Mandela Schumacher-Hodge Dixon

Mandela Schumacher-Hodge Dixon is the founder and leader of Founder Gym, an online training program launched in 2017 to help underrepresented tech founders secure venture capital. Under her direct leadership, the organization has trained more than 440 entrepreneurs who have collectively raised over $55 million in early-stage startup funding. Prior to establishing Founder Gym, she served as the first Director of Portfolio Services at Kapor Capital. She also worked at Startup Weekend before its eventual acquisition by the accelerator Techstars. Her academic credentials include a bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University, a master's degree from Loyola Marymount University, and doctoral studies in urban schooling at UCLA. Dixon's professional background combines early startup operating experience with venture capital administration, maintaining a primary focus on expanding financial access and educational resources for marginalized entrepreneurs navigating the technology ecosystem.