Since 1996, Aspira Capital Management (“ACM”) has quietly developed a strong early-stage investment track record. It is the proceeds from these successful investments that have provided the seed funding for the firm’s mission driven current fund, Aspira Capital Fund II LP  (“ACM II”). ACM II is an early-stage venture capital fund seeking to achieve an outsized return by investing in underrepresented founders often overlooked by the traditional venture capital industry. With over 40 years of collective early-stage investing experience, the fund is differentiated by both its investment approach and philosophy of generating an above market return with a meaningful social impact.

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At the center of ACM II’s philosophy is mentorship—both for the companies it partners with and the staff, advisors and interns on its team. “Doors to venture capital are often closed for entrepreneurs of color and women. Unfortunately, underrepresented talent looking to become future fund managers often have the same experience,” says Managing Partner, Benny Lorenzo. “At Aspira, we seek to leverage the learnings and successes from our long history to change that.”  

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Aspira Capital Management stays active in diverse communities in New York and beyond through various universities and community organizations to source early-stage companies led by underrepresented founders. It also seeks to identify and train the next generation of women and people of color fund managers. The fund has a specific methodology throughout the diligence process to select which early-stage companies are investment ready. “There is a high failure rate in venture capital,” says Lorenzo. “At Aspira we focus on selecting strong management teams that are fully dedicated to their idea and are preparing themselves for a viable exit in the near term. To put it simply, we are in the business of successful exits.”

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This work can only be achieved with a strong team, and Aspira Capital Management has assembled a four-person firm with a broad array of investing experience that allows the firm to invest as generalists while still maintaining strong industry area expertise. Benny Lorenzo, the firm’s Managing Partner, has over 40 years of business and investing experience, starting his career as an engineer at AT&T and product management at IBM, and, after graduating from Harvard Business School, spending time as a research director and investment banker on Wall Street. Roselia St. Louis, the firm’s Senior Advisor, has over 20 years as a portfolio manager on Wall Street with special expertise in Healthcare and Biotech. Wilson Rosa and Benny Gomez both serve as Venture Partners with backgrounds in logistics and real estate, respectively.

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While the firm has strong benchmarks for financial success, it also takes its social impact seriously.  “I wanted to start a social impact fund to create a legacy,” says Lorenzo. “One that works to not only close the wealth gap for women and minorities but also trains a younger generation of them to consider early stage investing as a career and perhaps even start their own funds.” Lorenzo, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, recalls how moving to New York City at the age of ten without knowing any English influenced him to give back. “I benefited from a hard-working mother who brought me to the States, a Catholic nun in middle school who took me under her wing, an ivy league education, and a Wall Street career where I often was the only person of color. All of these experiences have taught me many lessons that I hope to impart on the next generation of diverse investors.”