The Material Change Institute’s Summer 2024 Summit is many things: a meeting of leaders from across the early-stage landscape, a forum for sharing dynamic experiences and a chance to collaborate in-person with our partners at the Creative Destruction Lab. But the four-day event also marks another key milestone for our community: the launch of one Fellowship class and the graduation of another.
At this year’s summit in Toronto, we welcomed 27 Class IV Fellows to the Material Change family while celebrating Class III’s next phase. We’ll soon be publishing a recap of the summit’s events, which included illuminating fireside chats, learning sessions and more. But for now, we’d like to share reflections from across both cohorts, which our Fellows shared with us as the 2024 Summit drew to a close in Toronto.
A Celebration of Diverse Investment Pathways
For Dr. Jana Mike, a Class III Fellow, the Summit was an opportunity to reflect on personal and professional growth. Says Jana, “The fellowship has been a Moore’s Law of gratitude for learning and finding my tribe at Material Change and seeing a new world because of them.”
This sentiment was threaded throughout the event, which brought together not only Class III and Class IV Fellows, but Material Change Institute instructors and Mentors. For our Class III Fellows, the event was a capstone on a year of immersive experiences and the launching point of a new phase in the investment journey. Like our Fellows themselves, each journey is unique and dynamic.
“At the Material Change Institute, we’re passionate about supporting investors along multiple pathways to increased influence — not just launching a fund — because that’s what it will require to help more individuals bring untapped value,” says Material Change Institute Founder Eve Blossom. “Whether through angel investing, impact investing, VC investing, corporate investing or another journey, our Class III Fellows have dynamic future plans that will undoubtedly make an impact in the investment landscape.”
Now that she has graduated, Class III Fellow Kimberly Bryant plans to grow the Black Innovation Lab. Said Kimberly, “My experience over the past 12 months as a Material Change Fellow has been a transformational journey, enriching me as a mentor, investor, and leader. This fellowship deepened my subject matter knowledge in venture capital and accelerated my vision for the impact we will achieve through the Black Innovation Lab. Most importantly, it broadened my exposure to some of the most innovative and forward-thinking investors and founders globally.”
For two Class III Fellows, Levi Reed and John Sandoval, the next phase in the journey will involve growing the fund they launched together after meeting at the Material Change Institute. Levi highlighted the sense of the community at the Summit — a feeling that reflects the close camaraderie that Class III developed as Fellows.
“To say the Material Change Institute program has been transformative is an understatement. I have learned from and met with some of the most brilliant innovators in private investment, and had a behind-the-scenes look at how some of the best investors in the world think about evaluating opportunities,” said Levi. “Perhaps most importantly, though, I’m now forever part of what is unequivocally the most engaged, passionate, and accomplished group of humans I have ever experienced. This has been a beautiful experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Class III Fellow Jordan Hopson described his fellowship as a transformative experience. “I joined the program hoping to improve as an angel investor, but I gained so much more,” said Jordan. “Now, I have clarity on my personal investment thesis, a network of like-minded accountability partners, and a clear plan for raising my own fund.”
For Class IV Fellows embarking on their year’s fellowship, the event provided a meaningful start to their journeys. Kim Carson, a Class IV Fellow, plans to leverage her fellowship learnings as she builds out her AI venture studio. Said Kim, “Participating in the Material Change Institute Summit exceeded my expectations. The content was rich, covering essential topics designed to equip our diverse group of new investors with insights needed to drive positive change.”
During the event in Toronto, we were once again reminded of the power we hold when we break down barriers, promote equal access and draw from each other’s unique experiences to uncover new value. We can’t wait to see the unique journeys that our Class III and Class IV Fellows take in the months and years to come, both as investors and as lifelong members of the Material Change family.
Learn more about our Class III Fellows, our Class IV Fellows and connect with us for future events, Fellowship enrollments and more.