The BSV Story

The underlying cause of the problem was obvious: Oklahoma-based startups weren’t getting the attention of the country’s leading venture capital firms based on the East and West Coasts, and the VCs based in Oklahoma were few in number and small in stature. James and Jeff saw only one viable solution: to found a VC firm that would be based in Oklahoma – OU’s hometown of Norman, to be specific – and be the only VC firm to focus primarily on Oklahoma-connected startups. In 2021, after six years of extensive study and planning, they opened Boyd Street Ventures. And in 2022, they launched our Fund I and moved into their current headquarters located across the street from OU in the former home of the legendary Harold’s clothing store, where James had worked as an OU student.

A Passion for Diversity

Another important way we differ from other VCs is our passionate dedication to diversity. In addition to having a Black General Partner, significant percentages of our Management Team, our Strategic and OU Advisory Boards, our Investment Committee members and our portfolio company founders are minorities and/or females.

Embracing diversity isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s also the smart thing to do: McKinsey & Company* studies have repeatedly documented that companies with highly diverse management teams are significantly more profitable than other companies.

Embracing diversification is also the smart thing to do when it comes to managing your portfolio. Investing in a VC fund can be a smart way to diversify. And we believe investing in a fund managed by a groundbreaking VC like Boyd Street Ventures is an especially smart way to diversify.