HeyJaredMelissa Bradley
Melissa L. Bradley is a two-time exited founder, impact investor, and Professor of Practice at Georgetown University. She is a GP at 1863 and BEA Venture Funds, investing in founders closing the wealth gap and advancing inclusive capitalism.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 14
- Latest publication
- Sep 30, 2026
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 21, 2026
Latest issues
The Paper Was Never the Point (opens the original)
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I have been saying this for years, sometimes in rooms where people did not want to hear it. The value of the degree, the paper itself, stopped tracking with its value in the market a long time ago. We kept paying for it anyway, and by we, I mean families, taxpayers, the federal government, and a whole generation of students carrying loans for credentials the labor market was already starting to discount.Now the bill has come due, and it came faster than most people inside academia planned for.
Who Pays for Progress? (opens the original)
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I have been on the road a lot this year, which means I have spent a lot of time in the back of Ubers and Lyfts, in cities I know well and in cities where I couldn’t tell you which way is north. And I have a habit. I ask the driver how long they have been driving. Then I ask why. And then, if the ride is long enough and the conversation feels right, I ask the question I care about the most, which is whether it’s worth it.People are generous with their answers, more than you would expect from a st
We Reached Parity. Now Let's Build Something We Can Sell. (opens the original)
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I want to start with a celebration, because we don’t do that enough and this one is earned.On September 17, the SBA Office of Advocacy released its 2026 Small Business Profiles. Using the most recent Census data, it counts about 4.59 million Black-owned businesses in this country, which is 13 percent of all small businesses. Among businesses with no employees, Black owners hold 14.4 percent. Black Americans are 14.4 percent of the population, so that’s an exact match.Think about what that means.
We Should Not Need a Massacre (opens the original)
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I voted that morning. The vote was never counted.Polls opened at six. It was a primary day in New York, Michael Bloomberg’s name was on the ballot, and my polling place in Harlem sat between my apartment and the train. I had a breakfast meeting at the World Trade Center. I had time. I stopped. I voted. I remember the ordinariness of it more than anything else. A Tuesday. A ballot. A train.If you have never voted in Harlem early on a weekday, you have missed something. Folding tables. Poll worker
The Builders Are Leaving (opens the original)
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Cassandra Wilson died on September 2 at her home in Jackson, Mississippi. She was 70. Gloria Steinem died the next day at her home in New York. She was 92. I had the honor and pleasure to be in the presence of Gloria Steinem many times - from Beijing to the comfort of her home. And, I have watched and listened to Cassandra Wilson for years.Two women. Two industries. One week.Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.<form class="subscription-widg
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