Join RUNWAY as we return to our ROOTS in the South.
We are excited to announce our 10-year initiative to invest in Southern Black entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation.
Why Rooted?
What does it take to dismantle the structural inequities that happen inside of finance? We must get to the ROOT to transform a system that was never designed for us. ROOTED is about who we are, where we’re from, the stories we carry, and the lessons we’ve learned along the way. Through ROOTED, we are raising integrated capital to invest in the South in restorative and regenerative ways.
Our Vision
As we reimagine an economy rooted in equity and justice, we orient our work around the communities most impacted by structural inequities. The South’s violent history of free, exploitative labor is what built this nation’s economy. It is where racism and systemic oppression still have currency, and it is exactly where transformative financial practices need to be taking root. We are creating funds and building economic infrastructure that reflects the needs of Southern Black creatives, entrepreneurs, and innovators so they can access the capital and holistic support they need to thrive and create multigenerational wealth.
Invest in the South with RUNWAY
Join RUNWAY as a capital partner for our $50M integrated capital initiative. In 2022, RUNWAY launched its work in the South through the generous contributions of our partners, Souls Grown Deep Foundation and the Kataly Foundation.
Together we’re committed to investing in Black entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation in the South–and to go beyond financing Black businesses to lay the long-term groundwork for economic and entrepreneurial flourishing throughout the region–starting with our founder Jessica Norwood’s home state of Alabama.
Our 10-year goal is to move integrated capital (i.e. grants and impact investments) in restorative ways, through and with local partnerships, in an effort to dismantle systemic barriers and help Black entrepreneurs and creatives build intergenerational wealth. As a capital partner, you will join us in creating a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem by investing in transformative work that creates a more just and equitable economy.
The Time is Now
The opportunity to invest in Southern creativity and innovation is here – and it is ripe for the taking. Black artists and innovators are the leading exporters of culture and creativity around the world. We have a unique opportunity to meet Southern creatives and entrepreneurs where they are so they can stay rooted in community. The creative economy is one of the most rapidly growing sectors of the world economy and can be transformative in terms of job creation, income generation, and export earnings. By increasing investments in the arts, culture, and entrepreneurship in the South, we can build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable economy not just in the South but across the nation.
GOING TO THE SOURCE WITH
Jessica Norwood
REDEFINING RISK WITH RUNWAY x ZEAL
Brilliance Dinner
GETTING BACK TO OUR ROOTS WITH
Nina Robinson
The Alabama Report
Prepared by Jessica Norwood
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Get involved
Partner with us
We are always looking for values-aligned investors, funders, and donors to partner with in our work to build intergenerational Black wealth and close the racial wealth gap for good.
What makes RUNWAY unique is the value we place on transformative relationships over transactional ones. We invite you to learn more about our values and culture with respect to investing, philanthropy, and equitable partnerships and join us as a mission-aligned investor or funder to further fuel our work.
Contact us
Ready to partner with us? Complete the form and we’ll get in touch.
What does it mean to be Rooted?
To be rooted is to be anchored, to be grounded––to be home. It invites us to ask ourselves, “where am I rooted?” and “what am I rooted in?” The root word of “economy” is eco, meaning home; the management of home. In many ways, we think about a return to the South as a return home to tend to our foundations and root into the soil of right relationship on our journey to cultivate Black joy, healing, and collective prosperity.
Discover what it means to be rooted in community, in movement, and in our collective liberation as we embark upon our 10-year initiative to invest in Southern Black entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation.
