100 Black Angels & Allies Fund Research
Investment Thesis & Core Philosophy
100 Black Angels & Allies Fund (100BAA) is a venture capital fund founded in 2019 as the capital formation arm of Opportunity Hub (OHUB), the nation's largest Black-owned technology ecosystem-building platform. The fund was explicitly formed to institutionalize the thesis of investing in Black founders, accelerators, and funds as a core racial-equity strategy. Its mission is to align smart, affluent, innovative, and skilled Black and ally capital to build a scalable and sustainable Black technology, startup entrepreneurship, and venture ecosystem that powers a global Diasporic engine to ensure equitable representation in the fourth industrial revolution.
100BAA positions itself at the unique intersection of venture fund, LP syndicate, and ecosystem builder. Unlike traditional VC firms, it simultaneously invests in (1) edge technology founders building startups, (2) venture fund managers (fund of funds strategy), and (3) ecosystem-building companies. The fund is tightly integrated with OHUB, which trains Black founders and talent through programs like the BTEI certificate and then channels them into capital pathways while co-creating place-based equity districts and wealth-building initiatives.
The fund was inspired by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and OHUB's published blueprint for building inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystems in communities of color. Rodney Sampson, the Managing General Partner, has testified before the U.S. Congress on capital formation reforms and serves as a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
Fund Structure & Strategy
100 Black Angels & Allies Fund I, LP operates a hybrid investment model with three distinct allocation strategies:
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Fund of Funds ($1.5M allocation): Investments in venture funds managed by Black general partners with track records of strong performance but limited access to LP capital. This provides the fund's LPs exposure to diversified venture portfolios and pro-rata access to later-stage high-growth companies.
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Direct Startup Investments ($2M allocation): Investments in high-growth startup companies curated from the OHUB ecosystem, focusing on Black founders building technology companies.
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Ecosystem Investment ($1M allocation): A 7.5% stake in OHUB itself, the parent ecosystem-building platform.
Limited partners invest a minimum of $50,000 up to $5,000,000 in the fund. The fund has been supported by partnerships with The Links, Incorporated for a national multi-generational wealth creation initiative, and has participated in Revolution's Rise of the Rest virtual tour Equity Edition.
Stage Focus & Check Size
100BAA invests primarily at the Seed stage, with some Series A participation. According to VC Sheet data, the average check size ranges from $1M to $3M. The fund follows a participation model rather than leading rounds.
Stage Focus:
- Primary: Seed
- Secondary: Series A
- Fund of Funds: Seed-stage venture funds managed by Black GPs
Check Size:
- Direct investments: $50K - $500K (estimated based on fund size)
- Fund of funds allocations: Varies
- Total fund deployment: Approximately $4.5M across all strategies
Recent Activity & Fund Status
The fund appears to be in its second iteration, with the website footer referencing "100 Black Angels and Allies Fund II," suggesting a successor fund has been established or is being raised. The fund has also been involved with the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a U.S. Treasury program, which is highlighted on their website navigation, suggesting potential access to additional government-backed capital for investments.
According to Tracxn data (as of early 2021), 100BAA invested in 6 companies. The fund has maintained activity through the OHUB ecosystem with ongoing entrepreneurship support, accelerator programs, and capital formation efforts across multiple U.S. cities.
The team page footer references "Fund II," indicating the firm is now operating a second fund vehicle, though details of Fund II size and terms are not publicly available.
Portfolio Highlights
The fund has built a focused portfolio of direct investments and fund commitments:
Direct Startup Investments:
- SoLo Funds (solofunds.com) - Community-powered lending platform enabling peer-to-peer micro-lending. Investment via PitchBook confirmed.
- Rheaply (rheaply.com) - Chicago-based resource exchange platform focused on sustainability and recycling unused items. Participated in $8M Series A alongside High Alpha, Revolution's Rise of the Rest, Salesforce Ventures, and M25.
- Kanarys (kanarys.com) - DEI technology platform helping companies implement diversity and inclusion measures. 100BAA participated in $3M seed round led by Zeal Capital Partners.
- Zirtue (zirtue.com) - Relationship-based lending platform. Total raised $4.12M across 3 seed rounds. Investors include Urban Capital Network, 100BAA, JENGA Capital, Mercury Fund, and Morgan Stanley.
- Goodr (goodr.co) - Atlanta-based sustainable food waste management and hunger relief platform. 100BAA participated in $1.5M Series A alongside Capital One Ventures, Unreasonable Impact, and Backstage Capital.
- 7th Ave / Pull Up on 7th (pullupon7th.com) - Portfolio company listed on website.
