Scale School

Course description:

The Entrepreneurship Center at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School is proud to work with Rodney Sampson’s OHUB to bring the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Solutions (DEIS) Certificate Program to organizational leaders through Scale School. This one-of-a-kind certificate program is designed as an immersive, six-month engagement to create and integrate solutions that effectively operationalize diversity, equity and inclusion solutions (DEIS) into all key facets of your company. It features a framework of best practices and culturally competent insight to help you identify and implement the actions that will lead to advancing your organization’s market share, economic output and shareholder value while developing your strengths as a transformational leader in your industry and ecosystem.  

Each month, participants will engage with nationally known experts to understand how they critically examine key business functions such as board governance, talent, procurement, product development, go-to-market, investment and impact  through a lens of equity. You’ll be guided through the process of developing your own DEI strategy by creating a DEIS Canvas that will serve as a visual plan to implement within your company. Throughout the six-month program, you’ll create a roadmap for your organization, start implementing it and get real-time feedback from experts and trusted peers as you execute.

The DEIS Practicum Certificate is different from other diversity and inclusion programming because of its focus on application. At the beginning, each participant will take the Personal Diversity Paradigm created by the late Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr., “The Father of Diversity Management.” The Personal Diversity Paradigm (PDP) identifies 4 dominant paradigms (or perspectives) individuals can hold about diversity. Understanding how underlying beliefs about diversity relate to your diversity management goals is a critical step for moving to the next level with diversity and sustaining your organization's efforts, regardless of where it is in its development process. Throughout the program, participants will develop their DEIS Canvas framed after the Business Model Canvas. At the conclusion, each participant will receive a DEIS Practicum Certificate, will have completed a strategy and solutions document that they can implement in their respective organizations and will have access to the DEIS content as a reference and guide for future use. 

This certificate will be helpful if you ... 

• Are ready to be sacrificial in your racial equity journey, professionally and personally 
• Embrace the idea of creating an equitable company  and are committed to driving change throughout  your organization, but lack the tools and tactics needed to operationalize DEIS in your company and beyond
• Have the ability to direct budget towards operationalizing  DEIS across your governance, talent, procurement, product development, go-to-market, investment and impact
• Desire to equitably diversify your board, C-suite and beyond within the next six to 12 months
• Aim to measure how your company is doing on DEIS initiatives, but you’re not sure what metrics you should establish, how to measure progress or and what to monitor
• Would benefit from being able to articulate the economic and financial benefits of building an inclusive organization to your internal and external stakeholders
• Want to build strength as a leader in the area of DEI as a way to drive equity based impact for your employees, suppliers, customers, investors and communities you serve. 

After this course, you’ll have ...

• Created a roadmap in collaboration with instructors and peer participants to create a more equitable organization in all aspects of your business
• Evolved your knowledge and application of DEI soutions, the value they bring and how to integrate these into the governance, culture and processes in your organization
• Knowledge on how to set baselines and goals around your DEI initiatives, create an ongoing process to measure your progress and adjust as improvements are needed
• Built relationships with other transformational leaders who will support your work as an individual and within your organization in the future
• Taken a giant step towards ensuring that you attract and retain a talented intersectional diverse team that can support your organization as it grows

Curriculum and session overview:

Bonus Kickoff Session: Tuesday, August 17 (for enrolled participants)
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET

Session 1: Tuesday, September 14
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Introduction to DEIS Framework and Canvas
Personal Diversity Paradigm Review

Session 2: Tuesday, September 28
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
DEIS in Corporate Governance & Board

Session 3: Tuesday, October 12
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
DEIS in Human Resources

Session 4: Tuesday, November 9
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
DEIS in Procurement

Session 5: Tuesday, December 14
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
DEIS in Product Development

Session 6: Tuesday, January 11
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
DEIS in Go To Market 

Session 7: Tuesday, January 25
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
DEIS in Venture Capital & Investment

Session 8: Tuesday, February 8
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
DEIS in Impact

Session 9: Tuesday, February 22
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
DEIS Canvas Presentation + P&L

About the Instructor:

Rodney Sampson

Throughout his twenty year entrepreneurial career, Rodney Sampson has co-founded startup companies that have overcome the odds by collectively raising more than $20 million in angel and venture capital, created hundreds of new jobs and generated tens of millions in revenue before acquisition or going public.

Rodney is the Executive Chairman & CEO of OHUB and OHUB Foundation, the General Partner of 100 Black Angels and Allies Fund and works closely with high growth startups and seed stage venture funds as a selective advisor, investor and limited partner. His current investment and advisory portfolio include Cross Culture Ventures, Leadout Capital, TechSquare Capital, Digit, York Exponential, Plum.io, Patientory and Momentum Learning. 

He co-founded, built and sold multiple companies, has written a best-selling book, Kingonomics, and previously served as the first Head of Diversity at Mark Burnett Productions, executive producers of the hit ABC show, ABC’s Sharktank. Rodney is currently a Keohane Distinguished Visiting Professorship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University.

