Jalia Ventures

Jalia Ventures is a $5 million impact investment seed fund co-founded in 2010 by Kesha Cash and serial impact investor Josh Mailman. Based in Oakland, California, the fund was named after a Swahili word meaning 'empowerment' and targeted seed-stage investments in mission-driven companies led by entrepreneurs of color. The fund provided expansion capital to revenue-generating companies with socially responsible or sustainability-focused business models aimed at improving opportunities for underserved Americans. Base investments ranged from $250K to $500K, and the fund aimed to help more than 50 startups owned by people of color to scale. Key portfolio companies include Red Rabbit, a fresh meal service for schools and after-school programs that grew from under $1 million in revenue and 13 employees in 2010 to over $7 million in revenue and 130 employees by 2013. Other investments include Schoolzilla (education data analytics) and ConnXus (supplier diversity software), which was acquired by Coupa Software in 2020 — validating the fund's thesis about the commercial potential of supplier diversity technology. Jalia Ventures served as a proof-of-concept vehicle that established Kesha Cash's track record as a fund manager. After managing Jalia from 2010 to 2013, Cash launched Impact America Fund, which has grown to manage $65 million or more. The fund is recognized as a pioneering vehicle in impact investing for underserved communities and entrepreneurs of color, demonstrating that mission alignment and financial return are not in conflict when capital is directed toward businesses serving under-resourced markets.