Envolve USA
Supporting Diverse Entrepreneurs
Libra Group launched the American Entrepreneurship Award (AEA) in 2016 in response to a call-to-action from President Obama’s MBK Alliance (of which Libra is a founding sponsor), which encouraged leaders and organizations to address opportunity gaps in underserved communities. AEA was also inspired by the success of the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award (HEA) launched by Libra Group in 2012 to spur economic growth in Greece after the financial crisis of the early 2000s. In 2017, Libra Group brought both initiatives, renamed Envolve USA and Envolve Greece, under the umbrella of Envolve Entrepreneurship.
The mission of Envolve USA is to advance equity and access in the entrepreneurship ecosystem for underserved and underfunded entrepreneurs, specifically Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and female founders who face the most systemic market barriers when it comes to starting and scaling a business. Through support programs that provide resources, advocacy, non-extractive funding, and networking opportunities, Envolve USA closes the early-stage capital gap for the next generation of diverse, wealth-building founders. Libra Philanthropies provides Envolve USA with funding, in-kind marketing and logistical support, and other pro bono services to help the organization grow and pursue its mission on a greater scale.
To date Envolve USA has supported 168 entrepreneurs in 17 communities and provides $800K+ in grant funding along with $35,441 in pro bono advising hours.
