Bridging the Gap Program

Over the past several years, the U.S. has seen a remarkable rise in new business formation—2023 alone saw more than 5.4 million new business applications, a record high and up more than 50% from pre-pandemic levels. While more people than ever are leaping into entrepreneurship, the road to growth is still uneven.

Women now make up nearly half of all new business owners, up from just 29% in 2019. Still, they receive a fraction of the venture capital funding—women-only startup teams raised only about 4% of pre-seed VC capital in 2024, and female founders captured under 20% of total deal value.

For founders of color, the hurdles are even steeper. Black and Latino founders receive around 1-1.5% of total VC funding, and women of color remain dramatically underfunded relative to opportunity, innovation, and population share.

While we celebrate the startups making headlines, true economic mobility—the revival of the middle class—depends on leveling the playing field. At HALL Group, we believe in working toward systemic solutions: expanding access to capital, increasing mentorship and networks, and helping more entrepreneurs from all backgrounds grow with dignity, impact, and sustainability.

Through the Bridge the Gap Program, The Craig and Kathryn Hall Foundation awarded grants totaling $1 million in 2019-20 to non-profit organizations working to bridge the opportunity gap primarily through support, mentorship, or investment in entrepreneurs who face the most difficult systemic challenges to opportunity in our country. The program funded organizations serving entrepreneurs who are women, people of color, and rural residents across our country.

While our Bridging the Gap program is complete, we continue to fund mission-driven grants that support entrepreneurship through annual funding. 

We are not currently accepting new applications for funding.