Over the past few months, RMMFI’s Equity Committee (made up of staff, entrepreneurs, and volunteers) has been working to develop a new organizational statement of commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). This statement will serve as a framework to guide the continued growth of RMMFI, identify areas of opportunity, and strengthen our accountability toward becoming a more equitable organization. We’re proud to share our new DEIA Statement of Commitment with our community today:

RMMFI recognizes that in order to pursue our North Star, we must approach our work and lead through a framework of racial, gender, and geographic equity. At RMMFI, we believe that entrepreneurship is a vehicle that can be used to create the life people want for ourselves and our communities. We know racial inequities and systemic barriers in education, access to capital, and access to opportunity have kept people of color and systemically marginalized communities out of mainstream access. We intentionally take part in conversations about structural racism as well as engage diverse voices in problem-solving, decision-making, and issues of accessibility. In order to aim bigger and go deeper, RMMFI is committed to supporting our entrepreneurs, staff, and community members equitably.

We know that words are only words unless there is action behind them. Our team is focused on integrating this framework into all parts of RMMFI, including in our individual and organizational goals, strategy, and operational activities. We’ll continue to share updates as we grow in our commitment and deepen our work to ensure all members of our community have equitable opportunities to recognize and activate their potential.