Chingona Ventures

Chingona Ventures is a pioneering seed-stage venture capital fund founded in 2020 and based in Chicago, with a distinctive focus on investing in diverse and overlooked founders, particularly Latina entrepreneurs. Founded by Samara Mejia Hernandez, the firm addresses the significant funding gap faced by Latina founders, who receive less than 0.4% of venture capital funding despite representing a growing segment of business owners. The fund's name 'Chingona' embraces the Spanish slang term meaning 'badass woman,' reflecting the firm's mission to back bold, ambitious founders who are often underestimated by traditional venture capital. Chingona Ventures typically writes checks between $50K to $500K in pre-seed and seed rounds, focusing on consumer, enterprise, fintech, and digital health companies. The firm provides more than just capital, offering extensive mentorship, network access, and operational support tailored to the unique challenges faced by underrepresented founders. Chingona Ventures represents a new generation of venture capital funds that recognize both the untapped potential and outsized returns possible when investing in diverse founding teams, while actively working to create more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems.