Communicating
We have to start with what we know, so we can get to what we don’t.
Allowing space to listen at our Board Retreat last year.
We’re in the phase of our organization where we need to ramp up our work and communicate about it at the same time. For over a year, we’ve been setting the groundwork, building relationships that support our vision, and creating an organization we believe in.
Constantly, Martin and I run into the problem of explaining what White Rose Ventures and Braided River Collective are all about. We’re not just a venture fund, and we don’t just provide capital. No, we aren’t an ESG fund, but we are inspired by the work many of them do. Yes, we’re building an ecosystem of entrepreneurialism; no, we aren’t the only organization who’s making that happen. Yes, we have a community mission, and we will also make a return.
There are some fundamental problems with trying to do something new:
Doing something new takes a lot of energy
Often it would be made easier with help from other people
People need time to understand something new
Often the process of understanding it requires you to start with something familiar
Something familiar isn’t something new
I know it is tempting to use language that gets people hooked. I wonder though, if it has a cost. The quick dopamine hit of “venture fund,” “millions,” or “quick exit,” may grab attention for a moment. We are aiming at the steady burn of an ecosystem where creative, entrepreneurial people belong, are recognized, are supported, and are given funding that matches the intensity of their visions of the future.
I know that doesn’t exist yet; we are starting with ourselves. Our region’s entrepreneurs deserve that—at a minimum. Let us know where you think we should start.
We’re listening.
