Women in Venture Capital

As we kick off season 3 of the Women in VC, we reflect on the current state of the industry and celebrate the many achievements of women. 

In this episode, we talk to Sonja about her long and successful career in venture capital, including becoming the youngest GP at Menlo Ventures and investing in companies such as TheRealReal, Q1 Labs and many more. Sonja walks us through how Broadway Angels, an investment group made up of women, came about and what her experience has been being the only woman in many rooms. Finally, she shares some advice on how to break into and navigate VC as an aspiring female investor. 

In the conversation with Courtney, we talk about her journey into the world of investing, starting as a Kauffman Fellow - to becoming an LP and now running Recast Capital, a platform supporting and investing in emerging managers in venture. We also learn more about their recent fellowship - for emerging VC investors. We hear Courtney's perspective on how the changing market environment is impacting growth of the VC industry. Finally, we talk about some hard facts on gender biases in this ecosystem, their root causes and how can they be changed.

In this episode, we dive into the Platform and Operations role at venture funds with Sophie. We also touch on the operations role in times of uncertainties for startups such as the SVB crisis and how 186 Ventures is positioning itself to best support portfolio companies. Finally, Sophie talks about gender dynamics in VC broadly and in the Boston ecosystem and  shares some advice for aspiring female investors. 

In this conversation with Claire, we hear about her journey from LevFin to PE to now VC, and how she tapped into various networking opportunities and fields of career as she chose to pursue VC. She also shares some trends in the startup world she is tracking closely. And we end the chat with some candid and genuine advice for women who are trying to break into this ecosystem!

In this conversation with Janis, we chat about her long journey in life sciences and the gradual transition to a more generalist fund set-up, with Cota Capital. We also hear about the fund thesis with Cota and some of the most exciting spaces she is following. Lastly, we touch upon her experiences and take on gender dynamics in this ecosystem and how should one navigate the system!

In this chat with Johanna, we get to hear about her breadth of experiences in economics, finance and and what led her to do investing. She also shares her motivation and journey building Elevar, doubling down on the LatAm ecosystem and her aspirations for women in the space. 

In this conversation with Pallavi, we learn about her career transitions and what got her interested in growth investing, particularly in the Indian fintech ecosystem. We got to hear about a few of her investments and investment theses, and her goals of learning from the international markets, like the USA. Tune in, for a thought provoking chat! 

In this conversation with Tasneem, she talks about setting up Excelestar - building the fund's thesis and growing it to where its at today. She also talks about her efforts into promoting female entrepreneurs, via Golden Seeds - that is addressing the lack of funding and coaching for female founders. Finally, she shares what her aspirations are for women in investing.

In this conversation with the Untapped Global team, we talk to Caitlin and Yvonne about the fund's smart asset financing strategy, data-driven approach and Africa's growth vision. We also hear from them how women have a better "vibe check", making them sound investors in the ecosystem!

In this episode, we talk to Miki about her interesting path into VC and her career motivations along the way. We dive into the inspiration behind Grid110, the mission of the firm and the trends she's been excited about. Finally Mikki talks about gender dynamics in VC and details some tactical advice to break into VC; from online research to books, events, and communities. 

In this episode, we talk to Justine about what led her to a career in finance, first at Goldman Sachs then in VC. She further dives into the secondary team at Industry Ventures and how she approached the decision of what stage to invest in. Finally, Justine touches on how the sheer availability of female mentors in itself is a sign that things are changing in the industry, albeit slowly, and discusses the work yet to be done and some advice for aspiring female investors. 

In this episode, we talk to Brittany about her passion for Tech through her roles in consulting, ops and VC. She also touches on her experience working for one of the longest running VC firms and how the tenure of her mentors have played a role in her own journey. Finally, we dive into the thought that “Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity isn't — yet." and what it will take to get to equal distribution of opportunity in the industry. 

In this episode, we talk to Julie Sandler about her psychology background and how that has translated to her work today, especially her relationships with founders. Talking about PSL, she touches on the growth of the fund and the Northwestern region and the venture studio model. She also dives into diversity both within the fund and their investments, serving as a testament to advancements in the industry. She concludes with her observation that the support system among women prominent in VC provides guidelines to help navigate the space. 

