To foster a sense of belonging and connect team members (who work in 38 states) by creating employee resource groups. 

U.S. Venture recently launched a network of resource groups to serve as the next culture-building initiative. The purpose of these employee-led groups is to foster the development of a diverse and inclusive workplace, grow a sense of community across the organization, and to encourage cross-divisional collaboration. Each network strives to provide leadership development opportunities and achieve group-specific goals that support its individual mission. Two groups were launched at the start: a women's network called SHE Ventures, and a young professional's network called YP Ventures. Later in 2019, a veteran's network will launch called Service Ventures. Each network plans to hold quarterly meetings featuring speakers and networking opportunities. 

In the six months since launch, SHE Ventures has surveyed participants and identified 10 key areas most important to its members. Current SHE Ventures membership includes 30% of U.S. Venture's female population; current YP Ventures membership includes 31% of U.S. Venture's young professional population. Groups have held their inaugural events and are collaborating on a joint-event focusing on entrepreneurial social innovation. 

Lori Hoersch