Partnerships are an essential part of how RBCx impacts different communities. Whether we’re teaming up with Hackergal to help break down the barriers preventing girls from entering into the STEAM space or finding partnerships to further empower our tech leaders, when we connect with another organization, our mission is to leverage our skills, knowledge, and resources to elevate these communities to reach their full potential.
One of the partnerships that speaks directly to our tech and startup community is Ripple Ventures. Ripple’s mission is to “empower founders to build resilient companies” by going beyond providing funding. Ripple works in the pre-seed and seed rounds to also help companies find market fit, hire the right talent, and form healthy and thriving businesses.
Together with Ripple, we’ve created the RippleX Fellowship Program, which provides access to venture capital to underrepresented students across North America. This joint program will provide tuition-free education and mentorship to these youths to help them build the businesses of the future.
Nicole Kelly, head of marketing at RBCx, knows how valuable this partnership is because she understands how difficult it has been historically for underrepresented founders to gain access to the type of services that Ripple provides.
“Ripple has quickly built an incredible community around its founders, investors, and ecosystem at large. The startup and VC ecosystem can be incredibly hard to break into, especially for those that don’t have connections or access through organic channels, which is why programs like RippleX are so important.”
Great ideas can come from anyone. What the RippleX Fellowship seeks to accomplish is to democratize the industry by including cohorts of entrepreneurs that may not otherwise have access to the type of funding and support that Ripple can offer. So far, 11 cohorts have completed the program, half of which have gone on to raise over $50 million to fund their companies.
“We’re always looking for ways to give back and inspire others,” Kelly says. “We are thankful to be able to support Ripple in its mission to democratize the industry at large, and look forward to the continued success of this program.”
Kelly says that thought leadership, events, and training are just some of the ways this partnership will be activated. She sees the potential in this partnership and looks forward to RBCx “sharing our knowledge, experience, and network to help the next generation of investors and founders.”
The most exciting part about all of this is building relationships with these founders. All of them are passionate about what they do and believe they can change the world. RBCx is all about people. Whether it’s our employees or the founders and entrepreneurs we partner with, we know that it’s the commitment these people show that makes everything we do possible.
Partnering with Ripple on the RippleX Fellowship helps us to fulfill our mission of powering the bold, as the go-to destination for innovators from all walks of life, in Canada and beyond.
Check out the official press release in the RBCx Newsroom to find out more about our partnership with Ripple Ventures, and head to their website to apply for the RippleX Fellowship.
