I am thrilled to announce that Stefanie Thomas-Martin has been promoted to Partner at Zeal Capital Partners. This significant milestone marks the firm's first Partner. Stefanie is an exceptional and respected leader both within Zeal, to our founders, and across the venture ecosystem.
I had the privilege of hiring Stefanie in 2023 to lead our Barclays Black Formation Investment (BBFI) vehicle, a $50 million pre-seed pool of capital that bolsters our Inclusive Investing™ strategy. Under her leadership, the team continues to execute the BBFI strategy, screening over 1,000 companies and deploying capital, pre- seed companies first institutional allocation.
In addition to her leadership on the BBFI mandate, Stefanie pioneered our inaugural scout program, a critical initiative designed to train the next generation of diverse venture capitalists and build investment records. The program’s first cohort, after a rigorous recruiting, screening, and selection process, resulted in 16 scouts across the US, UK, and Canada. Scouts were trained in a six-week Zeal masterclass developed through coordinated efforts across the Zeal investment team.
I have had the honor of knowing Stefanie for over 15 years—starting from our days growing up on Wall Street to embarking on our venture careers nearly a decade ago. Stefanie has consistently demonstrated a commitment to our mission and values, a remarkable investment track record that aligns with our mandate. Her work on the BBFI mandate is a prime example of her leadership. As Partner, Stefanie will continue to lead the BBFI strategy, but will also assist me in ensuring the execution of our investment strategies, strengthening our firm brand so we are together attracting the best entrepreneurs and positioning ourselves for future capital raises. She will also join me as an Investment Committee member across all mandates.
Before joining Zeal, Stefanie launched her venture capital career, as an early-stage investor at Impact America Fund (IAF), an institutional venture capital firm that grew from $7M to $110M AUM, with a thesis to drive economic power to communities of color. As IAF’s first employee, Stefanie played an instrumental role in the firm’s earliest Series-A investments, including one led by Andreessen Horowitz. As a Founding Member & Investor at IAF, Stefanie led sourcing, ecosystem building, and deal leadership on 25 financings, spanning pre-seed to Series B.
Prior to her venture capital journey, Stefanie was a Vice President in Citigroup's global banking division, where she managed a $2 billion portfolio of short-term financings for the firm’s export finance and trade businesses. Stefanie holds an MBA from the Ross School at the University of Michigan and a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
We are building a world-class investment platform at Zeal Capital Partners, one with enduring success across fund performance, brand reputation, firm culture, talent retention, LP relationships, and thought leadership. I am excited for what lies ahead for Stefanie and for the firm.
Please join me in congratulating Stefanie on this well-deserved promotion!