Fund of Funds Investments:
- MaC Venture Capital (macventurecapital.com) - One of North America's largest seed-stage venture firms focused on diverse founders, now managing $600M+ AUM. 100BAA invested as an LP.
Ecosystem Investment:
- Opportunity Hub (OHUB) (ohub.at) - 7.5% stake in the parent technology ecosystem-building platform.
Team & Leadership
Partners:
- Rodney Sampson, Managing General Partner - Executive Chairman & CEO of OHUB. Co-founded Multicast Media Technologies (Streamingfaith.com) and EFactor (EFCT). Former 1st Head of Diversity at Mark Burnett Productions (ABC's Shark Tank). Nonresident Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution. Venture Partner at Draper Goren Holm. Keohane Distinguished Visiting Professor at UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University. Educated at Tulane University, Penn State College of Medicine, and Keller Graduate School of Management.
- Dane Simmons, Managing Partner - EVP of Capital Formation at OHUB. Focuses on fundraising and LP relationships.
- Dayveon Ross, General Partner - Investment partner focusing on deal sourcing and portfolio management.
- Heather Hiles, General Partner - Leads OHUB Futures, the training and skills development arm. Focuses on immersive training offerings, workforce development, and income share agreement financing.
- Robert Franklin III, Venture Partner - Advisory role supporting investment decisions and portfolio companies.
- Justin Sampson, Chief of Staff - Operational support for fund management.
- Kristie Goodman Davis - Team member contributing to fund operations.
The team brings over 70 years of combined experience in operating, scaling, selling, and investing in high-growth technology enterprises, venture funds, and ecosystem-building companies.
Decision Process & Engagement Model
Decision Making:
- Partnership model with multiple GPs
- Deal flow primarily sourced through the OHUB ecosystem, including its accelerator programs, bootcamps, and network across multiple U.S. cities
- Investments curated from OHUB portfolio companies and network
- Strong emphasis on companies that align with the racial equity thesis
Lead Tendency: Follows/participates - 100BAA typically co-invests alongside other investors rather than leading rounds. VC Sheet data confirms they do not lead.
Warm Intro: Founders can apply directly via Typeform application on the website. The fund is accessible through OHUB ecosystem events and programming.
Typical Involvement: The fund provides access to the full OHUB ecosystem, including training programs, talent pipelines, corporate partnerships, market access, and mentorship. They leverage the OHUB network of 50+ tech companies and corporations for portfolio company support.
Geographic Focus
Primarily United States, with concentration in:
- Atlanta, GA (headquarters and primary OHUB campus)
- Kansas City, MO (OHUB accelerator and ecosystem programs)
- National reach through OHUB.Campus partnerships with 400+ colleges including nearly 100 HBCUs
- Plans for expansion to 100 U.S. cities over 10 years
Sector Focus
The fund invests across multiple sectors with an emphasis on technology companies that can drive economic inclusion:
- Fintech & Financial Inclusion - Lending platforms, financial software, payment solutions (SoLo Funds, Zirtue)
- Enterprise Software & DEI Tech - Workplace diversity and inclusion platforms (Kanarys)
- Sustainability & Climate Tech - Resource exchange, food waste management (Rheaply, Goodr)
- Consumer Applications - Community-powered platforms
- EdTech & Workforce Development - Training, coding bootcamps, career placement
The fund is sector-agnostic in its thesis - the primary filter is backing Black founders and ecosystem builders, with technology as the enabling layer.
Unique Positioning & Competitive Advantages
- Ecosystem Integration: Uniquely embedded in the OHUB ecosystem, giving proprietary deal flow from accelerator graduates and OHUB network companies.
- Triple Investment Model: Simultaneously invests in funds, founders, and ecosystem builders - a rare full-stack approach to venture building.
- SSBCI Access: Connection to the State Small Business Credit Initiative, a U.S. Treasury program providing additional capital for small business investment.
- Institutional Partnerships: Partnerships with The Links Incorporated, Brookings Institution, Federal Reserve Bank, Revolution's Rise of the Rest, and multiple HBCUs.
- Policy Influence: Managing GP Rodney Sampson has testified before Congress and advises government agencies on inclusive capital formation.
- Wealth Creation Mission: Beyond financial returns, the fund is designed to create a new class of Black angel investors and build multi-generational wealth.
Anti-Thesis
The fund is unlikely to invest in:
- Companies without Black founders or significant commitment to racial equity
- Late-stage companies (Series B+)
- Companies outside the U.S.
- Pure hardware without a technology/platform component
- Companies that do not align with the OHUB ecosystem-building thesis