Dress for Success San Antonio’s Post

As I have been navigating the challenging journey of fundraising, I came across a revealing article that sheds light on the stark reality of venture capital funding for women. Despite owning 38% of U.S. businesses, female entrepreneurs receive a mere 2% of all venture funding. Why? The study shows it's not just about having more women in VC; it's about changing the way we're asked and answer questions. During Q&A sessions, men are often asked about their startup’s potential gains (promotion-oriented questions), while women are questioned about potential losses (prevention-oriented questions). This subtle difference has massive implications. Startups led by men who received promotion-oriented questions raised, on average, five times more funding than those led by women who were asked prevention-oriented questions. But here's the empowering part: The way we respond can alter our funding trajectory. Entrepreneurs who answered prevention questions with a promotion-focused response (think growth and expansion, not just defending market share) saw significantly higher funding. As a female founder currently fundraising, this insight is invaluable. It’s not just about getting a seat at the table; it’s about changing the conversation once we’re there. Let's shift our responses from defense to offense, showcasing our startups' immense potential. I’m very grateful for the WBENC WeScale Executive Education course preparing women like me for a successful equity capital raise. It was this incredible course that shared this article first. https://lnkd.in/dM7ZaRtv

What does the data say about funding for women founders, and what women founders need to do access more funding? I recently spoke with Jeffrey Sohl, head of the Center for Venture Research at University of New Hampshire. Jeff is an expert and has studied early stage entrepreneurship for many years. Here are some fascinating insights I took away from our wide-ranging conversation: Trends and research insights: ✴ The participation of women angels is up to over 40% of angels - great news for women founders especially those building products for markets that women understand better ✴ As more women founders complete successful exits, this can only mean better trends in future as they look to give back and support other early stage women founders ✴ Women entrepreneurs seek outside / angel funding at lower rates (corrected for industry). ✴ Yield rates for women founders within the angel investing world are slightly lower than those for men, but still significantly better than in the vc universe ✴ Women founders tend to seek and receive angel funding from their own networks - there's a big opportunity to increase the reach and visibility of women founders to male investor networks ✴ On the angel side, greater participation of women angels spells good news for everyone - investment performance of the investing group increases, especially within loosely structured groups Jeff's counsel to women founders: ✅ Understand what angels do and pitch the financial prospects of your startup as well as the opportunity to mentor and work with a talented and ambitious founder (i.e. you:)) ✅ Really own your vision and story and demonstrate compellingly why you're better and why your business is in better position to win because of you ✅ Do everything in your power to shatter gender stereotypes as soon as possible in your interactions - especially by breaking sector stereotypes, and demonstrating financial mastery and acumen in your interactions ✅ Revenue trumps everything because it shows not only market acceptance but showcases your ability as the founder to execute - key for any investor to see because they're mostly "betting on the jockey, not on the horse". There's a lot to unpack here but the big "aha" for me was this: The key for women to get funded is to articulate an economically compelling idea pitched with credible backing to high-affinity funders. Now, how do we make that happen at scale? #womenfounders #startupfunding #startups #angelinvesting #fundraising

The Michael Bay of Business shared my viral Forbes article. Thank you, Cindy Gallop for this and always amplifying the voices of female founders. Many VCs overlooked Melanie Perkins when she was fundraising. She didn’t fit the pattern they are used to. She was a female founder with a non-technical background and a college dropout. Perkins said that 100 Silicon Valley investors rejected her before she finally got a bite. A female founder may have insane drive, deep domain expertise, the perfect network in their industry to scale her business, but she may struggle to get networked in the VC community. Dear VCs, how are you going to find the next Melanie Perkins if you aren’t open to meeting more female founders, hearing about their companies or looking at their decks? #femalefounders #vc #venturecapital #startups

I’m excited to announce Get Sh!t Done partnership with New York City Economic Development Corporation Women.NYC This partnership will make the Get Sh!t Done Accelerator accessible to women entrepreneurs in NYC. When I was building my last business, it looked AMAZING on paper. ✓ Scaled to 7-Figures ✓ Raised capital ✓ Featured in the press People would often tell me I was "crushing it" but why didn’t I feel that way? Here’s what I didn’t realize… -I was often the ONLY in rooms because only 1.7% of women entrepreneurs have scaled beyond $1M and only 2% of women have raised capital. These numbers have NOT changed. -Raising capital is a huge feat BUT it’s meaningless when you don't nail down your business model. - Press mentions are hype BUT hype does NOT pay bills. Meanwhile, everyone was talking about how the problem for women entrepreneurs was raising money but the math wasn’t mathing. I wanted to understand systemic barriers for women entrepreneurs and here’s what I found… Talking about capital is cute but cash flow is what attracts capital consistently. Women own 50% of businesses but ONLY generate 4% of TOTAL business revenues. Not only are women not growing businesses, but even when we are, oftentimes it doesn't feel right because we were trying to emulate behaviors in a system that wasn’t constructed for people who look like us to succeed. When I started Get Sh!t Done, we rolled out our Accelerator program to focus on helping women grow cash so that they would have optionality in HOW they grew their businesses NOT in being reliant on predatory systems. After proving our model through 10 cohorts of our Accelerator, I intentionally paused in 2023 and started our journey of aligning with partners that would allow us to scale our impact like economic development offices. Our goal is to support women entrepreneurs in cities to grow their businesses in a way that defies the status quo and aligns with THEIR vision of success NOT a narow narrative that makes us believe that success looks like how much money you raised. When we align and build from a place that feels good to us, we can grow our impact, generate wealth, and create endless opportunities for our communities for generations to come. Shout out to the Women.NYC team Diana Franco Sofia Mussa Alexandra Martinez excited to scale impact with you! Special shout out to all the people who have been champions for us in the process! Michael LaRhette Matt Puccini John Frame Chante Harris #shegetsshitdone #smallbusiness #startups #womenentrepreneurs #economicdevelopment #blackhistorymonth #womenshistorymonth

Spotlight on angel investing in women in the Washington, D.C. area. Citrine Angels is a nonprofit group of angel investors in the greater D.C. area. Comprised of 75 women, the group invests primarily in women-led startups and has made investments of $1.2 million over the past four years. While women-led startups continue to receive only 2% in venture funding (we get tired of saying it), the U.S. Small Business Administration estimates that women own 47.4% of small businesses in D.C., 44.6% in Maryland, and 44.3% in Virginia. In suburban Virginia, Arlington Economic Development has stated that 53% of small businesses seeking assistance are women-led. The county is partnering with Citrine to offer a series of information sessions for women founders. Achieving progress toward equality in venture funding requires all hands on deck. Research shows that women founders achieve more successful exits and that gender-diverse founder teams perform better on operational metrics. See our latest analysis of gender lens investing at bit.ly/GLIQ. WJLA-TV Megan Clarke #WomenInvestors #WomenFounders #GenderLensInvesting #InvestingInWomen #InvestingForWomen #InvestingByWomen #WomenLed #Virginia #ArlingtonCounty

With over a decade of investment experience, Serena Williams took a pivotal step in 2014 by establishing Serena Ventures, a venture capital fund specifically designed to champion women and underrepresented founders. The company’s portfolio comprises 79% underrepresented founders, 54% women founders, 47% Black founders, and 11% Latino founders according to AFROTECH. “I learned that less than 2% of all VC money went to women,” Williams explained in a TikTok video. “And when I first heard that, I actually thought it was a misquote. I thought, ‘Well, they can’t be real.’ Williams was determined and has since invested in more than 85 companies; what’s more, Williams estimates that 14 of her portfolio companies have gone on to reach unicorn status. Read Serena's statement here: https://lnkd.in/etN32VJJ At FEM-START, we believe in Serena Williams’ mission and have dedicated efforts to build a community for female entrepreneurs to learn from one another and build their businesses. We spotlight entrepreneurs weekly, and we offer several networking and masterclasses experiences. With our tailored courses, you can learn which funding is best fitting for your business and how to secure that next round! Scale with FEM-START here: https://lnkd.in/eSgSnkfi

🎥 Join Me in Championing Female Founders: I am honored to be co-hosting the premier screening of Show Her The Money in beautiful Newport, RI on July 22nd. As a female founder of Flourish Care, I've seen firsthand the incredible impact of investing in women-led startups. Let’s take a look at the hard-hitting facts: - Businesses founded by women generate DOUBLE the revenue per dollar invested than those founded by men. - Female founders receive ONLY 2% of venture capital. - Achieving funding equality for women entrepreneurs represents a massive opportunity with potential to boost the global GDP by UP TO $5 trillion. - Women comprise ONLY 11% of the senior positions in the venture capital workforce. This stark underrepresentation and underfunding highlight not just a gap in equity but also a vast, untapped market opportunity. By attending “Show Her the Money,” you’re part of a movement to close these gaps and make a real economic impact. I’m excited to moderate an engaging panel of cast members, phenomenal entrepreneurs and investors, including Allison Byers, La Keisha Landrum Pierre, Melissa Sherman, Ph.D., Shruti Shah, Catherine Gray and Tom Sperry. Their experiences emphasize the urgent need for and benefits of inclusive investment practices. Join us to spark a dialogue that leads to action. Don't miss this opportunity to network, learn, and be inspired to invest in the next big innovation led by women. See you in Newport for a powerful and purpose-filled evening! 🎟️ Grab your ticket now, tag your network below and be part of the change: https://lu.ma/7nkdj82s #leadership #womenfounder #startup #venturecapital #innovation #womeninleadership #inclusion #diversity A huge thanks to RIHub, New England Female Founders, Rogue Women's Fund, BankNewport for making this possible. Sydney Paige Thomas Caroline Lewis Julia McDowell Naseem Sayani (she/her) Sonia Millsom Bari Harlam Meredith Curren Delphine O'Rourke, JD Danielle Olivera Symphonic Capital Liz Powell Emmeline Ventures Slater Technology Fund Jessica J. Federer Hope Hopkins Alyssa Reisner

I recently announced #ByondBalanced, a groundbreaking entrepreneurship skills and pitch competition event hosted by 360 Venture Collective & Simmons Alumnae/i Network at Simmons University. We have had an OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE response to the event! That was GREAT NEWS with a Small catch... Since this is our first year hosting it, we had planned for a small in-person audience event. And, women and nonbinary founders from across the US & globe have been reaching out asking us to expand access by requesting a virtual track to the event. We heard you! We have pivoted to accommodate the expanded audience. ✔ We have officially shifted the in-person day-long conference event date to March 29, 2024. This date change enables our team to expand the number of IRL attendees and offer virtual programming at the event! AND On November 17, 2023, (our initial IRL conference date), we will now host Byond Balanced: Strengthening the Shark Tank online. This free 2-hour online conference will provide attendees with a stacked schedule of value-packed micro-sessions. Learn with some of our March event speakers, hear insights from thriving early-stage founders, and network with a community of engaged and inspiring entrepreneurs & VCs from around the world. Register now for the March event to gain exclusive access to this exciting virtual program: https://lnkd.in/gksrFjra #startupecosystem #startups #founders #founderstories #startupgrowth #womensleadership #womenempoweringwomen #womensconference #womeninbusiness #womensupportingwomen #nonbinary #lgbtqia #impactinvesting #founderjourney #womenscolleges #vc #vcfunding

Businesses founded by women generate DOUBLE the revenue per dollar invested than those founded by men. [drop the mic] Join me and BUY YOUR TICKET TODAY, this event on July 22nd is an event not to be missed. Red carpet, move premiere, Newport, an evening of fun and education.... [drop the mic x 2]. ABOUT THE FILM: This is a story that’s never been told. SHOW HER THE MONEY addresses how women are getting less than 2% of venture capital funding and demystifies what venture capital is. Featuring rock-star female investors who invest in diverse women entrepreneurs with innovations that will change the world, Show Her The Money reminds us that money is power and women need it to achieve true equality. The film follows four visionary founders as they endure uphill battles to turn their ideas into reality. In spite of their dedication and passion constantly being challenged, these women, with the financial support and mentorship of their angel investors, become even more determined, resourceful and resilient, and the growth of their businesses is mind-blowing. Each business has the potential to become a “unicorn” … a billion dollar business. 

As entrepreneurs, fundraising can be one of the most challenging aspects of starting a new venture. The past few years have been particularly tough, with VC funding declining by approximately 62% from its peak in 2021. This decline has made fundraising for female founders even more challenging. As a pre-seed female-led startup, my co-founder, Shika Bodani, and I have faced additional hurdles in dealing with unreliable and unscrupulous investors who derailed our fundraising efforts, despite conducting thorough due diligence. We are grateful to have friends and family members who have invested as without them we'd be unable to continue. We wanted to share our journey to date, shed light on the 2% funding conundrum of female founders, and provide hope. There are many inspiring women such as Catherine Gray and Sarah King who are actively working to change this landscape for women entrepreneurs. Learn more about how you can get involved and make a difference for female founders. #fundraising #entrepreneurs #femalefounders #venturecapital #angelinvestors #showherthemoney