In this episode, we talk to Connie about her early interests in technology and how that translated to working at Square and eventually in VC. Connie shares more about her experience at Forgepoint Capital, including the funding growth in cybersecurity and horizontal expansion of the space across sectors. She also touches on how she engages with a community of professionals to tackle unfavorable gender dynamics and concludes with two key advices for aspiring female investors: (1) find a mentor with industry commonalities and (2) vocalize your opinion.

In  this episode, we talk to Temi about her pull towards an entrepreneurial space focused on Africa, her deep dive into fintech along with trends and themes she is excited about in the space—notably female founders. Temi also touches on the climate resilience and climate adaptation efforts in Africa (especially considering the prevalence of agriculture-related jobs). We conclude the chat with some advice for aspiring VCs, which includes taking initiative to reach out to founders, having a perspective and being willing to share that thesis, and lastly, to not be shy with your “superpower”. 

In this episode, we talk to Jazmin Medina about her interest in VC and startups during business school and why she chose an operator role beforehand. We also touch on some of the aspects of the industry that she finds attractive, including the ability to have a high level of ownership, lifelong learning, and the privilege of working alongside CEOs. Jazmin further talks to us about trends she's excited about and The Cap Table Coalition, elaborating on the organization's broader mission to increase the number of startups, founders, board managers, and other positions in power from underrepresented groups. 

In this episode, Julia shares her experience working in business development at WeWork before joining VC funds for the last 3+ years. She further talks about professional growth within a firm and how to tackle conversations around promotions. She concludes with her very candid recommendation to think about why you see yourself succeeding in and enjoying venture capital before diving in. 

In this episode we talk to Senofer and Asya about their journey into VC and their vision to build a more equal and diversified funding landscape. We touch on how the current environment is all about empowering entrepreneurs and how bias can be used to counter the very unequal distribution it has created in the past. We conclude with some advice to aspiring female investors to tap into their strengths and find a place that rewards them but also be comfortable with embarrassing parts of the journey - you might get 1 response to the 20 emails you write, but that 1 might be just enough!

In this episode, Vivien talks about her venture path, her passion for healthcare and the podcast she hosts, interviewing & learning from entrepreneurs in the sector. She further talks about leading Pear's Female Founder Circle which is providing a platform for female technical founders and shares the aspiration of bringing these founders to the funding table, technical assistance or simply a community of like minded gamechangers. 

In this episode, we talk to Isabelle about her journey through finance and operations and what eventually led her to angel investing. We touch on the realities and opportunities of being part of an angel investing community, especially for women. We wrap up the conversation with some advice for female founders and investors with Isabelle drawing inspiration from two impressive women in very different worlds. 

In this episode, Lexi talks about how a long visit to the continent prompted her to explore innovation and investing in Africa and eventually moving to Nigeria. She dives into some of her key investment strategies that have helped achieve portfolio success at Acuity and themes and trends that she is excited about. Additionally, we talk about her experience with gender dynamics in African VC and her observation of how, the relatively late development of the tech and VC industry in Africa ("late mover advantage") has helped with building a more inclusive ecosystem. 

In this episode, we talk to Monica about her role driving impact at G2 Venture Partners and dig into her interest in climate tech and sustainability through her roles at Zola Electric and Tesla. We also touch on the evolution of climate tech over the years and the exciting new opportunities and conclude with how to achieve parity for women in both Tech and VC. Side note: apologies for my flu voice. 

In this fun episode with Tess, we talk about her passion for space and how that translated into a career through Boeing, SpaceX and eventually into venture capital at Bessemer. We also touch on mentorship vs. sponsorship and fellowship programs as a means to learn and break in the VC space. Finally, we dive into the low representation stats for female investors and talk about the need to take actions at the funder and founder levels and how playing into your strengths can make a difference. 

A short message to our avid listeners - we are still here! Anvita graduated from HBS last month (woo!) and is moving to Seattle to start the next chapter of her life and I have been working on an Africa focused Agritech / Foodtech accelerator program in Mauritius, hence the break from the podcast. We are looking forward to resuming the podcast in the coming days. Stay tuned!  - Rashveena

In this episode, we talk to Rima about her journey from being a "stock picker" in equity research at GS to business development at Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren and eventually venture capital, first with XRC labs, and now Commerce Ventures. Rima also touches on her experience working for StartU, "a Techcrunch for student startups" as she calls it, while doing her MBA. She emphasizes the importance of mentorship and community in solving gender disparity in VC and encourages aspiring female investors to tap into their strengths and form meaningful relationships to break in. 

