Deere & Co. is entering a partnership as a limited investor in Advantage Capital’s Empower the Change growth fund, which provides entrepreneurs of color access to capital in order to grow their businesses and create community wealth. Advantage Capital is a New Orleans-based investment firm providing financing to established and emerging companies located in communities underserved by conventional sources of capital. According to a news release, Deere will join the fund as a lead investor as part of the company’s broader objective of allocating $500 million within the next three years to identify and grow relationships with underrepresented and disadvantaged business enterprises to create a more diverse and sustainable supplier network within the agriculture industry.
