FEATURED PROJECTS
Restoring Relationships
We help ground and facilitate programs to build relational wealth through partnerships and funding opportunities with like-minded entities.
CURRENT WORK SUPPORTED BY THE FOUNDATION
GET CITIES
Promoting gender equality in tech, starting at the city level
Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities is an initiative designed to accelerate the representation and leadership of women, trans, and non-binary people in tech through the development of inclusive tech hubs across the United States starting with Chicago, Washington DC and Miami. This program incorporates core components of our relational wealth framework by reorienting focus from the number of innovation projects within an existing tech staff paradigm to enriching the quality of space between innovators through diversity and equality initiatives. GET Cities strives to align local actors to build inclusive pathways for women in tech — from their first college course to their first round of funding — that kickstart a more vibrant tech economy nationwide.
FEATURED PROJECTS
The following are featured projects the foundation supports to advance our mission of growing relational wealth in the ecosystem.
INCLUSIVE CAPITAL COLLECTIVE
Overcoming systemic racism through equitable access to capital
The Inclusive Capital Collective (ICC) is being incubated with the support of the SecondMuse Foundation, Zebras Unite and other partners, as a growing, national network of independent loan, equity and real estate funds and entrepreneur support organizations working to create lasting community wealth. It tackles these relational disparities firsthand by providing wealth-building opportunities to entrepreneurs who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). The ICC continues to educate and engage the ecosystem through the Black Paper series, solidifying its trauma-informed financial products, processes and programming on relationship-based lending to drive equity by centering trust in the financial system. It currently has 250 individual members or 150 entities.
BLACK TECH STREET
Scaling and cultivating Black potential in tech to build inclusive economies
In order to be truly equitable, the architecture, structure and decision-makers of an economy must be inclusive from its very creation. This paradigm shift is the essence of relational wealth — in which systems are in place to support both the collective and the individual. SecondMuse Foundation supports to incubate this entrepreneurial ecosystem: Tulsa’s Black Innovation Economy — an economy designed by, and for, Black entrepreneurs — as a center of inclusive economic opportunities for Black entrepreneurs and businesses.
In the summer of 2023, it was one of the hosts of DEF CON 31 in collaboration with the White House and many other organizations. To learn more, visit BTS’ website.
The Incubation Network
Sourcing, supporting and scaling innovative solutions that tackle plastic pollution
The Incubation Network (TIN) works to improve land-based plastic waste management and advance a circular economy in South and Southeast Asia. TIN achieves this goal by creating growth opportunities for startups that drive better plastic waste management, recycling, and circular economy innovations. TIN aims to build a balanced ecosystem that brings together startups, investors, and industry players to scale impactful solutions.
This complex program is supported by various donors to implement a diverse range of initiatives, research exercises, cohort-based incubation and tailored venture building programs, among others.
TIN conducted the Single Use Plastic challenge (SUP) in 5 countries (India, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines) in 2022, to accelerate circular products and services. The SUP Challenge pilots led to the reduction of an estimated 935 kg of plastic waste. Read the insight from the SUP Challenge. In addition, see this report:Exploring Single-Use Plastic Reduction Initiatives
ECCA Family Foundation provided $1.5m grant implemented from 2021-2023, which the SecondMuse Foundation sponsored. Read the final impact report:Driving Circularity in Plastic Waste Management and Recycling in Thailand
Also, see this additional report available both in Thai and English: A Study on the Role of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Plastic Circularity in Thailand.
REGENERATIVE MONTEREY INITIATIVE
Building regenerative and climate positive economic development in Monterey, CA
A new initiative supported by the SecondMuse Foundation, envisioned to achieve significant greenhouse gas reductions and position Monterey County, CA as a living model of an equitable and climate positive economy. Given the prevalence of its tourism, agriculture, building/construction trades, and marine industries and its established network of business leaders committed to sustainability, Monterey is poised to source and support an ecosystem of diverse entrepreneurs and innovators. The Regenerative Monterey Initiative will demonstrate what is possible to build a more regenerative, equitable, and diverse economy that integrates all socio-economic levels, new ideas, and reshapes traditional business sectors to become social and environmental leaders - building relational wealth.
Click the link below to read the Insight Report that was launched in August 2023.
financing gender-smart climate businesses in asia
Future Economy Lab Asia
Building on SecondMuse’s extensive networks and regional expertise through the Frontier Labs suite of programming and The Incubation Network, we will run a series of labs to address capital needs of gender-smart, climate focused, small and medium sized enterprises. Each lab will focus on a unique challenge, such as how to scale nature-based solutions or support informal workers.
Read the summary findings on Financing Gender-Smart Climate Businesses in Asia, published by the Future Economy Lab.
To learn more about the Future Economy Lab, click the link below.
Featured Supporters
Some of the supporters of our program(s) and featured projects are as follows:
