The city has tripled the portion of seed and angel dollars flowing to underrepresented founders. Fifth Star Funds, is providing underrepresented founders with a replacement for the “friends and family” capital they don’t have.

Set up as nonprofits and managed on the backend by sponsors like the Tides Foundation, a philanthropy known for its donor-advised funds, funds like Fifth Star and Andreessen Horowitz's TxO program are part philanthropy, part capitalism.

Just 1% of venture capital raised goes to Black entrepreneurs. Fifth Star wants to change that. Launched in February 2021, Fifth Star Funds has created a unique venture capital fund specifically dedicated to backing Black founders in Chicago.

Fifth Star Funds joined WGN to talk about the impact we're making in Chicago's entrepreneurial landscape. Hear from our Executive Director, Samir Mirza, and the founder of our first portfolio company (Cyber Pop-up), Christine Izuakor.

After George Floyd's murder, a group of tech execs sought to address racial inequities in their industry. That led to Fifth Star Funds. Co-founder Samir Mirza explains how it works.

2021 has been a year unlike any other in Chicago tech. We've reported extensively on the record amount of venture capital that's poured into the city's startups this year. Meet the leaders of Chicago Tech.

There’s something in the air when it comes to tech. It’s a community, it’s a shared passion for transformation, it’s a selfless (sometimes selfish) endeavor towards the future of innovation.

Fifth Star Funds was welcomed at this year's Chicago Venture Summit and showcased it's unique evergreen fund model. Fifth Star also presented alongside Roomii CEO, Dapo Kolawole