a16z partner Kofi Ampadu leaves firm after TxO program hiatus

Kofi Ampadu, the partner at a16z who led the firm’s Talent x Opportunity (TxO) fund and program, has left the firm, according to an email he sent to staff obtained by TechCrunch. This comes months after the firm put TxO on hold and laid off most of its staff.

« During my time at the firm, I have been deeply grateful for the opportunity and trust to lead this work, » Ampadu wrote in the email sent Friday afternoon, titled « Closing my a16z chapter. »

« Identifying off-the-grid entrepreneurs and supporting them as they refine their ideas, raise capital and grow into confident leaders has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career, » he wrote.

Ampadu led the program, which launched in 2020, for more than four years until it was discontinued last November, taking over from the original leader, Knight Jones. After that, Ampadu seems to have worked in a16z’s latest accelerator, Speedrun.

Ampadu’s departure perhaps signals the end of the TxO chapter. The fund and program focused on supporting underserved founders by providing access to technology networks and investment capital through a donor-advised fund. While some founders spoke highly of the program, others criticized the controversial donor-advised structure. The program also launched a grant program in 2024 to provide $50,000 to nonprofits that help various founders.

Its last cohort was in March 2025, and the indefinite hiatus comes as many top tech names reframe, trim or eliminate previous public commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. We’ve reached out to a16z and Ampadu for comment.

His full note below:

I moved to the United States three months before my 11th birthday. One month later, I started 6th grade at a school more than 5,000 miles away from my home, my friends, and everything familiar. My mom recently reminded me that my school requires me to enroll as an ESL student. My memory immediately flashed back to how confused I felt. Even at the age of 10, I knew that it made no sense for a child from Ghana, an English-speaking country, to be asked to learn a language he was already fluent in.

It was a systemic requirement, a general assumption about what students from certain places could or could not do. This same type of systemic assumption is what we set out to challenge through the Talent x Opportunity Initiative. The venture ecosystem often relies on proxies like schools, networks, and previous credentials that can hide exceptional founders who don’t follow the most common paths. TxO invests in and supports these overlooked founders to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity.

During my time at the firm, I was deeply grateful for the opportunity and trust to lead this work. Identifying entrepreneurs outside the network and supporting them as they refine their ideas, raise capital and grow into confident leaders has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career.

As I move into my next chapter, I leave with pride in what we’ve built and gratitude to everyone who helped shape it. Thank you for your trust, cooperation and belief in the possible. There’s still work to do and I’m excited to keep building.