Atlanta-based venture capital firm Fearless Fund has permanently closed its Strivers Grant program, which provided $20,000 grants to Black women entrepreneurs. This decision follows a settlement with the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER), a group led by conservative activist Edward Blum, the man behind the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling. Nevertheless, Fearless Fund remains committed to empowering historically overlooked entrepreneurs and plans to launch a new debt fund to continue supporting those in need of capital. Fearless Fund’s Legal Battle In August 2023, AAER sued Fearless Fund, claiming the