The Newark-based Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership recently announced the appointment of Stephanie Fowler as president, capital access. In this role, Fowler will help scale efforts to help more small business owners, entrepreneurs and founders get funded faster. This follows the recent appointment of community development veteran Gina Nisbeth as chair of the IFEL board of directors.
“As IFEL continues to grow, we remain committed to knocking down the barriers that prevent people of color from being able to create entrepreneurial wealth on a wider scale,” Jill Johnson, co-founder and CEO of IFEL stated. “We’re excited to bring Stephanie and Gina into leadership positions to have the benefit of their expertise and creativity as we double down on our push toward systemic change.”
An angel investor herself associated with Golden Seeds and Harvard Business School Alumni Angels, Fowler built a 24-year-plus career at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, where she most recently served as investment strategy & business development senior director & department manager. She also serves as a multifamily investor for MFW Capital Group LLC. Fowler is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Business School.
“I’ve witnessed IFEL create innovative pathways to accelerate capital access for founders of color, and I’m excited to join the team at this critical stage,” Fowler said. “The Pipeline Angels acquisition takes our capacity for making connections between people who need capital and people who want to invest capital to the next level.”
Meanwhile, Nisbeth is the founder and president of 9th & Clinton, a strategic advisory firm for real estate developers, fund managers and nonprofit and for-profit organizations seeking a double-bottom line impact with Black, indigenous and people of color in underinvested communities. As a 25-year veteran of Citi who began her career as a trader, Nisbeth is an active mentor and is focused on closing the racial wealth gap through community development.
“IFEL is changing business as usual for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs who have long lacked access to networks, knowledge and capital. I am excited to strengthen and lead with my commitment to this vital organization,” Nisbeth said.
