Kathryn Finney

Kathryn A. Finney is an American author, researcher, investor, entrepreneur, and businesswoman. She is the founder of [http://geniusguild.co Genius Guild], a $20 million dollar venture fund & studio that invests in Black entrepreneurs building scalable businesses that serve Black communities and beyond. She is also founder and Board Chair of The Doonie Fund, a social platform that provides micro-investment to Black women entrepreneurs. Finney first made her mark as a tech entrepreneur when she sold “The Budget Fashionista” after running the site-turned-media company for 11 years.

Appointed by the Obama administration to the National Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE), Finney is a former General Partner in the Harriet Fund, the first fund focused on women of color founders.

Finney's pioneering leadership in creating diverse and inclusive innovation ecosystems has been recognized by press outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, Marie Claire, and Vanity Fair. She was named a recipient of PayPal’s inaugural Maggie Lena Walker Award, which recognizes and celebrates women who have created opportunities for economic advancement in underserved communities. She is a Falk Marques Group “Rising Star Award” winner, an award that highlights investors and managers who are thriving in the private equity industry. She was named one of America's Top 50 Women in Tech by Forbes. She is a 2016 Echoing Green Fellow and the recipient of numerous other awards and recognition, including The White House Champion of Change Award (2013), the Anita Borg Institute's Social Impact ABIE Award (2016), EBONY Power 100 List of the Most Inspiring African-Americans (2013), and AOL's Top Ten Women in Money (2010).

In 2015, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer honored Finney with "Kathryn Finney Appreciation Day." In 2017, Finney received an honorary doctorate from Mount Holyoke College. Provided by Wikipedia