Course Fee:
$4,999.00/course

Course description:

Scale School, a program of The Entrepreneurship Center at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, is proud to offer a new, ground breaking program from Rodney’s Sampson’s 100 Black Angels & Allies Fund: the Black Technology Ecosystem Investment Certificate. This program will provide in-depth training on the tactics, nuances and strategies required to become a knowledgeable investor in high-growth technology startups and venture funds. It is uniquely designed for aspiring Black and ally investors who want to specifically invest in the Black technology, startup and venture fund deal flow.

There is a striking lack of investment in Black-founded companies and of Black decision-makers in venture capital. Experts estimated that in 2019 U.S.-based companies received $136.5 billion of venture investment;* and yet in 2018, less than one percent of venture capital dollars went to Black startup founders.* In addition, the number of Black decision-makers in venture capital dropped to just one percent in 2018.* In consideration of this data and the SEC’s recent modernization of its Accredited Investor Definition in August 2020, this first-in-kind Investment Certificate will unlock a new class of angel and venture fund investors in the Black technology, startup and venture ecosystem.

Covering topics such as modernization of SEC regulations, development of an investment thesis, startup investing, venture fund investment, equity crowdfunding, special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC’s), risk assessment, diligence considerations, legal considerations and tax considerations, this six-month, comprehensive certificate program provides hands-on learning into what it takes to become an investor in early stage companies and venture funds, particularly companies with Black founders and fund managers. Participants will learn from nationally known subject matter experts, including investors and fund managers while gaining first hand experience with what it takes to confidently invest in this asset class in a way that advances racial equity and new wealth creation.

* Sources include: PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Silicon Valley Bank, The Washington Post

This course will be helpful if you ... 

• Are a current or aspiring angel or venture fund investor with plans to invest in the next six to 12 months
• Interested in investing in startups, venture funds and ecosystem development companies that have Black founders
• Want to gain the knowledge and skills to invest in venture-backable companies and venture funds
• Are motivated to apply your skills as an investor to advance racial equity within the entrepreneurial ecosystem
• Want to understand the regulations and risks associated with investing in early stage companies
• Embrace leveraging your time, talents and treasures in a way that aligns with your values of strengthening the Black startup ecosystem

After this course, you’ll have...

• Gained a deep understanding of the regulatory and legal landscape for investing in early stage ventures 
• Knowledge of how to apply what you’ve learned to confidently become an investor in early stage companies and seed stage funds
• Experience with the essential components of evaluating and making investments such as conducting diligence, negotiating term sheets and tax implications
• Relationships with the national players in the Black technology, startup and venture ecosystem
• Access to the Black fund managers that are currently raising and investing in this emerging asset class

Curriculum and Session Overview:

Bonus Kickoff Session: Thursday, August 19 (for enrolled participants)
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET

Session 1: Thursday, October 7
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Angel and Venture Fund Investing In the Black Technology, Startup and Venture Ecosystem

Session 2: Thursday, October 14
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
An Introduction to the History and Modernization of Angel and Venture Capital Investing in America and Its Potential to Impact Black American Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Session 3: Thursday, October 21
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Navigating the Black Technology, Startup and Venture Ecosystem

Session 4: Thursday, October 28
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Understanding SEC Regulations, Legal Terms and Risk Assessment When Investing in Early Stage Companies

Session 5: Thursday, November 4
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Direct Startup Investing and Diligence Considerations

Session 6: Thursday, November 11
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Venture Fund Investing, Fund Construction and Diligence

Session 7: Thursday, November 18
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Deciphering Investment Questionnaires and Negotiating Terms Sheets

(No session Thanksgiving week)

Session 8: Thursday, December 2
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Accounting, Taxes and Exits

Session 9: Thursday, December 9
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Radical Collaboration for Black Wealth Creation

About the Instructor:

Rodney Sampson

Throughout his twenty year entrepreneurial career, Rodney Sampson has co-founded startup companies that have overcome the odds by collectively raising more than $20 million in angel and venture capital, created hundreds of new jobs and generated tens of millions in revenue before acquisition or going public.

Rodney is the Executive Chairman & CEO of OHUB and OHUB Foundation, the General Partner of 100 Black Angels and Allies Fund and works closely with high growth startups and seed stage venture funds as a selective advisor, investor and limited partner. His current investment and advisory portfolio include Cross Culture Ventures, Leadout Capital, TechSquare Capital, Digit, York Exponential, Plum.io, Patientory and Momentum Learning. 

He co-founded, built and sold multiple companies, has written a best-selling book, Kingonomics, and previously served as the first Head of Diversity at Mark Burnett Productions, executive producers of the hit ABC show, ABC’s Sharktank. Rodney is currently a Keohane Distinguished Visiting Professorship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University.

Course Fee:
$999.00/course

Go back to our Scale School course calendar.