Changing the Game in VC
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
This is one of my favorite quotes and it is what is happening in the Venture Capital community. While women partners only represented a meek 10% in 1999, in 2014 they represented a dismal 6%! Discouraging? Yes. The end game? No.
Powerful women across the board are stepping up to make changes in this not by fighting this reality; but by creating a new model!
Monica Dodi and Edith Dorsen set out to change the availability of capital for women entrepreneurs in 2012 when they started the Women’s Venture Capital Fund.
Here is a list of resources to help you raise capital. Although they don’t all target women-led companies, they have women partners and should offer a more female-friendly perspecitve than the general VC ecosystem:
- Aligned Partners – Susan Mason and Jodi Jahic
- Aspect Ventures – Jennifer Fonstad and Theresia Gouw
- Astarte Ventures – Tracy Warren and Tammi Jantzen (women focus)
- Broadway Angels is a world-class group of investors who are all women.
- Cowboy Ventures – Aileen Lee
- DBL Investors – Nancy E. Pfund and Cynthia Ringo
- Forerunner Ventures – Kirsten Green
- Portfolia (crowdfunding platform) – Trish Costello
- Springboard Enterprises is an accelerator for women-led businesses in technology, media and life sciences.
- Women’s Venture Capital Fund – Monica Dodi and Edith Dorsen (women focus)
- 1315 Ventures – Adele Oliva
Even companies are creating funding for women-led organizations:
- Susan Lyne runs a venture fund within AOL targeted at women companies called BBG (Built By Girls).
- Intel Capital launched a $125 million fund to back startups run by women and minorities. Lisa Lambert manages the Intel Capital Diversity Fund.
Join the trend, look for ways to change the game rather than fight the existing establishment.
