In his own words, Forest Richter became an entrepreneur "by accident." With degrees in philosophy and psychology, he never had a pre-defined, set-in-stone career path. It wasn't until his mid-to-late 20's in which Forest decided he needed more than what was being offered by his current role. He desired to make an impact—and one he could tangibly see. So, he jumped headfirst into the Milwaukee startup scene, where making a real difference seemed possible. It didn't take long for Forest to realize this is where he was meant to be—becoming involved in several early-stage startups, driving growth, and loving the process. As the years drew on, Forest, like the start of any entrepreneur story, saw an inefficiency in need of fresh eyes—the startup funding process. It was messy, scattered, and burdensome. It was biased towards white male founders located on the coasts. So, Forest decided to start Uncrowd.io—a platform dedicated to cutting inefficiencies in the fundraising process while bringing visibility to underrepresented founders. And, it was through this new venture, coupled with the societal shifts brought about in 2020, Forest heard his larger calling, which will steer his life from this point forward.
