Tamer Institute

Erica Ford, Senior Leaders for Nonprofit Professionals participant in 2023, is profiled for her impactful work creating LIFE Camp Inc, a nonprofit in Queens that provides youth and families that have been impacted by violence the valuable tools they need to stay in school and out of the criminal justice system.

A $10 million grant will help the rideshare app Dollaride — a Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio member — "electrify its fleet of dollar vans, which shuttle thousands of commuters living far from bus or subway stops."

“I watched family members build profitable businesses, but also heard conversations about the challenges that they're facing, like getting denied for a loan when you've had a 20-year relationship with the bank.” In this interview, Kelly Ifill '17, discusses how she is closing the racial wealth gap through digital bank Guava, a community platform designed to serve Black entrepreneurs and small business owners by providing them with equitable financial products.

Climate tech startup BlocPower, founded by Donnel Baird '13, raised nearly $150 million in its latest round of fundraising — including over $24 million in equity funding and $130 million in debt financing — to retrofit tens of thousands of apartments with climate-friendly appliances in NYC. The venture focuses on greening America's buildings by building decarbonization in low-income communities.

In this CNBC video, Professor Bruce Usher argues that there are two ways to de-carbonize: go after supply or go after demand.

City Health Works, where Manmeet Kaur '12 was CEO, announced the formation of Diverge Health — a new health care company that comprehensively supports primary care providers to better serve patients on Medicaid.

"Listening can be a radical act because it involves learning to trust each other, and as we all know, wherever there is trust, there is risk. But I believe that it is a risk worth taking. Because to listen — to cultivate trust — is to redistribute power: and that is how we change the world," says center advisory board member S. Mona Sinha '93, global executive director of Equality Now.

Diana Hwang '17, founder and executive director of Asian-American Women's Political Initiative (AAWPI), was an audience's pick on Politico's National Power List: 40 Most Powerful People on Race and Politics for her work creating a political infrastructure so AAPI women can lead.

Dr. Caroline Weinberg, MD ’12PH, founder of Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio member Plan A Health, notes that "a history of reproductive injustice has led to a mistrust in the medical system. Businesses can help bridge this reproductive care gap by providing educational information or products around reproductive health." The nonprofit venture provides mobile reproductive and sexual health clinics to underserved rural areas.

"Charting a Path Forward With Business Schools and Corporations" was highlighted for its focus on discussing the benefits of second-chance employment, bringing together titans of industry, affiliates of the School including Justice Through Code, and business and justice coalitions to address barriers to employment access for those with a criminal record.