“It Has To Be An Us System, Not A Me System”
Joining us today on Life Style Business was Stephanie Copeland; a Partner at Four Points Funding LLC, which is actively raising and deploying diversified Opportunity Zone funds across Colorado's emerging communities. She is also the CEO of The Governance Project, which seeks to accelerate public policy solutions at the state and local level. Stephanie believes in using Opportunity Zones to spur growth in underserved communities, but financial investment isn’t enough. During this episode, she laid out the “three pillars” necessary to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Vibrant and attractive communities need basic infrastructure, such as access to water and the internet, essential amenities, such as education and healthcare, and social capital, such as art museums and restaurants. These pillars provide the foundation for a successful, self-perpetuating entrepreneurial ecosystem. However, convincing ultra-rich PE and VC investors to commit capital toward this model is a challenge as they are used to safer, more conventional investments that still yield significant returns. Why would they change strategies when the current system works so effectively for them? Well, in Stephanie Copeland’s own words, “It has to be an us system, not a me system.” In her vision, the ultra-wealthy will trust intermediaries to perform due diligence in underserved communities and invest on their behalf because the intermediaries will be familiar with the region where they operate. This process would fundamentally change how creators fund their projects and provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to create transformative products and services that create value. As a result, these communities will see rises in income that translate into generational wealth, which will help our country address socioeconomic inequalities The initial VC and PE investors will share in this growth, which should outpace the market because this new system will tap into even more potential and ingenuity. Therefore, Stephanie stresses how this approach is not only ideal for budding creators, but also desirable for investors craving competitive returns.