MEET THE FOUNDERS

Sherrod Crum, Co-Founder

Sherrod Crum is a Chicago:Blend VC Alum(Cohort 8) and co-founder of Black Men in Venture.

He most recently served as Program Manager at SEED SPOT, where he led incubators and accelerators for early and growth-stage founders across sectors including Mental and Behavioral Health, Retail and CPG, and Future of Work. He expanded programming into new markets nationally and led the design and delivery of youth entrepreneurship curriculum, including the inaugural Social Impact Internship Program. He also taught an investor-readiness series to African entrepreneurs through a partnership with IREX.

Previously he consulted at Boston Consulting Group as the primary strategist on a statewide entrepreneurial development initiative. At sixteen he founded Mission: Scholarship, which has since supported students in securing millions in scholarships.

Sherrod sits on the National Urban League Young Professionals national board and serves as PPD Chair for the Chicago Urban League MetroBoard. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from UNC Chapel Hill with minors in Entrepreneurship and Education.

Demetrius Palmer, Co-Founder

Demetrius Palmer is a Chicago:Blend VC Alum (Cohort 4) and co-founder of Black Men in Venture. He is an investor at Impact Engine, a Chicago venture and private equity firm backing companies driving impact across economic empowerment, education, environmental sustainability, and health, where he works closely with the VP of Fund Investments on fund sourcing and diligence.

Before Impact Engine, Demetrius was a Venture Capital Analyst at Reach Capital, sourcing and evaluating investments and supporting portfolio companies across education and workforce. He built his early-stage foundation through roles at Zeal Capital Partners and the Black Venture Capital Consortium.

Demetrius earned a B.A. in Economics and Community Development from Howard University and an MBA from North Carolina A&T State University.