Christian McKenzie 🇯🇲

At Breadless, we’re redefining fast-casual dining with bold, nutrient-packed meals that fuel ambition and inspire healthier living. Our bread-free sandwiches, power bowls, and vibrant salads are crafted to energize your next move. Join the movement that’s changing how America eats—one bold bite at a time.

At HOLO footwear, we don’t think you should have to choose between style, comfort, or mother earth. We strive to make beautiful footwear that are SUSTAINABLE and ATTAINABLE, so you never have to compromise. We believe in great design, great style and a brighter future for our planet.

The Folklore Group owns and operates The Folklore and The Folklore Shop. The Folklore (thefolklore.com) is a global membership community for independent brands to learn, connect, and sell. The Folklore Shop (shop.thefolklore.com) is the premier e-commerce destination for conscious consumers to discover and shop the greatest selection of sustainable, diverse, and innovative global brands. The Folklores membership community provides global brands with technology, education, and community resources to grow their business and enable retailers and service providers to collaborate better with brands. The company’s software and marketplace technology help global brands manage and grow their consumer and wholesale businesses, source talent, and access capital, while enabling retailers and service providers to discover and work with a more diverse and global network of brands. In addition to technology, brands have access to educational content and community events designed to help navigate their business from inception through the growth stage. The Folklore Shop is an e-commerce platform for the conscious consumer. We provide customers with access to discover contemporary, independent brands from over 40 countries that align with our mission to promote sustainability, diversity, and innovation. Global customers can browse products and brands by country, the founder’s race and gender identity, and business practices to support the communities and values they cherish most. The Folklore Shop makes it easier and more cost effective to order and receive products from independent brands located in emerging global markets like Africa, South America, Asia, and the Caribbean, while also introducing you to local brands located right in your backyard. We feature curated shopping edits of men’s and women’s fashion, beauty, home, kids & baby, and lifestyle products.

Capitalize VC invests pre-seed capital in commerce-enablement tech companies solving critical problems for retailers, brands, creators, and manufacturers as they navigate a shifting landscape.

The National Association of Investment Companies was founded in 1971. Our 175+ member firms collectively manage more than $447 billion in assets under management. NAIC is the largest trade association of diverse-owned alternative investment firms in the U.S. NAIC is focused on increasing the flow of capital to high-performing diverse-owned investment managers often underutilized by institutional investors by connecting managers to capital, developing skills and competencies, providing data and insights, and propelling careers. Our industry-leading programs and initiatives focus on strengthening the diverse-owned alternatives sector and positioning it for future success.

Foxtrot is redefining convenience for the modern consumer, marrying the best of neighborhood retail and e-commerce technology to create a community of discovery. Our storefronts offer the most-loved aspects of neighborhood cafés, and you can turn to the Foxtrot App or website for 30-minute delivery and 5-minute pick up of a city’s best goods – from local beers and fine wines to chef-prepared meals and everyday essentials. We also offer the best of our favorite foods, goods and curated gifts available for nationwide shipping via Foxtrot Anywhere. We’re building a first-of-its-kind omnichannel brand that seamlessly marries e-commerce delivery, proprietary inventory technology, and the feel-good community of neighborhood stores. Since launching our native app in 2013, we now operate a robust e-commerce platform and 20 (and counting!) retail stores across Chicago, DC, VA and Dallas with plans to continue expansion nationwide. We’re on a mission to connect people to better convenience through our love for food & culture, so that everyone can feel good about what they buy everyday.

Lofty Ventures is a growing community of Chicago’s most passionate founders building our city’s next generation of disruptive startups, and the angel investors who back them. Our founders and investors are all bounded by a common thread, amazing people with vision and purpose. We’re laser focused on finding the best founders in Chicago and giving them all the resources necessary to be successful entrepreneurs, dynamic business leaders and exceptional people. Lofty’s growing family of 180 founders leading 100 startups collaborate and support one another throughout their entrepreneurial journeys. Our strength is building community and fostering relationships with one another, the broader Chicago community and the global tech ecosystem. Lofty Angels is over 300 investors strong and growing. We provide educational programming and investment opportunities for accredited investors who want to excel at early-stage investing. We also enable Lofty founders to become angel investors earlier in their career to: 1) become more savvy founders by understanding how investors think, 2) build diversification & hedge their risk, and 3) gain investing experience/reps early so they can write first-checks right when they exit. Lofty Ventures is not a venture capital firm, and although we don’t manage other people’s money, we do maintain a syndicate for our angel community. We like to invest as early as possible and add value right away by introducing potential investors, customers, advisors, directors, and team members. We typically invest from first-check to seed and deploy $10k to $100k initially, with potential for $100k to $500k in follow-on investment via our syndicate. Our post-money valuation (or cap) sweet spot is $3M to $5M pre-money, we’re industry agnostic but look for Chicago-based, tech enabled businesses. Our founders are exemplified by the following: 1) are givers (in Adam Grants "Give & Take" sense), 2) brilliant, 3) scrappy/gritty, and 4) have problem-founder-fit.

At Breadless, we’re redefining fast-casual dining with bold, nutrient-packed meals that fuel ambition and inspire healthier living. Our bread-free sandwiches, power bowls, and vibrant salads are crafted to energize your next move. Join the movement that’s changing how America eats—one bold bite at a time.