“The time is right to do what is right.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dear Friends,
The horrific murder of George Floyd on May 25, by the hands of a white police officer, was a stark reminder that some lives and people are not treated equally in this country. It was a reminder that racism is real and that far too many people are treated with the utmost hate, contempt, and bias.
On a personal note, the last few days have been really challenging for me. There has been heartbreak, mourning, and sadness amongst my family and friends. I am disgusted by the open lynching and murder of black people in far too many incidences in this country. We cannot tolerate this.
Likewise, I am disgusted by systematic economic racism that has minimized and denied access to both economic opportunity and social justice to this community. This is not the America I thought I knew.
I created Elevate Capital with an intention to invest in minorities and women, including people of color, but with an absolute intention to invest in black entrepreneurs. The genesis of this fund rests in the vision of a strong black woman who inspired and supported this fund and continues to inspire us to do what we do to bridge the void that exists in the economic inequities and access to capital.
Through the sorrow, the events of the last few days have deepened the resolve of my team and me to do even more to invest in black entrepreneurs and to support their dreams and ventures. It has strengthened our resolve to do our part in supporting the creation of more generational wealth among black and all entrepreneurs we serve.
It is my hope that one day we will be the America I thought we were and know we can be, where equality and justice are truly for all. All Lives Don’t Matter Unless Black Lives Matter.
Please join me in supporting Black Lives Matter and/or other organizations such as Black Visions Collective, George Floyd Memorial Fund, and Reclaim the Block, or any charity that helps restore the dignity of human life.
Thank you to all who have supported Elevate Capital in its journey these last five years to bring the change we want to actualize. We will continue to strive to effect change.
Respectfully,
Nitin Rai
Managing Partner
Elevate Capital Fund
