Founded in 2018 by local venture capitalists, Chicago:Blend is a 501c3 non-profit organization committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in Chicago's VC and startup community. We believe that greater representation of women and underrepresented investors and founders is critical to building a stronger tech economy for Chicago. Our work is organized around three areas: DATA - We gather and publish demographic data annually to track diversity gains at Chicago-area VC firms and among venture-backed startups.  EDUCATION - We provide training and capacity-building to VCs and to their portfolio companies on key issues related to DEI. COMMUNITY - We connect underrepresented founders and aspiring venture professionals to our community of VCs.