Podcast E018 | Melanie Mak of BCIF

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:26 What inspired you to start BCIF?
02:13 How does BCIF work?
03:33 What are you currently reading or learning or listening to these days?
04:31 How do you see BCIFs contribution to the venture ecosystem?
08:04 How do people contact you?
08:37 Thank you

Featured Guest Bio:
Melanie Mack is the Vice Chair of BCIF. She has more than 20 years of experience as a fund development professional specializing in cultivating high net worth individuals – and project manager/producer of intimate to large scale events having worked for several organizations including Union Rescue Mission, Weingart Center Association, New Directions for Veterans, and Angels Gate Cultural Center. Melanie has an unwavering passion for service to underserved communities (particularly women and girls) and entertainment. She has a practical understanding of challenges and daunting responsibilities of implementing and executing a vision while delivering measurable results. She has raised $12 million through her sphere of influence. Her duties in leadership include involvement in creating and facilitating strategic plans, soliciting major gifts, and marketing/rebranding. Before entering the nonprofit sector, Melanie raised $1.5 million in venture capital to launch her companies, Power of the Single Mom and Bamflex. Before her career as an entrepreneur, she was a television development executive with Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and was part of the original launch team for fX Networks – garnering several awards including a Daytime Emmy and NAMIC award for diversity and inclusion. Melanie is an innovative entrepreneur, strategic thought partner, grant proposal writer, motivational speaker, public relations specialist, and published author of two books. She’s been recognized by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti for her leadership and mentorship in the city of Los Angeles. She is a Forbes contributor, African American Board Leadership Institute Alumna (AABLI), member of International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute; founding executive board member for the Black Cooperative Investment Fund (BCIF). She is also the founder of BrunchNet: A Girl’s Guide to Business, Career, Goals, Life, and Family – a membership brunch club for professional and entrepreneurial women.

Fund Information:
Founded in 2016 and launched in January 2017, the Black Cooperative Investment Fund (BCIF) is a a 501(c)3, community-based organization rooted in self-help economics that provides microloans to the Black community through pooled dollars and raises awareness about the importance of economic empowerment, equity, and wealth building for the Black community.

The organization focuses specifically on the Southern California region. BCIF seeks to create social change for the Black community through the primary strategy of building assets and wealth. We provide microloans through pooled dollars from individuals and companies who are passionate about economic empowerment for the Black community. The long-term vision is to provide a dedicated, reliable, and perpetual source of capital to create assets and build wealth for, and within, the Black community, while also serving as a catalytic force for building a critical mass movement of change based on economic imperatives. We provide affordable, low-interest, low-fee loan alternatives to traditional lenders. All earnings from interest repayments are reinvested into the fund to grow and sustain the fund for long-term usage in the Black community. Annual fundraising goal: $500,000 will allow the fund to distribute 24 – 36 microloans annually, ranging between $5,000 – $20,000.

Fund Site:
http://www.bcifund.org/

Fund Contact:
http://www.bcifund.org/

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