Trailblazing Black Leaders in Finance: Honoring Innovators Building an Equitable Economy
2026 marks the 100th year of Black History Month in the United States,¹ and the theme of this years’ event, as designated by The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) is A Century of Black History Commemorations. With this theme ASALH urges us to explore how honoring Black history transforms the status of Black people in the modern world. In 2025, we celebrated Black History month by remembering the accomplishments of Black leaders in finance throughout American history. To honor this 100th anniversary milestone, Veris will shine a light on three of today’s trailblazing Black Fund Managers and the innovative ways they are working to build a more equitable society in 2026.
Apis & Heritage Capital Partners: Philip Reeves and Todd Leverette
Philip Reeves and Todd Leverette are the Founding Partners of Apis & Heritage (A&H) Capital Partners, an investment firm dedicated to closing the racial wealth gap through the power of employee ownership. Using a novel Employee-Led Buyout (ELBO) model, A&H converts profitable, privately-owned businesses into 100% employee-owned enterprises. This model provides low- and moderate-income workers, particularly workers of color, with equity, one of the most powerful wealth-building tools.
Both proud graduates of Morehouse College, an HBCU, the founders bring complementary expertise to their mission: Reeves draws on over a decade of experience in private equity and scaling small businesses, while Leverette brings deep experience in corporate finance and a lifelong dedication to scaling alternative ownership models for the collective good of workers and communities.
Potlikker Capital: Mark Watson
Mark Watson is the Co-founder, President, and Chief Investment Officer of Potlikker Capital, a visionary, farm community-governed charitable fund operating at the critical intersection of racial and climate justice and regenerative agriculture. Under Watson’s stewardship, the organization tackles the systemic isolation and historical disenfranchisement of BIPOC farmers by providing non-extractive, catalytic capital and technical assistance. This support enables farmers to acquire land or equipment and transition to regenerative farming practices, strengthening healthy food ecosystems while building community wealth.
Watson brings over 30 years of extensive financial and investment experience to the fund, having previously co-designed the Boston Impact Initiative Fund and served as Managing Director of the Fair Food Fund.
De-Carceration Fund: Lawrence Williams III
The De-Carceration Fund is an early-stage investment vehicle focused on the ethical disruption of the US criminal justice system. The fund is dedicated to alleviating the suffering caused by mass incarceration by investing in innovative enterprises that aim to prevent entry into the system, reduce suffering for those inside, and end the cycle of recidivism by supporting re-entry. Co-Led by Managing Partner Lawrence Williams III, and an Investment Committee that consists of three returning citizens – Frederick Hutson, CEO of Pigeonly, Taylor Paul, Co-Founder RVA League for Safer Streets, and El Sawyer, Founder of Media in Neighborhood Groups, the fund utilizes a unique model focused on returning power to those from whom it has been taken, seeking to change the economics of a system that disproportionately impacts people of color and socio-economically disadvantaged communities.
Our Continued Commitment
At Veris, we remain steadfast in our commitment to building a more just, equitable, and sustainable world. We envision a financial landscape where all individuals have equal access to capital, credit, and the tools necessary to achieve financial independence.
We aim to help dismantle the traditional risk-assessment frameworks that have historically excluded Black managers and are working to lower systemic barriers to capital. This commitment is deeply intertwined with our Racial and Gender Equity investment theme and our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Due Diligence Framework, which we use to identify fund managers who intentionally invest in under-resourced communities and center equity at all levels of their organizations.
By intentionally seeking out innovative and talented fund managers who are too often overlooked by traditional capital, we believe that we can help grow lasting wealth in communities of color. Veris firmly believes that diversifying the decision-makers who allocate capital is not just a moral imperative, but a critical step in fostering a truly inclusive and regenerative economy for all.
Learn more
- Explore Veris’ Report on Investing in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
- Apis & Heritage and Potlikker Capital, including an interview with Mark Watson are featured in our 2023 Impact Report.
- Potlikker Capital was also profiled in Veris’ report launching our Just Transition Framework.
- De-Carceration Fund is featured in our firm’s 2025 Impact Report.
References
- https://asalh.org/black-history-month/about/
Disclaimer
Veris Wealth Partners (“Veris”) recommends to its clients, as appropriate, one or more of the investment funds and enterprises led by the professionals highlighted in this communication. The mention of these fund managers and their organizations in this communication is for informational and educational purposes and should not be construed as personalized investment advice or recommendations.
