Kathryn Finney

Kathryn Finney is a pioneering entrepreneur, investor, and author. One of the first Black women to sell an internet startup, she has since built several successful companies and penned bestselling books, including Build the Damn Thing. She is the Founder and Managing General Partner of Genius Guild, a venture firm that invests in companies focused on improving the health of communities, people, and the environment. As an active venture and angel investor, Kathryn has invested in over 100 companies, such as Health in Her HUE, Both& Apparel, Backpack Healthcare, MentalHappy, and Hanahana Beauty—most led by women and nonbinary founders.

In 2020, she founded The Doonie Fund, named after her grandmother, to provide micro-investments to Black women entrepreneurs. What began as a $10,000 personal donation has grown to support over 3,000 businesses, with partners like Pivotal Ventures and UBS. The fund builds on her work at Digitalundivided, the social enterprise she founded in 2012 to expand access for Black and Latina women in tech. Her groundbreaking research project, #ProjectDiane, helped shift conversations and actions within the venture capital world. Kathryn’s work has earned numerous accolades, including the Heinz Award for the Economy, several honorary doctorates, and recognition from institutions like the Aspen Institute and the City of New York.