Director, Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Candide Group; Oakland (CA); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Profit-sharing bonuses

Professional development funds

401K plan

Job summary

Candide Group is seeking a senior investment professional focused on Inclusive Entrepreneurship. You will source opportunities, conduct rigorous due diligence, and oversee a diverse portfolio to balance financial return with social impact.

Based in a role that blends independent work with collaboration across teams, the position involves occasional travel and engagement with external partners and investors within a remote-friendly, Bay Area–leaning setup.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities.
• Deep commitment to expanding pathways to generational wealth through entrepreneurship and inclusive finance.
• Proven ability in impact diligence and financial analysis.

Responsibilities

• Proactively source and evaluate investment opportunities for Inclusive Entrepreneurship.
• Conduct in-depth research to build a robust investment pipeline and coordinate across initiatives.
• Assess impact strategies and identify needs for entrepreneurs and community-based businesses.

Skills

Investment sourcing

Due diligence

Impact analysis

Portfolio monitoring

Job description

Candide Group leverages capital to support the transition away from an extractive global economy to one rooted in social justice and sustainability. We work with families, foundations, and other clients who want to align their money with these values, managing 100% impact portfolios that may include direct deals, venture and private equity funds, and innovative structures in addition to cash, public equities, debt funds, real assets, and more. Our work spans multiple sectors and geographies with a US emphasis. 98% of the companies and funds in which we facilitate investments had BIPOC, women and gender-expansive people represented in leadership as of our latest impact report. Since inception, we have directed over $299M into over 170 private companies and funds, reflecting our strong commitment to equity and inclusion both within our team and in the organizations we support.

We recognize that achieving our vision requires pursuing multiple strategies, from transformative investing to active advocacy, campaign participation, and public engagement. As we continue to grow, we are deepening relationships with families, foundations, and institutions who want their capital working for justice, and we encourage candidates to review our portfolio page for examples of the projects and funds we champion.

About this Position

Since the founding of Candide Group in 2013, we have taken a broad impact approach that was designed to be responsive to the world's evolving needs, in constant conversation with affected communities to set priorities. In 2024, we realized that we could better organize, conduct, and communicate our work through four thematic areas or "verticals" of impact, while keeping an openness to emergent strategies. These include Home and Place, Employee Ownership, Climate Justice, and Inclusive Entrepreneurship. We cut across these verticals with intersectional lenses, as we seek to support individuals and communities who have experienced the harms of extractive finance.

With regards to Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Candide Group understands that we can advance equity by using capital as a tool for economic justice by expanding opportunity, strengthening local businesses, building generational wealth, and supporting entrepreneurs and communities historically excluded from traditional financing.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Proactively source and evaluate investment opportunities around our Inclusive Entrepreneurship vertical that align with Candide's financial and impact objectives.
• Conduct in-depth research to develop and maintain a robust investment pipeline, while collaborating with colleagues to ensure integration across initiatives.
• Conduct deep and nuanced assessments of impact strategies in the Inclusive Entrepreneurship vertical, identifying critical needs for entrepreneurs, small business owners and community-based businesses while assessing the potential contribution of innovative fund strategies toward addressing those needs.
• Lead comprehensive due diligence and underwriting across asset types (e.g., venture, loan funds, community development financial institutions, private equity and private debt), ensuring both financial and impact outcomes are met.
• Independently draft high-quality investment memorandums with strong analytical support and attention to detail.

Fund & Vehicle Development

• Contribute to the ideation and design, structuring, and potential launch of an Inclusive Entrepreneurship fund and/or investment vehicle.
• If launched, oversee fundraising efforts, investor engagement, and capital deployment strategies to ensure alignment between capital, portfolio performance, and long-term impact.

Thought Leadership & Strategic Engagement

• Lead comprehensive analysis of the impact vertical and continuously track and monitor the market and policy issues most pertinent to advancing the cause of inclusive entrepreneurship.
• Develop and share insights through quarterly commentaries, impact reporting, and other Candide communications.
• Represent Candide as a leading Inclusive Entrepreneurship practitioner and contributor at conferences, industry events, and client engagements.
• Build a community of interested followers that could be prospective partner investors or stakeholders in the space.
• Support the ongoing monitoring and performance management of a diverse portfolio of legacy investments in this vertical (15-20 active funds)
• Collaborate with the investment team to identify risks, track impact and financial performance, and ensure timely reporting.

Travel may be required (approximately 15%).

A Candidate likely to thrive in this role

• Brings 7+ years of experience in sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities, with the ability to conduct research and build a robust pipeline aligned to financial and impact objectives.
• Has a deep commitment for expanding pathways to generational wealth through entrepreneurship and an understanding of the financing solutions (and gaps) for underrepresented entrepreneurs looking to start and grow businesses, whether they are local 'Main Street' businesses or fast-growth venture-backed ones.
• Possesses demonstrated ability in impact diligence and financial analysis, with strong skills in assessing community needs and evaluating impact strategies.
• Has demonstrated success in leading due diligence and underwriting across a range of asset classes, such as venture, blended capital structures, private equity and private debt funds.
• Demonstrates experience or interest and capability in integrating grassroots and community perspectives into investment diligence and underwriting.
• Communicates findings effectively through well-crafted investment memoranda and client presentations that combine analytical rigor with clear recommendations.
• Demonstrates the ability to contribute Inclusive Entrepreneurship thought leadership, including writing commentary and impact reports, and representing investment themes at industry events and conferences.
• Can support or lead a fund or vehicle development, including structuring, fundraising, capital deployment and ongoing management, if such a vehicle is launched.
• Excels in portfolio monitoring and performance management, identifying risks and ensuring alignment of financial returns with impact outcomes.
• Communicates effectively across diverse viewpoints and lived experiences, engaging with respect and empathy.
• Operates as a self-starter, comfortable working independently while maintaining high standards for quality and rigor.

Location

While our team works remotely on a regular basis, onsite meetings in Oakland, California are required from time to time. We would prefer someone based in the Bay Area.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $165,000-$190,000. Within that range, offers will be made in alignment with each candidate’s directly applicable skills and experience, to ensure both fairness and consistency. Additionally, we offer standard benefits such as health insurance, profit-sharing bonuses, staff professional development funds, and an employer-contributed socially responsible 401K plan. We also provide a generous PTO package, including two full weeks of office closure annually in addition to standard holidays and PTO days.

Candide Group, LLC is an equal opportunity employer and places a high value on workforce diversity. Candide Group, LLC does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.