Prince Hall Freemasonry
1784 · Multi-community · Fraternal society
Fraternal organization with parallel Black and white jurisdictions in the United States due to historical segregation. Prince Hall masonry serves Black American members since 1784.
Our place in an American tradition
We are not the first. We will not be the last.
Every community in American history that needed infrastructure the broader society was not building has built it themselves. The record is 240 years long. NewBWS continues it.
The record
A pattern as old as the country itself.
The Free African Society was founded in Philadelphia in 1787 — one of the first American mutual aid societies of any kind. The Ancient Order of Hibernians organized in 1836 to support Irish Catholic immigrants facing discrimination. The Sons of Italy formed in 1905. German, Polish, Czech, and Slovak fraternal societies operated by the hundreds through the late nineteenth century. Chinese and Japanese lending circles pooled capital when American banks refused to serve immigrant communities. UJA-Federation of New York has served the Jewish community since 1917 and is the world’s largest local philanthropy.
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund has awarded $756 million to more than 65,000 scholars since 1975. The National Society of Black Engineers serves 24,000 members across 600 chapters globally. The Human Rights Campaign, founded in 1980, is the largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization in the country. Chief, a professional network for women executives, has been valued at over a billion dollars. The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal benefit society founded in 1882, has more than two million members and over $100 billion in insurance in force.
The pattern is unambiguous. Every community in America that has faced exclusion has organized its own infrastructure. That infrastructure has strengthened America, not divided it.
Our place in it
Where NewBWS sits.
The Black capital ecosystem in America represents $253 billion of circulating capital, hundreds of Black-led investment funds, thousands of founders, and the professionals and institutions that move capital within it. The ecosystem exists. Infrastructure built for it does not. That is what NewBWS is building.
Our members are Black professionals, investors, founders, operators, and the institutions that move capital in this ecosystem — along with allies and partners who share the mission. There is no racial test. There is a mission. People aligned with it are welcome.
NewBWS is organized for the Black investment ecosystem. It is organized against no one.
What makes this infrastructure different
Built to be unsellable.
Every previous attempt at building Black-focused digital infrastructure followed the same trajectory. A platform launches. It takes venture capital. It optimizes for an exit. It gets acquired, sunset, or pivoted into something the community never asked for. The pattern is well documented.
NewBWS is structured to make that pattern impossible. Community-funded through Wefunder Regulation CF. Owned by members. Governed by a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation charter. Protected by a golden share with an irrevocable veto against sale against community interest, behavioral advertising, behavioral tracking, and venture capital dilution.
If this works, it works for our community. If it fails, it fails without enriching anyone who was never part of our community in the first place.
The standard we hold ourselves to
In 1963, Dr. King named the standard: the content of one’s character, not the color of one’s skin. We hold ourselves to that standard.
Judge NewBWS by what we build, how we govern it, who we serve, and whether we keep our commitments. That is the record we intend to leave.
Questions we have been asked
Fifteen questions, answered.
01
Is NewBWS racist?
No. Racism requires animus toward another race. NewBWS is organized for a community, not against one. Organizing for one’s own community is a two-hundred-forty-year-old American tradition practiced by Irish, Italian, German, Polish, Jewish, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Mexican, Cuban, Haitian, Catholic, Mormon, Muslim, LGBTQ+, women, veterans, disabled Americans, and dozens of other communities. The record shows this tradition strengthens America.
02
Is NewBWS separatist?
No. A separatist organization rejects integration with the broader society. NewBWS exists entirely within American civil society. Our members work at mainstream firms. Our legal structure is a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation. Our capital raise is an SEC-regulated Regulation CF offering. Our members pay taxes, vote, and participate fully in American life. We are a professional network, not a withdrawal from anything.
03
Does NewBWS exclude white people?
NewBWS welcomes allies and partners aligned with the mission. Members include the Black professionals, investors, founders, and operators who form the core ecosystem, along with people from other communities who want to participate in building this infrastructure. The orientation is toward the Black investment ecosystem. Membership is not a racial test.
04
If a white-focused network existed, would that be acceptable?
The question assumes parity between Black and white experience in America that does not reflect the historical record. Every ethnic and cultural group in America has organized its own communal infrastructure when it faced specific circumstances that broader institutions did not address. Irish Catholics organized against anti-Catholic discrimination. Jewish communities organized after generations of exclusion from professional networks and capital. Women organized after being shut out of executive tracks. The Black investment ecosystem has specific circumstances that existing infrastructure does not serve. NewBWS addresses those. A parallel organization for a community that has not faced systemic exclusion would be addressing a different problem.
05
Why call it New Black Wall Street?
Black Wall Street — the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma — was the most economically successful Black community in early twentieth-century America. In 1921, it was destroyed in eighteen hours by a white mob. Calling this network New Black Wall Street names the inheritance and the rebuilding. The name is historical, not provocative.
