Our Commitment to Sustainability

“Sustainable development calls for concerted efforts towards building an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future for people and planet.” *from the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Venture Café has heard the call…

We believe innovation is a process for improving the human condition; therefore, Venture Café can leverage innovation as a way to move the needle toward locally and globally by promoting sustainable, inclusive and equitable economic growth, creating greater opportunities for all, reducing inequalities, raising basic standards of living, fostering equitable social development and inclusion, and promoting integrated and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems.

At Venture Café, we are committed to convening people with purpose through:

• Economic empowerment through programming, helping innovators work to end poverty through building businesses, hiring, and implementing sustainable business practices. 
• Modeling sustainable operations such as reducing the use of plastics and waste, promoting sustainable procurement practices and environmental safety, aiming to inspire our community with our actions.
• Mobilizing local communities around actions, encouraging behavior change and sustainable policies. 
• Serving as a connector and educator for innovators to share their knowledge, ideas, and solutions to solve local and global challenges.

Re-framing the narrative of innovation’s purpose to include social and ecological responsibility.

Our Commitment to Racial Equity

Last updated on: April 30th, 2021.

Innovation is a process to improve the human condition. While we aspire to see this hold true, the reality is that the human condition of many in our global communities are subject to systemic racism that has been present for centuries and not yet adequately addressed. At the Venture Café Global Institute (VCGI), we believe in and we stand with global movements working hard to eradicate systemic racism.

Racial equity is achieved when life outcomes can no longer be predicted based on the color of a person’s skin. We have a lot of work to do.

The VCGI Racial Equity Action Plan addresses three areas within the organization and we are committed to doing more. These areas of focus will be included in our annual public impact report, we will benchmark the organisation and progress swiftly.

• Platform: We are committed to using our platform to amplify and align with underserved voices. We will use this platform to convene groups dedicated to ending racial inequity and improving social justice. Moreover, we will use this platform to build bridges with those organizations and groups not yet doing the work, with a goal of expanding the racial equity with social justice conversations and encouraging others to take action. Social justice innovation is innovation, but should be done with intentionality and collaboration.
• Policies: Venture Café teams participate in Anti-Bias Anti-Racism (ABAR) training as part of ongoing development. All members of the VCGI network are commitmented to racial equity and social justice in their hiring practices, partnership commitments, and programming expectations.
• Purse: A commitment to racial equity and social justice is part of our sponsorship/partnership agreements. We need our funding partners to be aligned in this effort. Additionally, we will examine the organization’s spending/procurement and develop a process that creates more opportunities for underserved business owners and leaders . We will target 25% spending allocated to support businesses owned by or led by members of historically under-represented groups by 2022.

A racist system can’t simply be repaired; it must be dismantled. VCGI is intent on building a better, more just society where everyone belongs and feels safe.. We invite others to join us in this effort. Join our café communities all over the globe to discuss ways we can collectively drive toward racial equity and social justice.