Impact Investor & Serial Entrepreneur; Founder & CEO of Founders First Capital Partners; Inc. Female Founders 500 Honoree
Kim T. Folsom Biography
Kim T. Folsom is an impact investor, entrepreneur, and the founder, chairperson, and CEO of Founders First Capital Partners, a San Diego-based platform focused on closing the funding gap for underserved small businesses in the United States. With more than 25 years of experience in scaling ventures, Folsom has built a career centered on economic inclusion and business innovation. Prior to launching Founders First Capital Partners, Folsom held executive roles and founded or served as a key executive at several ventures, including "ShowUhow" (acquired by Sellpoints), "DriveCam" (now Lytx), and "SeminarSource." Over her entrepreneurial career, Folsom has launched six companies, exited three, and raised $30 million in institutional venture financing, navigating the challenges faced by underrepresented founders.
Folsom co-founded Founders First Capital Partners to provide a virtual small-business growth accelerator and revenue-based venture fund aimed at supporting underserved businesses. Under Folsom's leadership, the firm has become a leading private provider of funding for diverse-led main street businesses and is recognized as a national Black- and women-led, revenue-based capital platform. The company offers flexible, non-dilutive growth capital, including revenue-based financing, term loans, and advisory services, primarily to service-based B2B and B2G businesses. More than 80% of its investments support companies led by people of color, women, LGBTQ+ founders, and military veterans. Folsom has secured $200 million in committed capital for the platform, supporting hundreds of companies and contributing to the creation of over 500 premium wage jobs in communities traditionally underserved by capital markets. In an interview with Barron's, Folsom described her ambition as becoming the Goldman Sachs for diverse companies.
Folsom also founded LIFT Development Enterprises, a nonprofit community-development organization supporting underrepresented small business owners in accessing capital. She has served as an adjunct professor at National University, teaching graduate-level courses in strategic business management, entrepreneurship, and venture financing. Folsom co-founded a STEM and robotics enrichment program for underrepresented middle school students in Southern California. As a speaker and thought leader, Folsom has delivered keynote addresses at major events, including commencement speaker for City University of Seattle, and has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Entrepreneur, and Inc., where she contributes a regular column on growth strategies for small businesses.
Folsom's leadership has been recognized by both business and civic organizations. Founders First Capital Partners has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing companies and was named to Inc.'s Power Partners Awards. Folsom has been named to Inc.'s Female Founders 500 list and was appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Community Advisory Council. She was honored as a Girl Scouts San Diego Cool Women Honoree, and Founders First has been recognized as an ImpactAssets 50 Emerging Impact Manager. Folsom has spoken at the Milken Institute Finance Forum and is recognized for her expertise in inclusive entrepreneurship, revenue-based financing, and economic mobility in the United States.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Kim T. Folsom and other top speakers and celebrities.
Kim T. Folsom Videos
Kim Folsom - Funding the Future: A Monetary Outlook
In this webinar, Chief Research Officer Joe Galvin will join Founders First Capital Partners Founder and CEO Kim Folsom to explore the current...
-
How do I book Kim T. Folsom to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Kim T. Folsom for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Kim T. Folsom, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Kim T. Folsom or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Kim T. Folsom
Speaking fees for Kim T. Folsom, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Kim T. Folsom are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Kim T. Folsom, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Kim T. Folsom speak about?
Kim T. Folsom is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Black Heritage, Business, Diversity & Inclusion, Entrepreneurship, Executive Leadership, Female Leadership, Finance, FinTech, Influential Women, Venture Capital, Women in Business -
Where does Kim T. Folsom travel from?
Kim T. Folsom generally travels from San Diego, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Kim T. Folsom’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Kim T. Folsom for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Kim T. Folsom for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Kim T. Folsom or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Kim T. Folsom is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Kim T. Folsom for your event is available upon request. Kim T. Folsom generally travels from San Diego, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Arlan Hamilton, Maya Horgan Famodu, Viola Llewellyn, Wendy De La Rosa and Blythe Masters. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Kim T. Folsom for an upcoming live or virtual event.
This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.
All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.








