Benjamin Vann

Founder of Uncle Nearest Whiskey Brand to Headline Impact Ventures’ First Inclusive Capital Summit

by Lance Murray | Feb 27, 2023

Fawn Weaver, a bestselling author, investor, entrepreneur, and the first Black woman to be founder and CEO of a major spirits brand, will headline the May 3-5 event. “The Inclusive Capital Summit will bring solution-based conversations to the forefront, equipping our community and business leaders with the knowledge, network and platform to carry their work forward," says Impact Ventures' Benjamin J. Vann.

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Tech Talk and ‘Meaningful Connections’: 10 Takeaways From Venture Dallas 2022

by Kevin Cummings | Nov 7, 2022

At last week's Venture Dallas conference, more than 400 VCs, angel investors, startups, and business leaders gathered for a showcase of North Texas' entrepreneurial and venture ecosystem. Here's a look at the highlights—from Troy Aikman saying "There are no shortcuts" to Alto Founder Will Coleman on the power of doing "the opposite" to Mark Cuban's "ready, fire, aim" approach. “Regions like Texas and Dallas-Fort Worth, we’re the model for the rest of the nation on how to get things done," Ross Perot Jr. said at the conference kickoff.

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Venture Dallas Brings ‘the Premier Venture Capital Conference in North Texas’ to George W. Bush Presidential Center this November

by Kevin Cummings | Oct 4, 2022

Venture Dallas 2022—a full-day conference to be held Nov. 3 at the George W. Bush Presidential Center—will connect investors from all over the U.S with the “best founders in our region” with the goal of sparking “collisions” and “meaningful connections," co-founder Aaron Pierce says. He adds that those could potentially lead to fundings—and successful exits. Here's a look at why the North Texas startup and VC scene is hopping, and what Venture Dallas 2022 could mean for you.

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[Photo: Momo Shack/Instagram]

From Dumpling Makers to VR Job‑Trainers, Impact Ventures Welcomes its Newest Startups

by Kevin Cummings | Apr 4, 2022

Dallas-based nonprofit accelerator Impact Ventures has unveiled the lineup of its latest cohort, made up of nearly 20 companies that span from Nepalese dumpling makers to virtual reality job-training platforms.

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Meet the Finalists: The Innovation Awards 2022, Presented by Dallas Innovates and D CEO

by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report | Oct 26, 2021

Now in its third year, the program from Dallas Innovates and D CEO honors 78 disruptors and trailblazers driving a new vision for innovation in North Texas.

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Entrepreneurs celebrate a 2019 Impact Ventures' cohort, photographed in the time before COVID. [Photo: Impact Ventures]

Apply to Accelerate: Diversity‑focused Impact Ventures Opens Applications for Fall 2020 Program

by Quincy Preston | Sep 15, 2020

Founder and CEO Benjamin Vann says the startup accelerator aims to create more diverse and inclusive ecosystems.

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Dallas-based fintech Exgratias co-founders Emanuel Green and Thomas Langehennig [Photos: Courtesy Exgratias]

Dallas-based Exgratias co-founders Emanuel Green and Thomas Langehennig [Photos: Megan West via Exgratias]

Impact Ventures: Meet Exgratias, a Financial Platform for Entertainment Gig Workers

by Alex Edwards | Jul 16, 2020

Dallas Innovates is highlighting startups in Impact Ventures' accelerator program, which aims to assist the underrepresented startup community. First up is Exgratias, a first-of-its-kind financial platform for the entertainment industry that helps contractual workers get paid quickly and effortlessly.

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Minority-Focused Startup Accelerator Aims to Help Underrepresented Startups

by Alex Edwards | Jul 16, 2020

Founder and CEO Benjamin Vann was motivated by the opportunity gap: "As of 2018, just 2 percent of minorities received venture capital funding and 2 percent of minorities were represented in the tech industry workforce,” he says. A Dallas Innovates series highlights startups in Impact Ventures' first spring program.

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Applications Open for Impact Ventures’ Minority-Focused Technology Accelerator

by Lance Murray | Oct 2, 2019

The nonprofit’s accelerator is intended to boost minority- and women-run startups in the tech sector. The deadline for startups to apply is Nov. 22, with the program set to kick off in March.

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Collective Impact: ‘Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming.’

by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report | Oct 24, 2018

Roundtable | Our panel talks about what we can do better, right now. In the final installment of the latest Dallas Innovates roundtable series, we look at systemic issues that still need to be addressed, and the areas ripe for innovation. The discussion closes with a look into the future.

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Left to right, starting with top row: Benjamin Vann, Kate Knight, Michael Thomas, Sara Vassar, Steve Wanta, Salah Boukadoum, Michelle Williams, Matt Myers [Photos: Michael Samples]

Collective Impact: Social Innovation in Dallas-Fort Worth

by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report | Oct 22, 2018

ROUNDTABLE | In this three-part series, a panel of experts explores Dallas-Fort Worth as a destination for global impact work.

Part one kicks off with eight thought leaders who explore what social innovation looks like from their unique perspectives — nonprofit, corporate, and startup — and how that is impacting the region.

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