‘Shark Tank’ Style Event Set for Women, Minority-Owned Businesses

This weekend, 20 North Texas women and minority-run small businesses and startups will compete for $50,000 in a “Shark Tank” style event.

The Dallas nonprofit Impact Ventures will host “Equity in Motion,” its Spring 2021 Virtual Startup Showcase, on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“The height of the pandemic shined a bright light on the inequities that existed for minorities seeking to create wealth through entrepreneurship. Many businesses were not able to get access to government funding, and had little to no knowledge or relationships with their local banker,” said Benjamin Vann, founder and CEO of Impact Ventures, in a statement.

Vann noted that the program provides a space for talented entrepreneurs to “gain access to the critical social knowledge and financial capital needed to survive and thrive post-pandemic.”

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The businesses vying for the funding will make pitches for their businesses, followed by live Q&A via video chat before the winners are selected.

The winning business will claim $25,000 for its efforts. Select others will share the remaining prize money.

“We are hoping that this capital is going to help continue to fuel their dream, knowing that this is not the destination, but this is part of the journey,” Vann said. and “[We want to] help them get to that next stage and that next major milestone in their business.”