Dapaah Assists Knoxville Chamber in Creation of Access-to-Capital Strategy

The Knoxville Chamber has retained Richard Dapaah, executive-in-residence at the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, to create an access to capital strategy for entrepreneurs and small businesses in the region.

Dapaah is a Venture Partner with FundRx, a New York-based venture capital firm that funds healthcare and life sciences startups, where he evaluates early-stage companies for funding as an extension of the firm’s investment committee.

“Richard’s work over the next six months will involve interviewing and surveying individuals working in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, institutional stakeholders, business and community leaders, as well as entrepreneurs themselves,” said Amy Nolan, vice president of regional enhancement for the Knoxville Chamber. “He will also be conducting research regarding successful initiatives in other regions to create a set of recommendations for the region to pursue.

“Richard is ideally suited for this work, and we are thrilled he agreed to take on this challenge,” she added.

Prior to joining FundRx, Dapaah was an analyst at Shire Capital Management, a global multi-strategy investment firm; a research associate on the Internet & Consumer Software equity research team at Morgan Stanley; and an associate in the Industrials Group within the Investment Banking Division at Goldman, Sachs & Co.

He holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a master’s in public administration from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Tufts University. Dapaah’s research is funded through a grant by the Truist Foundation.