William Crowder

Overview

William Crowder is an angel investor based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a focus on e-commerce, enterprise software, and digital media sectors. He is the founder and managing partner of Aperture Venture Capital, a firm dedicated to investing in startups leveraging financial innovation to help businesses and individuals thrive. Prior to founding Aperture, Crowder spent a decade investing in diverse founders across the United States. He began his venture capital career in 2011 as a partner at Dreamit Ventures, a pre-seed accelerator headquartered in Philadelphia. At Dreamit, he spearheaded a joint effort with Comcast to invest in and support founders of color, leading to investments in nearly 40 companies with diverse founders over five years. Concurrently, he built the nation’s first corporate-backed venture fund with a diversity emphasis at Comcast Ventures. As the lead investor for the Comcast Ventures Catalyst Fund, Crowder led investments in companies such as Partpic (acquired by Amazon), Squire, Cuyana, and AptDeco. In 2017, he joined Morgan Stanley to create a new accelerator experience for multicultural founders, serving as the Multicultural Innovation Lab’s first Entrepreneur in Residence until 2021. Before his venture capital career, Crowder was a management consultant, software developer, and entrepreneur. He holds a BS and MS in Computer Science from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He currently resides in the Philadelphia area and leads Aperture VC’s east coast office. Crowder's investment strategy emphasizes supporting diverse founders and fostering inclusive entrepreneurship. At Dreamit Ventures, he led the Dreamit Access program, which included minority-led startups in each class, formalizing a program developed the previous year. This initiative aimed to find great people with great ideas, regardless of their background. His work at Comcast Ventures further solidified his commitment to diversity, with the Catalyst Fund making over 70 investments in entrepreneurs of color. His portfolio includes several high-growth companies, such as Cuyana, AptDeco, Maker’s Row, Partpic, and LiveNinja. Crowder's efforts have been recognized by Silicon Republic, which named him one of the “Great People Spearheading Change in Tech Investment,” and by the Case Foundation, which recognized him as an “Inclusive Entrepreneurship Champion.” In addition to his professional achievements, Crowder has been involved in various initiatives to support minority entrepreneurs. He has served as a partner at Dreamit Ventures, a pre-seed venture firm and global startup accelerator where he coached over 100 upstart companies. Before becoming an investor, he founded a strategy and business development company that specialized in guiding traditional media companies into the digital world. He formerly led strategic efforts at AOL, Thomson Reuters, and Radio One and was a strategy consultant at Mercer Management Consulting. Crowder's diverse background and commitment to inclusive entrepreneurship have made him a significant figure in the venture capital industry, particularly in supporting underrepresented founders.

Investment Focus

• Diverse Founders
• Innovative Business Models
• Scalable Solutions

Portfolio Companies