06
Is the Black investment ecosystem actually $253 billion?
Yes. The figure reflects Black-owned business revenue, Black-led investment fund assets, and Black professional and institutional capital. The ecosystem is documented. Infrastructure built for it is not.
07
What is the golden share and why does it matter for this question?
A golden share is a special class of equity with defined veto rights. The NewBWS golden share blocks five specific actions by any majority owner: sale of the company against community interest, introduction of programmatic or behavioral advertising, sale or licensing of member behavioral data, use of AI to target or manipulate members, and raising venture capital equity that would override the public benefit charter. The golden share cannot be overridden by any amount of capital. It is the structural answer to the question of what keeps this from becoming another extractive platform.
08
What prevents NewBWS from being radicalized or misused?
The same governance structure that prevents the company from being sold for profit also prevents it from being captured politically. The Delaware Public Benefit Corporation charter defines the public benefit: serving the Black capital ecosystem through professional networking, education, and economic infrastructure. Actions outside that charter are a breach of fiduciary duty to shareholders. The golden share blocks structural pivots. Quarterly member reviews provide transparency. The company is measurable by its own documented standards.
09
Who decides what the “Black investment ecosystem” is?
The ecosystem is defined by who participates in it — Black professionals, investors, founders, operators, institutions moving Black capital, and the allies working alongside them. NewBWS does not adjudicate Blackness. It builds infrastructure and invites participation from those aligned with the mission.
10
Isn’t this just another venture-funded startup with a cultural wrapper?
No. NewBWS has accepted no venture capital and will accept none. The capital structure is a Wefunder Regulation CF community round, meaning ownership is distributed across the members and community investors who participate at a minimum of one hundred dollars. The Delaware Public Benefit Corporation and golden share make venture capital dilution structurally impossible. Every other Black-focused platform in the last decade took venture capital. NewBWS is the explicit structural alternative.
11
What happens if the founder leaves, is bought out, or is pressured?
The golden share survives any of those events. It is held by a separate limited liability company whose charter carries the same community-protection restrictions. A sale of NewBWS to any buyer carries the golden share’s restrictions forward to that buyer. The founder cannot personally release the restrictions. No shareholder vote can override them. The structure is designed to outlast any individual, including the founder.
12
Is this legal?
Yes. Delaware Public Benefit Corporations are a recognized corporate form used by Patagonia, Kickstarter, Allbirds, and thousands of other American companies. Regulation CF is a Securities and Exchange Commission regulation that became fully active in 2021 and has been used to raise capital by Substack, Mercury, Replit, and many other companies. Golden share structures are common in European corporate law and legal in American corporate law. Every element of the structure is standard.
13
Isn’t this just affirmative action?
No. Affirmative action is a policy requiring institutions to consider race in admissions, hiring, or contracting. NewBWS is a private membership organization building its own infrastructure. The American tradition of community-organized professional networks — from the Knights of Columbus to Chief to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund — predates affirmative action by more than a century and has nothing to do with it.
14
What about the allies who invest?
Allies are welcome as members and investors. The Wefunder Regulation CF round accepts investment from anyone who wants to participate at a minimum of one hundred dollars. Allies participate as members of the network and as owners of the company. The mission is the orientation. Alignment with the mission is the membership criterion.
15
What would cause NewBWS to fail?
A lack of members. A failure to keep our commitments. Insufficient capital to operate. Poor execution. We are a community-funded startup, which means we bear the same risks as any other early-stage company, disclosed fully in our Form C filing. The risks of this investment are substantial. The commitments we have made are also substantial. The record will show whether we meet them.
Living directory of culturally-focused organizations
A partial record.
A partial record of culturally-focused professional, civic, educational, and mutual-aid organizations across American communities. Use the filters below to explore the pattern.
This is a partial record of culturally-focused organizations in American civic life. Inclusion is not an endorsement of any specific organization's current positions, practices, or leadership. These are examples of a pattern, not partners. The list is incomplete by design — we document what we know, and add as the record grows. Email hello@newbws.com to suggest additions or corrections.
Showing 40 of 40 organizations.
Free African Society
1787 · African American / Black · Mutual aid society
Founded in Philadelphia by Richard Allen and Absalom Jones. One of the first American mutual aid societies of any kind.
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
1819 · Multi-community · Fraternal society
One of the oldest fraternal organizations in the United States, historically providing mutual aid including sick benefits and burial assistance.
Ancient Order of Hibernians
1836 · Irish · Fraternal society
Founded in New York City to combat anti-Catholic discrimination and support Irish immigrants settling in America.
National Association of the Deaf
1880 · Deaf / Disability · Civil rights organization
Civil rights organization of, by, and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States.
