Led · Series B · Mar 2023

Fly By Jing is a Los Angeles-based Chinese food company founded by Jing Gao that produces crafted pantry staples. Its flagship product, Sichuan Chili Crisp, became a top-selling hot sauce on Amazon within six months. The brand's products are sold in more than 4,000 stores, including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Target, and Costco. The leadership team includes CFO/COO Matt Dunaj and Chief Commercial Officer Jason Parasco. The company raised $12M in Series B financing to accelerate growth into additional national grocery retailers. Fly By Jing is an Asian food brand founded in 2018 by CEO Jing Gao in Los Angeles, California. The company creates high-quality artisanal Chinese sauces and condiments, best known for its Sichuan Chili Crisp. Its Sichuan Chili Crisp became a best-selling hot sauce on Amazon six months after launch. Fly By Jing received a growth investment from Prelude Growth Partners; the amount was not disclosed. The company intends to use the funds to expand the team and its retail functions. This fall it plans a major retail rollout into brick-and-mortar locations including Whole Foods, Target, Sprouts, Foxtrot, and online grocers Thrive Market and FreshDirect.

Led · Equity · Dec 2022

Greenwood provides a digital banking service aimed at supporting financial freedom for Black and Latino communities by partnering with FDIC-insured banks. The company has expanded via acquisitions of The Gathering Spot and Valence and now offers Elevate, a career and lifestyle membership tying banking, private membership access, and professional networking. Elevate provides access to The Gathering Spot’s clubhouses in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, Valence’s recruiting database with tens of thousands of job listings, invitation-only events including A3C Festival, and travel and concierge benefits. Greenwood reports its combined community across Greenwood, The Gathering Spot, A3C and Valence exceeds 1 million people and its banking platform has more than 100,000 customers. The platform emphasizes community building, career advancement, and tools to help close the racial wealth gap. Greenwood’s founders and backers include civil rights leader Andrew J. Young, Ryan Glover, Pendulum, major banks, and other strategic investors. Greenwood is an Atlanta-based digital banking service targeting Black and Latino individuals and business owners. The bank provides digital accounts and debit cards and ties customer activity to charitable donations. For every signup Greenwood donates the equivalent of five free meals, and debit-card use triggers donations to the United Negro College Fund, Goodr, or the NAACP. Each month the company plans to award a $10,000 grant to a Black or Latinx small business that uses its services. Greenwood was launched last October by a group including rapper Killer Mike, former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young and Bounce TV founder Ryan Glover. Before taking its first deposit the company raised $40 million and had about 500,000 people on its waitlist. Greenwood is a digital bank that offers checking and savings accounts, a physical debit card, peer-to-peer payments, mobile check deposit, and integrations with Apple, Samsung and Google Pay. The bank provides free ATM access at over 30,000 locations and plans recurring community programs, including donating the equivalent of five free meals for every sign-up and donating when customers use their debit cards to UNCF, Goodr, or the NAACP. Each month Greenwood will award a $10,000 grant to a Black or Latinx small business owner who uses its services. The founding team includes entertainer Michael Render (Killer Mike), former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young, and Bounce TV founder Ryan Glover; Aparicio Giddins is president and CTO and David Tapscott is chief marketing officer. Greenwood is taking deposits and aims to link historic Black business communities with modern financial technology to boost entrepreneurship and community wealth.

Led · Series B · Nov 2022

Saltbox provides flexible warehouse space, integrated logistics infrastructure, and on-site teams that support receiving, storage, picking & packing, order fulfillment, and product assembly/kit operations. The company’s locations combine private warehouse suites, co-working amenities, content studios, and fulfillment services to help members run day-to-day physical operations. Saltbox positions its network as a distributed footprint that lets businesses operate across multiple markets to reduce shipping costs and get closer to customers. Recent expansion includes a third Atlanta-area location in Chamblee—bringing Atlanta square footage to 300,000—and a planned entry into the Chicago metropolitan area this fall. The company said proceeds from its Series C, led by Packard Capital, will be used to expand its national footprint, enhance logistics infrastructure, and grow on-site operational support capabilities. Founded in 2019, Saltbox operates in eight major U.S. markets.

Participated · Seed · Oct 2022

The Lip Bar, founded and led by Melissa Butler, started with lipsticks and has expanded into a diverse line of vegan, cruelty-free cosmetics and a secondary brand called Thread Beauty. The company positions itself to challenge the linear beauty standard and build an inclusive house of brands. TLB products are carried in more than 1,000 stores nationwide, including Target and Walmart. Butler has focused on hiring top-tier talent and expanding retail distribution since earlier funding. The company previously raised $2M in funding prior to the current round. Management says it will use the new capital to grow the team and better serve consumers across different divisions.

Led · Equity · Sep 2022

adwoa beauty, founded in 2017 by Julian Addo, develops concentrated hair-care products that combine natural ingredients with scientific formulation. The brand's lineup comprises 12 hair-care formulas designed to take consumers from wash day through styling. adwoa beauty secured $4M in funding to support its growth. The company plans to deploy the proceeds toward new product development, increasing staffing across the organization, and investing in brand awareness and retail support. The funding was provided by Pendulum. The article does not disclose additional operating metrics.