Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures Is Empowering Innovators: Could You Be Next?

This article is sponsored by Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures Lab.

Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures Lab (MSISVL) provides early-stage startups with access to capital and resources to help them develop and scale. Its mission is to foster a more equitable and sustainable investment landscape.  Applications to join the 2025 MSISVL cohort are open now through March 14.  

Inclusivity meets sustainability

One example of MSISVL’s impact is Sortile, a tech startup transforming textile recycling. Constanza Gomez, co-founder and CEO of Sortile, highlighted the value of the experience.

“Incredible people,” she told POCIT. “We have gotten access to incredible mentors that have helped us from strategy to communication to fundraising.”

Sortile, founded by Constanza Gomez and Augustina Mir at Columbia University, began as a research tool for studying textile sortation and collection. With guidance and mentorship from MSISVL, Sortile pivoted to creating AI-driven sorting systems that divert textiles from landfills, reducing waste and promoting sustainability.

Reflecting on their progress, Gomez shared, “We pivoted a week before starting the Lab. In the months since then, we’ve been able to launch our pivot and scale it, going from a single business to over five off-takers and contracted volume of over 100 tons.”

Participating in the program helped Gomez’s business scale and improve. With access to Morgan Stanley’s tailored resources designed to meet each startup’s unique needs, Sortile has used this support to drive further innovation in the sustainability market.

A legacy of impact

MSISVL builds on the success of the Inclusive Ventures Lab and Sustainable Solutions Collaborative, which together have distributed over $30 million in capital to over 100 startups and organizations in the last seven years.

This commitment to fostering inclusivity and sustainability is strengthened by Morgan Stanley’s integrated approach, which combines expertise with a deep understanding of the unique needs of early-stage organizations.

By connecting entrepreneurs with resources, mentorship, and strategic guidance, MSISVL ensures that participants have the tools necessary to scale their ideas and create lasting impact.

This is especially true for Seke Ballard, the founder and CEO of Beta Financial Services, who credits Morgan Stanley with giving him a “sales mentality.” BetaScore, Ballard’s advanced credit scoring platform, uses AI and unique data sources to improve small businesses’ access to capital.

“From the beginning, our vision for BetaScore was to go beyond traditional small business credit scoring,” he says. “Our objective was to build a next-generation small business intelligence engine that provides a 360-degree view of a business’s financial health and operational performance, all powered by an AI agent designed to provide each user with insights tailored to their objective. My team had the vision and technical expertise to build BetaScore, but we had little experience selling an entirely new product category. Nothing like BetaScore exists.”

With direction from MSISVL, Ballard has refined his business practices. Reflecting on the growth, he shared, “Morgan Stanley helped us think very deeply about product positioning, identifying the ideal customer profile, building a repeatable sales motion and achieving product market fit. These may all sound like buzzwords–and to some degree they are–but the principles at work are critical to selling the product and creating value for our shareholders, particularly for a category-defining product such as BetaScore.”

Overcoming barriers

With its focus on accessibility and sustainability, MSISVL equips the next generation of changemakers to lead the way toward a more inclusive and sustainable future. 

“I would recommend applying to Morgan Stanley’s Lab because it is the best value for the equity.” Ballard shared. “At the risk of being reductive, most accelerators give you a little bit of cash and some technical resources in exchange for equity. Morgan Stanley really excels in the technical resources, whether it is executive coaching, sales coaching, or capital raising coaching; we received white-glove, 1:1 support on the priorities most important to my company.”

MSISVL is designed to support founders who have faced barriers to accessing capital or are driving sustainability solutions. It seeks early-stage startups that are technology-driven or technology-enabled, are positioned in the Seed to Series A funding stage, and have launched a product with demonstrated market traction.

“We create a custom and curated approach for each founder by connecting various parts of Morgan Stanley to deliver a truly unique program,” shares LaToya Wilson, Global Co-Head of Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Group.

If you’re ready to scale your impact and contribute to building a brighter future, MSISVL could be your next step.

MSISVL is accepting applications now through March 14. Apply today.

This article is sponsored by Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures Lab.

Feature image credit:  LaToya Wilson