Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Folsom.
Kim Folsom is the co-founder and CEO of Founders First Capital Partners, LLC, (FFCP) a revenue-based investment and advisory support investment platform. FFCP is the largest private provider of growth funding for service-based businesses and the only minority and women-led, revenue-based venture platform with $100M in committed capital. FFCP is focused on partnering with employer-based, contract revenue generating small businesses ($250K to $5M), to provide them with flexible and non-dilutive funding, expertise and resources to achieve exponential growth in underserved communities. Since their founding in 2015 the firm has provided funding and growth support to over 200 companies.
As a social entrepreneur, Ms. Folsom is dedicated to leveraging the power of market forces and sound business practices to address disparities in revenue and job growth among businesses led by underrepresented founders. She has raised more than $30 million in institutional venture financing, created over 500 premium wage jobs and has founded or served as a key executive for multiple successful ventures, including showUhow (acquired by Sellpoints), DriveCam (now Lytx) and Seminarsource. Before devoting her energies to entrepreneurship, Ms. Folsom was an executive at National Dispatch Center, Luce Forward and Alltel Systematics and Great American First.
As part of her mission to help entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses, Ms. Folsom teaches as an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship and business strategy at National University School of Business and Management. She earned her MBA degree from the University of Pepperdine and a bachelor’s degree in information systems a minor in economics from San Diego State University. As part of her commitment to ensure diverse future tech leadership, Ms. Folsom co-founded a STEM and Robotics enrichment program to benefit underrepresented middle school children living in Southern California.
Has it been a smooth road?
I have always been a square pleg trying to fit into a round hole. They are always lots of friction as I have advanced in my entrepreneurial journey but I have been able to learn quickly and build the right relationships to advance my mission and objectives.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Founders First Capital Partners story. Tell us more about the business.
Our company is focused on growing and funding “main street” businesses that have been ignored or underappreciated by the traditional funding resources. We have created a unique innovative eco-system that incorporates a structured educational experience, flexible and non-dilutive growth capital as well as advisory support services to provide a path for service-based businesses to expand to mid-market. Our structured programs are uniquely designed to meet the growth requirements of companies depending on their annual revenues. We specified working with companies that are either service-based or commerical manufacturers. We’ve worked with more than 200 companies since our founding and have been so impressed with their performance.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We support the largest segment of companies and the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs, those that are women, ethnic minorities, military veterans, LGBTQ communities and those located in low to moderate income areas.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.foundersfirstcapitalpartners.com
- Phone: 858.264.4102
- Email: [email protected]
- Twitter: @f1stcp
Image Credit:
Founders First Capital Partners
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