in a career than most entries in this batch, and it is the only one here with a formal scout-training track. Transparency is thin on the practical questions: no member count, no dues or programme fees, no eligibility statement, and no acceptance data appear on the public site, and the join step is a form rather than a described process. Its published target, doubling Black investors at venture firms to 4% by 2024, has not been updated on the site with a result, so progress against it could not be verified. The research output is the most citable thing it produces.

Editorial analysis by Peer Group Guide editors. It is separated from the record above and follows the editorial policy.