Diane Cornman-Levy brings over 30 years as a nonprofit leader and community organizer to venture capital, carrying an explicitly activist leadership identity into investing where she publicly frames her work as challenging systems like white supremacy and racism. She helped co-create Phirst Market Ventures as part of a broader Gender Wealth Institute strategy that fuses a venture fund with an in-house think tank and advocacy arm, using a blended nonprofit-for-profit model where catalytic grants convert into discounted SAFE notes and patient equity once companies hit milestones.

• Dedication to economic equity and closing the gender wealth gap, frequently highlighting systemic disparities such as the significant wage difference for Latinas compared to white men during Latina Equal Pay Day.
• Deep interest in criminal justice reform and reentry support for women and LGBTQIA+ individuals, evidenced by the promotion of the Beyond the Razor Wire Fence podcast which features stories of healing and post-release life.
• Focus on community-led activism and neighborhood empowerment, sharing insights from organizations like Philly Bolt that encourage residents to drive local change and dismantle oppressive systems.
• Appreciation for literature and storytelling that amplifies women's voices, specifically through the annual Book Prize events which recently honored Sadeqa Johnson for her novel The House of Eve.
• Advocacy for civic engagement and protecting democratic rights, actively sharing resources for voter registration and the Election Protection Hotline to ensure marginalized voices are heard at the ballot box.
• Commitment to practical professional development for women, offering resources like virtual negotiation workshops designed to help individuals advance their careers and secure better pay.