Despite their many differences and approaches, one perspective many athletes share is that to change the game; you have to be in it. As we’ve seen repeatedly, a positive shift in any game does not always come from one person. It takes a combination of skill and investment to move from just getting by to finding success. And while Google doesn’t navigate on courts or fields, the organization is intentionally positioning itself as a game-changing catalyst for Black entrepreneurs. In 2020, the tech giant made a series of commitments to help ease access to funding for Black founders and funders. The Google for Startups Black Founders Fund has since expanded globally, and AfroTech had the opportunity to have an in-depth conversation with Jewel Burks Solomon, Head of Google for Startups U.S., and Jeremiah Gordon, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for CapitalG, about the future of the Black Founders Fund and its intended impact.

One of the biggest ways to contribute to the success of Black startups in America is to level the playing field. Jewel Burks Solomon and Joey Womack are on a mission to do just that as they work to elevate Black startup founders and eliminate the relationship gap hindering the success of those without direct access to coastal financial centers. While it’s no easy feat, Solomon says that the war wounds and bruises along the way have inspired her to keep going. “The bruises were motivation, I didn’t want other people to have the same knocks that I had in my journey. So, it was pretty clear to me what I needed to do next,” she shared with Black Tech Green Money’s Will Lucas. “I saw that there were big problems, problems that I experienced when I was growing and building my own company that I needed to go and solve. Being the entrepreneur that I am, I needed to go and attack those problems. I saw taking on the role as head of Google for Startups as a great platform and a great way to...