Institute for
Entrepreneurial Leadership

Sorors in Service (L-R): Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. gather at the New Jersey Small Business Continuum-to-Collective Capital Access Kickoff Event. From left: Rhona Vega, founder and chief dreamer of Exposure and Opportunities; Melanie Seymour, director of capital access at IFEL; Jill Johnson, CEO and co-founder of IFEL; and Ferlanda Fox Nixon, Esq., president and CEO of the Newark Regional Business Partnership. (Photos courtesy of IFEL) When people think about

We Appreciate You As the calendar pages turned to December, the familiar sights and sounds of the season were on full display. As the year-end approaches, we delight in the sparkle of holiday lights and the warmth of seasonal gatherings, as many of us feel the pressure to meet goals and complete projects to finish the year strong. In the midst of holiday cheer, it is easy to get lost in the frenzy of racing to the finish. We would like to take this opportunity to express our

Click on the image above to learn about Dekonti's angel investing journey. I never saw angel investing as something people like me could do,” shares Dekonti Mends-Cole , an advisor to local governments and nonprofits on community revitalisation. “It felt like an exclusive space reserved for ultra–high net worth individuals investing in other founders who looked just like them.” That changed when a close friend introduced her to Pipeline Angels , a network of women and nonbin