Secondmuse Foundation

THE STATED MISSION OF SECONDMUSE FOUNDATION IS TO FOSTER AND DEVELOP DIVERSE, PARTICIPATORY INNOVATION COMMUNITIES THAT INCUBATE SOLUTIONS TO SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES; INCLUDING THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION, FACILITATING THE ABILITY OF PRIVATE, COMMERCIAL ACTORS, ENTREPRENEURS AND GOVERNMENTS TO GENERATE SHARED VISIONS AND TAKE COLLECTIVE ACTION IN ADVANCING SOLUTIONS THAT ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND LOCAL ECONOMIES, AND INCUBATING AND FUNDING PROGRAMS AND SOLUTIONS THAT ADVANCE SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND/OR ECONOMIC JUSTICE. IT WILL ALSO GENERATE, CODIFY, AND PUBLISH LEARNINGS AND INSIGHTS AND FACILITATE BROADER DISCOURSE TO CATALYZE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ON A LARGER SCALE.

GET CITIES OUR FLAGSHIP PROGRAM SINCE 2019, WORKS TO BUILD A MORE INCLUSIVE FUTURE IN TECH, STARTING AT THE CITY LEVEL. OUR APPROACH IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN CHICAGO, WASHINGTON DC, AND MIAMI, WHICH LAUNCHED IN MARCH 2022. ACROSS OUR PORTFOLIOS, GET CITIES HOSTED OR CO-HOSTED 112 EVENTS BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AROUND ECOSYSTEM BUILDING, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INVITING ABOUT 40 SPEAKERS TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE WITH MORE THAN 2,000 ATTENDEES HELPING THEM TO INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE. WE ALSO SPOKE ON 20 PANELS, WORKED WITH 71 NEW LOCAL AND NATIONAL PARTNERS, AND ADDED 200 ORGANIZATIONS TO OUR NETWORK OF OVER 1,000 PEER ORGANIZATIONS. WE SUPPORTED VENTURE FELLOWS, SPONSORED A SERIES OF PITCH COMPETITIONS TO TECHSTARS, SUPPORTED DEAF WOMEN OF COLOR TO GET HIRED INTO CYBERSECURITY ROLES, AND PROVIDED GRANTS AND TECH SUPPORT TO SMALL BUSINESSES. TECH EQUITY WORKING GROUP THROUGH OUR TECH EQUITY WORKING GROUP, WHICH COLLABORATIVELY DESIGNS CITY-WIDE SOLUTIONS AND COLLECTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADDRESS GENDER AND RACIAL INEQUITIES FOR MARGINALIZED FOUNDERS IN CHICAGO, IT WAS POSSIBLE TO RAISE 8.8M. WE KICKED OFF NETWORK BUILDING WITH A ROAD SHOW IN SAN FRANCISCO AND TECHSTARS FOUNDERCON TO BRING EXPOSURE TO THE EXCITING FOUNDERS COMING OUT OF CHICAGO AND TO BUILD CONNECTIONS ACROSS A BROADER NATIONAL ECOSYSTEM. HEADSTREAM WE SPONSORED THE NATIONAL INNOVATION PROGRAM FOCUSED ON CREATING A JUST AND THRIVING DIGITAL ECONOMY THAT SUPPORTS THE WELLBEING OF YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH A NEW PHASE OF WORK AND CONTRACT PROCESS WITH PIVOTAL VENTURES. WE SPONSORED THE INITIATIVE FROM AUG 2021-FEB 2022. DURING THIS TIME THE PROJECT DESIGNED ITS 5 YEAR PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDED IMPACT MEASUREMENT INTEGRATION AND SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING; THE LAUNCH OF THE HEADSTREAM ACCELERATOR; AND YOUTH PROGRAM CODIFICATION. IT ALSO IDENTIFIED PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AND A FISCAL SPONSOR (ARABELLA ADVISORS). ONCE OUR SPONSORSHIP ENDED, WE SERVED AS PART OF THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. BLACK TECH STREET IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SECONDMUSE LLC, WE HAVE FULLY SUPPORTED THIS INNOVATIVE INITIATIVE WITH A VISION FOR THE REBIRTH OF TULSAS BLACK WALL STREET AS THE NEW GLOBAL CENTER FOR BLACK-OWNED TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES. IN ADDITION TO OUR SPONSORSHIP, WE ALSO SERVE ON THE ADVISORY BOARD. WE HAVE BEEN THRILLED TO SEE BLACK TECH STREET COVERED ON VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS INCLUDING CNN, FORBES AND CSR WIRE. IN 2022, IT SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED A 10-YEAR STRATEGY FOR THE CREATION OF A THRIVING BLACK TECHECOSYSTEM IN TULSA. THEY ALSO CONDUCTED A CATALYTIC FACTOR ANALYSIS USING DIGITAL DELTA, A TOOL THAT WAS INITIALLY DEVELOPED FOR HEADSTREAM. THIS HELPED TO IDENTIFY WHICH FACTOR WOULD BE MOST CATALYTIC TO SOLVE IN THE BUILDING OF BLACK TECH STREET. THE FOUNDER, TYRANCE BILLINGSLEY, SAID: INNOVATIONS THAT CHANGE THE WORLD DONT COME FROM POLITICS; THEY COME FROM ENTREPRENEURSHIP. TECH COMPANIES, INCLUDING