Eric Collins Interviewed by Matshidiso Mohajane

Leading Black businessman, venture capitalist and host of Channel 4’s The Money Maker Eric Collins says investment in Black and under-represented entrepreneurs is the fastest socio-economic game-changer there is.

Collins provides a 10-point guide to successful entrepreneurship and shows how it is possible to change a system that has helped some but held others back. He argues that long-lasting economic empowerment is the key to solving systemic racism and sexism and the best way to close inequality gaps that have hampered Black people and all women. Collins says he aims to inspire and motivate under-represented people, but he is also demanding that business leaders and organisations do business better.

Collins is co-founder and chief executive of Impact X Capital Partners, a venture capital firm investing in under-represented entrepreneurs in the UK and Europe. He was appointed by President Obama to the Small Business Administration’s Council on Underserved Communities and hosts Channel 4’s award-winning business reality series, The Money Maker. Here he talks to Matshidiso Mohajane, a musician and podcast host of Holding up the Ladder, a podcast about the creative process.

This event is part of the festival’s programme of American literature and culture.