MBA2688 Is Business Harder for People of Color?

What It Covers

Omar Zenhom examines systemic barriers people of color face in business, including funding disparities and networking challenges, while reframing these obstacles as competitive advantages.

Key Questions Answered

• •Capital access disparity: Less than 2% of venture capital goes to Black founders and under 1% to Latino founders, requiring more bootstrapping and longer runways to achieve equivalent results.
• •Perception management tax: Minority entrepreneurs expend significant mental energy managing others' assumptions and code-switching, diverting focus from creativity, growth strategy, and core business operations that competitors dedicate full attention to.
• •Differentiation as power: Unique cultural perspectives and underserved market insights create competitive advantages—build in public, serve overlooked communities, and leverage distinctive backgrounds to become category leaders where others miss opportunities.