Our Story
Blackbird Strategy Group is a capital markets strategy firm dedicated to helping executives create equitable pathways to a continuum of capital, connectivity, and resources. The firm delivers innovative community- and data-centered solutions to build wealth, agency, and strong ecosystems to close the racial wealth gap and advance economic security, abundance, and sustainable generational wealth and well-being.
The impact of the recent global pandemic and racial awakening provided an opportunity to more transparently discuss, disclose, and distribute intentional resources to address wide-spread systemic disparities that disproportionally impact communities of color, particularly the Black community. Blackbird Strategy Group’s founder, Latresa McLawhorn Ryan, served on the forefront during this period of social and economic reckoning to share resources, capital, and connectivity to address systemic barriers and create pathways for prosperity for all, but she observed there was a persistent missing element.
As she partnered and served as a trusted advisor to a broad range of stakeholders, Latresa engaged deeply with community and consistently remained proximate to those working on the ground nationally and internationally to support her efforts to identify the disparities, highlight the root causes, and design grounded, data-centered solutions. While there has been notable and inspired momentum to broaden access and opportunity through critical resources like technical assistance, dedicated tools, and business development relationships, Latresa recognized, and data supports, if we are to move forward with any meaningful and sustainable impact we must vastly expand equitable access to capital to address the racial wealth gap and dynamically increase economic opportunity.
She observed that people may be educated, exposed, and well-positioned to take full advantage of a broad range of opportunities, but if they do not have the capital they need to execute they cannot move forward. Latresa witnessed this reality over and over again and served as a defacto investment banker to help bridge the persistent gap. She also observed, through years of quiet conversations, that capital providers often desired to broaden access to capital but needed their own technical assistance to learn about best practices, innovative strategies, and the most impactful ways to engage with the communities they hope to serve.
Accordingly, Blackbird Strategy Group serves as both a bridge and nucleus connecting an ecosystem for a continuum of capital to transition equitable capital from those who desire to provide it to those who need it to create pathways for economic security, shared prosperity, and abundant thriving communities.