The Power of Reparative Investing with Jessica Norwood

In this episode, Denise sits down with Jessica Norwood, founder of Runway and one of the most visionary financial activists working today, to explore what it really means to move money in "right relationship" — and why reparative capital may be the blueprint for the economy we actually want to live in. Jessica unpacks why the traditional venture capital model was never built for Black entrepreneurs, women founders, or community-rooted businesses...and what she did about it. From pioneering the "believe-in-you money" framework (the pre-seed capital that friends-and-family wealth was always supposed to represent) to sending $1,000/month to 80 portfolio companies with no payback required at the height of COVID-19, Jessica and Runway are proving that a different system is not only possible, it's already working. In this conversation, you'll hear:  Why the only real indicator of wealth is already having it — and what that means for who gets to build generational wealth in America What reparative capital actually looks like in practice: patient debt, community-led loan committees, and a Funders Manifesto that flips the power dynamic  How Runway kept 100% of its portfolio companies open during the pandemic with a radical UBI experiment  Why most businesses should never have pursued venture capital in the first place  The advice every founder needs before they walk into a capital conversation Jessica Norwood is a Center for Economic Democracy Fellow, a Harvard Hip Hop Archive Political Power Fellow, and has been profiled in Fast Company, the New York Times, and Essence Magazine. Her work has been called "medicine for modern philanthropy and investment." If you've ever felt like the system wasn't built for you — this episode is proof that someone is already building a better one. You can find Jessica Norwood and Runway at runway.family, @jessicanorwood, and @runway.family You can follow this podcast @toomuchwithdlh and Denise @deniselovehewett