Kofi Ampadu, the partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) responsible for leading the Talent x Opportunity (TxO) fund and program, confirmed his departure from the firm in an internal email obtained by TechCrunch.
This exit occurs several months after a16z placed the TxO program on an indefinite pause last November and subsequently reduced most of its associated staff. Ampadu stated in his note that identifying and supporting out-of-network entrepreneurs was one of the most meaningful experiences of his career.
The TxO initiative, launched in 2020, aimed to bridge gaps between talent and opportunity by providing network access and capital to underserved founders, often utilizing a donor-advised fund structure. While some founders praised the program's impact, the structure reportedly drew criticism from others in the ecosystem.
Ampadu took over leadership of the program from Nait Jones and subsequently worked within a16z’s Speedrun accelerator following the TxO pause. His departure appears to finalize the winding down of the specialized initiative, which concluded its last cohort in March 2025.
This development aligns with a broader trend where several major technology entities are reassessing or reducing prior public commitments related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The TxO program also included a 2024 grant component, allocating $50,000 to nonprofits assisting diverse founders.
In his farewell, Ampadu referenced the systemic assumptions that TxO sought to challenge, drawing an analogy to his own experience as an immigrant student facing blanket assumptions about his English proficiency. He emphasized that the venture ecosystem often relies too heavily on proxies like established networks or specific educational credentials.
TechCrunch reported reaching out to both a16z and Ampadu for official comment regarding the transition. The conclusion of the TxO chapter marks a significant change in a16z’s dedicated outreach efforts toward non-traditional founder pipelines.