MICROSOFT, HAVE LOCATED BRANCHES IN TULSA, AND THEY ARE ACTIVELY RECRUITING INCLUSIVE CAPITAL COLLECTIVE THE INCLUSIVE CAPITAL COLLECTIVE (ICC) IS A GROWING NETWORK OF COMMUNITY FUND MANAGERS AND ENTREPRENEUR SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING SHARED TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR AGGREGATING AND DEPLOYING FINANCIAL CAPITAL AND OTHER RESOURCES TO ENTREPRENEURS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN THE US. THE NETWORK IS SUPPORTED BY VARIOUS FUNDERS, INCLUDING A THREE- YEAR GRANT FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION. IN 2022, THEIR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP INCREASED FROM 100 TO 250. SEVERAL EVENTS WERE HELD IN PENNSYLVANIA, CHICAGO, AND COLORADO, WHICH BROUGHT TOGETHER COMMUNITIES FROM ACROSS FUNDERS, ENTREPRENEUR SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS, AND POLICYMAKERS FOR FACILITATED WORKING SESSIONS AND DISCUSSIONS FOCUSED ON TRAUMA-INFORMED FINANCIAL PROGRAMMING AND PRODUCTS. THE ICC ALSO PUBLISHED 3 BLACK PAPERS, WHICH HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED FOR RELATIONSHIP-BASED LENDING TO DRIVE EQUITY. WE SUPPORTED THE ICC IN PUBLISHING 30 CAPITAL INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEWS THAT ARE FEATURED ON ITS COMMUNITY PLATFORM. THROUGH THESE PROFILE PAGES, READERS GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE INCLUSIVE CAPITAL COLLECTIVES UNIQUE APPROACH TO ADVANCING ECONOMIC EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. EACH PROFILE HIGHLIGHTS THE ICC MEMBERS PERSONAL JOURNEY, PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS, AND THEIR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO USING THEIR SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND RESOURCES TO CREATE A MORE INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE FINANCIAL ECOSYSTEM. THE INCUBATION NETWORK WITH SUPPORT FROM THE ECCA FAMILY FOUNDATION, THE PROGRAM TACKLES PLASTIC LEAKAGE AND ADVANCES A CIRCULAR ECONOMY BY SUPPORTING STARTUPS ACROSS ALL MATURITY STAGES AND SCALING THEIR EARLY-STAGE OR PRE- INVESTMENT INNOVATIONS TOGETHER WITH KEY INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS. WITH OUR SUPPORT THEY RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE GERMAN FEDERAL MINISTRY FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (BMZ) TO CONDUCT SINGLE USE PLASTIC CHALLENGES IN 5 COUNTRIES. THESE CHALLENGES WERE COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY: 19 IN INDIA, 12 IN THAILAND, 37 IN INDONESIA, 17 IN VIETNAM, AND 6 IN THE PHILIPPINES. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE CHALLENGES, LESSONS LEARNED AND INSIGHT REPORTS WERE PUBLISHED. DURING THE CHALLENGE PILOTS, 76 STARTUPS AND 8 ESOS, 16 SMES, AND 57 VENTURES WERE SUPPORTED, AND A TOTAL OF 934.7 KG OF PLASTICS WAS ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. FUNDRAISING ACHIEVEMENTS THROUGHOUT 2022, WE WERE PROUD TO RAISE FUNDS AND SPONSORED PROJECTS. THIS INCLUDED GRANT FUNDS RECEIVED FROM THE GERMAN FEDERAL MINISTRY FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (BMZ) TO IMPLEMENT FOR THE INCUBATION NETWORKS SINGLE USE PLASTIC CHALLENGES. WE ALSO FISCALLY SPONSORED PROJECTS SUCH AS HEADSTREAM AND BLACK TECH STREET, WHICH IS A PROJECT FUNDED BY MULTIPLE DONORS. WE DRAFTED A FUNDRAISING STRATEGY TO PURSUE MORE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH OUR AMBITION AND MISSION. WE EXPECT THIS STRATEGY TO GUIDE THE EFFORTS TO RAISE ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN FY 2023. OPERATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE WORKED TO OVERSEE PROJECT BUDGETS SO THAT THEY WERE SPENT EFFICIENTLY, EFFECTIVELY, AND ON TIME, CONDUCT DUE DILIGENCE ON SPONSORED PROJECTS TO MINIMIZE AND MITIGATE RISKS, AS WELL AS MAKING SURE DONOR REPORTS WERE SUBMITTED ON TIME. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDED MANAGING 85 SUB-GRANTS AND CONTRACTS AWARDED IN THE YEAR 2022. TO SUPPORT THIS FUNDRAISING EFFORT AS WELL AS TO INTRODUCE OUR STRATEGIC VISION, A NEW WEBSITE WAS DEVELOPED TOWARDS THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 AND LAUNCHED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2023.