Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson

CEO
VC Include

Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson is a recognized innovator of new avenues for VC and Impact investment. Her expertise in leading technology, investment and social impact initiatives culminated in creating VC Include (VCI) in 2018. VCI was created because she didn't see any platforms specifically cultivating the type of undervalued, outperforming product led by diverse managers that would drive alpha and innovation in Private Equity and Alternative Investments over the next 30 years.

With just 1% of the $70 Trillion of assets in the U.S. managed by diverse asset managers, VC Include meets this market opportunity by building an ecosystem of women, Black, Latinx, Indigenous and LGBTQ+ managers in alternative investments.

Born in Palo Alto, California, and raised between NYC and central California, Robinson’s expertise is enriched by real-life and professional practice and demonstrates an aptitude for building and managing a matrix of high-level partnerships. She expanded the first online technology competitions and conferences in Africa, partnering with The U.S. Department of State, The World Bank, Microsoft, Mozilla and Nokia to provide early-stage capital to the first wave of technology entrepreneurs throughout the continent. At Ashoka, she devised value-added propositions for clients including Exxon Mobil, G20, AMGEN, The Ebay Foundation, HUD, Google and Omidyar Network. She launched Young Art Collector in 2012 to connect art collectors with artists within the African Diaspora.

Robinson was a former Co-chair with the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs, and is a graduate of University of California, Davis. Her work has been recognized by the Knight Foundation, Echoing Green, Entrepreneur, CNN and Forbes.