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2021 Impact Report

An Impactful Year

2021 has been another year we will never forget. We have collectively grappled with ongoing systemic racism, the widening of economic inequality, challenges to our democracy, and the continuation of a global pandemic. Through it all, the Kapor Center family of organizations has remained steadfastly committed to our mission — to build a more equitable tech sector, economy, and society.

We’re proud to celebrate a year of impactful and meaningful work that has touched communities all over the country, from our headquarters in Oakland, CA.

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Review Highlight

4K Students engaged in CS/STEM education programs

Review Highlight

8.8K People accessed resources and trainings on advancing diversity in tech

Review Highlight

$3.4M Strategic grantmaking to support marginalized communities

Review Highlight

$21M Investments in gap-closing technology companies

Kapor Foundation

While we began 2021 working remotely, Kapor Foundation continued to mobilize for racial justice through our research, computer science education initiatives, community engagement, and work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We aimed to reimagine K-12 computer science education working with students and teachers, publishing research, providing training/webinars, promoting policy change, and supporting advocates across the education, technology, and nonprofit spaces–all with the goal of expanding equity in CS.

We launched a new racial justice and tech policy initiative and we continued to contribute to the field by publishing reports on Expanding the Latinx Tech Pipeline, The Black Technology Workforce, Racial Justice In Technology, The Computer Science Teacher Landscape, and the California Computer Science Access report. This year, we developed a statewide data dashboard to track computer science courses in California high schools and provide an actionable tool to advocate for policy change. We also partnered with the Computer Science Teachers Association to develop a dashboard showing the demographics of CS teachers across the nation.

Highlights/By The Numbers

$2M+

distributed to organizations aiming to protect marginalized communities from the harms of technology.

$1M+

distributed in funding across over 40 organizations to address a range of critical issues facing communities of color, including civic engagement, COVID pandemic relief, economic mobility, and much more.

700+

students engaged in CS programming

90+

90+ teachers trained in culturally-responsive pedagogy

SMASH

At SMASH, we’ve taken a deep and holistic approach with our scholars and alumni to address the root causes of why the underrepresentation of people of color in STEM persists. From SMASH Academy to SMASH Rising, Admit, Persist, and Career Catalyst, we’ve been SMASHing barriers throughout 2021 and are well-positioned to SMASH more next year.

To make a tangible impact, we adapted our operations to account for the biggest change to every education system in the US: a shift to at-home learning. For the first time in 20 years, all SMASH programming ran virtually, serving over 1700 scholars and alumni with STEM justice education and early career exposure across the nation in California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

 

Highlights/By The Numbers

78%

of our SMASH seniors committed to majoring in STEM, compared to the 45% national average.

94%

of our SMASH Academy scholars demonstrated significant growth in their mastery of skills essential to thriving in STEM classrooms and the workplace.

85%

of our SMASH alumni graduate college within 5 years compared to the national average of 55%.

Kapor Capital

Through Kapor Capital, we’ve continued to invest in early-stage startups that close gaps of access and expand economic opportunity, making a positive impact on our society and economy. We celebrated our tenth year running our Venture Fellow Summer Associates program, creating pathways for underrepresented individuals to enter the world of Venture Capital.

Highlights/By The Numbers

$21M+

invested in technology-driven companies with gap-closing solutions. A nearly 70% increase from 2020!

24

follow-on investments, deploying nearly $12 million dollars with over 75% of those founders identifying as underrepresented people of color and/or women.

13

new investments in 2021, deploying $9.8 million into Health Tech, Climate/Energy Tech, Fintech, EdTech, and People Operations Tech, with over 92% of the founders identifying as underrepresented people of color and/or women.

The Year Ahead

As we face a new year, with continued national dialogues shaping the way we learn, work and coexist, the Kapor Center, Kapor Capital, and SMASH are doubling down on our work — creating a more inclusive technology sector for all. In 2022, we look forward to impacting more lives, fighting for bigger changes and leveling the playing field for all in tech.

Download the 2021 Impact Report