Rosa Lee is one of the few BIPOC disabled women holding a leadership position in the venture fund industry and in the marketing industry.

Communication Service for the Deaf is proud to announce that our Chief Marketing Officer, and longtime leader in the Deaf community, Rosa Lee Timm is the new Division President for CSD’s Social Venture Fund. Rosa Lee first joined CSD in 2019 as the Chief Marketing Officer and has been an integral part of the organization’s senior leadership ever since. 

“As a Black Deaf woman, I know that our community is not lacking in creativity, determination, resiliency or vision – what we lack is access,” said Rosa Lee. “I am excited to get to work on breaking down barriers and increasing access to capital investment for Deaf and hard-of-hearing business owners of all backgrounds.” 

Rosa Lee is a well-known performance artist, widely recognized for her American Sign Language music videos and work as a solo performer on The Rosa Lee Show. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Rochester Institute of Technology and her master’s in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling from Western Oregon University. Before joining CSD, Rosa Lee served as the marketing director for Deaf Counseling, Advocacy & Referral Agency and held various roles in education, teaching at Ohlone College, California School for the Deaf – Fremont, and more.  

“Rosa Lee’s background as an entrepreneur, organization leader, and educator over the past 20 years are distinctive professional experiences that meld together beautifully to add tremendous value and depth to CSD SVF,” said CSD CEO Chris Soukup. “We look forward to wonderful momentum with SVF in the coming year with her leadership and guidance!”

What is the CSD Social Venture Fund?

CSD’s Social Venture Fund (CSD SVF) is one of the first – and only – Deaf-led venture capital funds in the world that specializes in supporting Deaf entrepreneurs and businesses. Investments go towards for-profit enterprises that are committed to positive and measurable social impact, such as creating jobs for Deaf people and investing in Deaf communities around the world. 

CSD SVF provides equity investments to Deaf-led businesses that exemplify CSD’s values: enhancing Deaf economic power, employing Deaf people, and creating social change. CSD SVF is committed to the success of each business, providing not only financial investment, but also access to tools and resources, enabling each Deaf-led business to thrive.

Existing portfolio members include:

 

In her new capacity as CSD’s Social Venture Fund’s Division President, Rosa Lee will:  

• Spearhead the reboot of CSD SVF’s partner development program, guiding the entrepreneurial journey of the Deaf-owned businesses that receive investments from SVF.
  
• Serve as an executive mentor for new and existing SVF partners and facilitate their access to the continuum of resources within and throughout CSD. 
  
• Curate spaces for CSD’s marketing leaders to collaborate, receive training, share resources, and align marketing strategies with the global mission, vision, and work of CSD. 
  
• Continue to dually contribute to CSD as its Chief Marketing Officer, responsible for overseeing all things public relations, communications, marketing, and creative engagement.