Meet the 5th ARC Fellowship Cohort
10 Fund Managers Advancing Regenerative Capital
We’re excited to announce the launch of our 5th ARC Fellowship cohort, welcoming 10 exceptional fund managers to our community of practice. This milestone represents five years of the ARC Fellowship (formerly our Emerging Fund Manager Cohort Program) supporting emerging and established fund managers who are designing and launching funds that prioritize community ownership, economic justice, and climate sustainability.
The ARC Fellowship is a hands-on, peer-driven education program that provides fellows with expert-led learning, peer support, access to catalytic capital, and a lifelong community of practice. Each cohort brings together fund managers at various stages of their journey—from those conceptualizing their first fund to experienced managers expanding their impact focus.
Meet the Fall 2025 Cohort
This diverse group of fund managers represents innovative approaches to impact-first investing across sectors and geographies:
First Fire Fund
From Turtle Island Community Capital invests in Indigenous economic sovereignty, clean energy, and community resilience through culturally grounded, systems-level finance.
Fellows: Alexander Sterling & Autumn Beaudoin
First Sovereign Capital
Where capital meets community and culture; 1st Sovereign Capital is dedicated to serving Native American entrepreneurs, families, and Nations across the United States, with a focus on Tribal communities that have historically been excluded from conventional capital markets.
Fellow: Nicole Johnny
Globeville Elyria Swansea Community Investment Fund
The GES Community Investment Fund (CIF) Strategic Planning Retreat brought together board members and community stakeholders to align on core values, strategic priorities, and future investments.
Fellow: Shannon Hoffman
Hive Mind Community Investment Co-op
Their mission is to improve the quality of life of those most directly impacted by rapid racialized displacement in Northeast Georgia. Hive Mind does this through a public benefit vehicle, taking in impact funding to fuel projects such as maintaining our network of community gardens, self defense classes, political education, emergency relief for workers of color and our cooperative capital vehicle.
Fellows: Charli Coleman, Imani Scott-Blackwell, Matthew Epperson
Memphis Future Fund
From The Big We is a multi-billion blended-capital platform backing Black innovation, culture-rooted real estate, and community enterprises—pairing capital, capacity, and storytelling to build lasting Memphis wealth.
Fellows: Anasa Troutman, Robert Baker, Younousse Boucher
Moore Impact Fund
From Moore Philanthropy is rooted in reversing the lack of investment in communities of color by ensuring that changemakers can access the support and financial tools to create systemic change, build influence, and foster generational wealth.
Fellows: Monica Lewis & Yvonne Moore
People’s Network for Land & Liberation Fund
The mission of PNLL is to decommodify the land to reestablish the right relationship with the earth and all of our relatives and relations. We aim to advance democratic ownership of the means of production and liberatory social relationships.
Fellows: Blair Evans, David Cobb, Edget Betru, Emily Kawano, Kali Akuno
The Fund for Jobs Worth Owning
From the ICA Group is a nonprofit, mission-driven community lender serving worker-owned businesses that create high quality jobs.The Fund for Jobs Worth Owning changes workers’ lives by building institutions that center worker voice, grow worker wealth, and build worker power.
Fellows: Chris Carley & Jonathan Ward
The Working Within Fund for Social Entrepreneurs A catalytic fund providing revenue-based growth capital to nonprofits with earned income strategies, strengthening financial resilience, advancing sustainability, and deepening community impact.
Fellow: Charlyn Moss
Southern Resilient LAND (Legacy and Nature Defense) Fund
Seeks to bridge capital and community by addressing both land injustice and climate resilience. It is grounded in a commitment to transition land ownership and control into mission-aligned stewardship models while delivering modest, mission-aligned financial returns. The Southern Resilient LAND Fund is a joint venture between the Croatan Institute and Rural Beacon Initiative.
Fellows: Christi Electris, John Fenderson, Stu Dalheim, William J. Barber III
Building the Future of Regenerative Capital
The ARC Fellowship curriculum combines expert-led workshops with peer learning sessions, covering everything from fund strategy and operations to impact measurement and investor relations. Fellows gain access to our network of experienced fund managers, impact investors, and sector experts who serve as mentors and advisors throughout the program.
What sets the ARC Fellowship apart is its emphasis on community building and long-term relationships. Alumni from previous cohorts continue to collaborate and support each other’s journeys long after graduation. This network effect amplifies the impact of each individual fund and strengthens the broader ecosystem of impact-first investing.
Over the past four cohorts, ARC Fellowship alumni have launched new funds, raised millions in mission-aligned capital, and begun deploying it into communities too often excluded by traditional finance. Their work includes investing in affordable housing, climate justice initiatives, worker- and community-owned businesses, small business lending, and other strategies that build long-term community wealth and power.
Looking Ahead
Sessions for this cohort begin this month, with programming continuing through early 2026. Fellows will participate in bi-weekly learning sessions, peer working groups, and individual coaching calls designed to accelerate their fund development and launch processes.
As we celebrate this 5th cohort, we also look ahead with hope and urgency. The demand for impact-first funds is growing—and so is the need for fund managers who are rooted in community and ready to move capital differently. If you share this vision, we invite you to join us in shaping future cohorts of the ARC Fellowship.
Interested in future ARC Fellowship cohorts? Applications for the next cohort will open in summer 2026. We welcome applications from fund managers at all stages who are committed to advancing community ownership, economic justice, and climate sustainability through their investment strategies. Learn more about the program.
For more information about the ARC Fellowship or to connect with our team, contact our Director of Education & Partnerships, Shavon Prophet.
The ARC Fellowship is supported by Wells Fargo and is part of BII’s broader commitment to building an inclusive and equitable impact investing ecosystem.