Knights of Columbus
1882 · Catholic · Fraternal society
Catholic fraternal benefit society with more than two million members and over $100 billion of life insurance in force.
Hebrew Free Loan Society of New York
1892 · Jewish · Mutual aid society
Provides interest-free loans to members of the Jewish community. Model replicated in other American cities.
Veterans of Foreign Wars
1899 · Veterans · Fraternal society
Congressionally chartered organization serving American combat veterans.
Catholic Extension Society
1905 · Catholic · Religious institution
Supports Catholic faith communities in underserved regions of the United States.
Sons of Italy in America
1905 · Italian · Fraternal society
The largest and oldest national organization of Italian Americans. Provides scholarships, cultural programming, and community support.
National Urban League
1910 · African American / Black · Civil rights organization
Civil rights organization providing economic empowerment programs to Black Americans and other underserved communities.
JCC Association of North America
1917 · Jewish · Professional network
Supports a continental network of Jewish Community Centers and camps.
UJA-Federation of New York
1917 · Jewish · Philanthropy / Federation
Funds a network of more than 100 nonprofits supporting the Jewish community and New Yorkers of all backgrounds. The world's largest local philanthropy.
American Legion
1919 · Veterans · Fraternal society
The largest wartime veterans service organization in the United States.
Hillel International
1923 · Jewish · Educational institution
Student organization present on more than 800 college campuses, serving Jewish college students.
National Bar Association
1925 · African American / Black · Professional network
The nation's oldest and largest national network of predominantly Black attorneys and judges.
League of United Latin American Citizens
1929 · Hispanic / Latino · Civil rights organization
The oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States.
Japanese American Citizens League
1929 · Japanese / Asian American · Civil rights organization
The oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the United States.
National Federation of the Blind
1940 · Deaf / Disability · Civil rights organization
Advocacy organization with more than 50,000 members, led by blind individuals.
Korean American Federation
1961 · Korean / Asian American · Professional network
Umbrella organization for Korean American community associations across the United States.
100 Black Men of America
1963 · African American / Black · Civil rights organization
Mentoring organization serving Black youth across more than 100 chapters nationally.
UnidosUS
1968 · Hispanic / Latino · Civil rights organization
The largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. Operates with more than 300 affiliate organizations nationally.
National Association of Black Accountants
1969 · African American / Black · Professional network
Professional organization for Black accounting and finance professionals.
ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals For America)
1972 · Hispanic / Latino · Professional network
Professional development organization for Latino business professionals.
OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates
1973 · Chinese / Asian American · Civil rights organization
National advocacy organization for Chinese Americans and the broader Asian Pacific American community.
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
1975 · Hispanic / Latino · Scholarship fund
Has awarded more than $756 million in scholarships to more than 65,000 scholars since founding.
National Italian American Foundation
1975 · Italian · Civil rights organization
Non-profit promoting Italian American heritage and supporting Italian American community development.
National Society of Black Engineers
1975 · African American / Black · Professional network
Professional organization with more than 24,000 members across 600 chapters globally.
National Association of Women Business Owners
1975 · Women · Chamber of commerce
Professional association for women business owners.
United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
1979 · Hispanic / Latino · Chamber of commerce
National advocacy organization for Hispanic-owned businesses.
Human Rights Campaign
1980 · LGBTQ+ · Civil rights organization
The largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization in the United States.
National Association of Asian American Professionals
1982 · Chinese / Asian American · Professional network
Professional development and leadership network for Asian American professionals.
Irish American Heritage Museum
1986 · Irish · Arts / Media organization
Documents and celebrates Irish American contributions to American history and culture.
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
1996 · LGBTQ+ · Professional network
Organization supporting LGBTQ+ employees through corporate partnership and professional development.
Women's Business Enterprise National Council
1997 · Women · Chamber of commerce
Certifies women-owned businesses for corporate and government procurement.
Jewish Federations of North America
1999 · Jewish · Philanthropy / Federation
Umbrella organization representing more than 350 independent Jewish communities across North America.
StartOut
2009 · LGBTQ+ · Professional network
Professional network and accelerator for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs.
Ellevate Network
2011 · Women · Professional network
Global professional network for women.
Chief
2019 · Women · Professional network
Private membership network for women executives. Valued at over one billion dollars at peak funding.
JPro Network
Jewish · Professional network
Professional network for people working in the Jewish nonprofit sector.
Further reading
Sources.
- —Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice by Jessica Gordon Nembhard
- —Black Wall Street: From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District by Hannibal B. Johnson
- —The Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s archive on ethnic fraternal societies and mutual aid
- —SAGE Publications’ Multicultural America encyclopedia entry on mutual aid societies
- —UJA-Federation of New York’s public mission documents
- —The Associated Press reporting on mutual aid networks in communities of color
This page is a living document. If you see an organization that belongs here or a correction that should be made, write us at hello@newbws.com.