In this episode with Deborah Quazzo, we talk about her pathway to VC, including her time at Merrill Lynch and her experience with angel investing as well as her collaboration with Michael Moe in founding ThinkEquity Partners and GSV Ventures later on. We also touch on the current education technology space and the opportunities it holds for entrepreneurs passionate about solving problems. We conclude with a discussion about how GSV has been able to form such a diverse team, especially with women in leadership positions.

In this episode, Kristin shares her decades of wisdom on finding the role and fund that you fit in and a bunch of tactical tips on finding the right place for you. We go deep into gender dynamics conversation in the finance industry. Listen in, to get great advice on choosing the optimum career path for yourself, asking the right questions, finding and nurturing the right mentor relations, and more!

In this episode, Sue Xu from Amino Capital shares her journey from research innovations to early stage technology investing and what excites her in the coming years. Sue also shares Amino's deep-rooted focus on data-driven decisions and how the fund's investment theses have evolved in the last few years. Lastly, she discusses how critical mentorship is, in this ecosystem, and how should one go about nurturing the same.

In this episode, Zainab talks to Anvita about her time at McKinsey and her impact work focused on Africa as well as the the importance of internships before diving into a full-time role. She concludes the conversation with her experience in PE and what she has observed as a woman in the finance industry.

In this episode, we welcome Tanya Rolfe, founder of Sophia, a new learning platform in Asia providing much-needed financial education for women. We talk about her transition from law to finance, her passion for financial empowerment of women, which started with a personal moment with her own daughter at home. We also touch on womens' relationship with money, their role as founders and investors and the need for actions from both institutional investors and the venture community to change the current gender diversity dynamics in VC. 

In our conversation with Caitlin, we chat about what influenced her decision to start a career in finance and then move to an operating role with Sifted. We also discuss her move back into investing as a VP at Sageview Capital. Her insights on where do we see the next wave of value creation - are interesting! 

In this episode, we have a conversation with one of the extra-ordinary academicians in the Finance industry. She has built her career in the investing world not as an active investor, but has spent decades studying how the various kinds of investors react (and should react) to market response - spanning multiple areas of financial intermediation including corporate credit markets, leveraged loan market, global banking operations, asset allocation by pension funds and insurance companies, and value creation by private equity.Ivashina shares about her upbringing and her take on over-leverage and risk-return appetite in these times. We also hear about her teaching style, what excites her most about her job and what she believes needs to be changed in the ecosystem today.

In this episode, we talk to Pocket Sun, Co-Founder and Partner at SoGal, about:The founding of VC firm, SoGal at USC (which she considers her first startup) and the initial challenges of raising Fund ISoGal's huge community-driven momentum, the portfolio journey so far and the raise of Fund IIHow SoGal is closing the diversity gap (gender and racial) through its investment thesis and many targeted programs and,Advice for aspiring female founders and investors looking to break into the industry or raise funding and who inspires herEaster egg for our listeners with a quick "Just Do It" failure story from a highly successful investor

Listen to our episode with Sarah Unger Biggs, where she talks to us about:Her role as an operator in the investment industryAsymmetric Capital Partners' founding team that traces back 15+ years and how it allows them to bring their entire selves to workHer progression from larger, more established firms to smaller and smaller companies!Where she envisions the fund to be in the next few years while appreciating the beauty that comes from simplicity and a clearly defined investment strategy

In this episode, Tia talks to us about her background in graphic design and now company building at Visible Hands. She also describes the company's agency model, venture-founder relationship through its fellowship program. She further touches on diversity and inclusion at and outside the workplace and the need for accountability and commitment for real change. 

In this episode, Eliza McGinn shares her experience navigating and building her transferable skills from "the" big industries: banking, consulting and private equity before pivoting to venture capital with .406 ventures. She elaborates on her experience with early stage tech investing, working with small teams and how her poly-sci background can help provide an important legislative / impact perspective to investment decisions. We conclude the conversation with some insights and hopes for female leadership in VC. 

See our episode with Sooah Cho from Underscore VC, where she talks to us about her interest in fintech and its ever-rising prominence, advice for women looking to break into the VC ecosystem, and the value of operating experience in setting yourself apart in the VC world.

See our conversation with Lainy, Partner at Craft Ventures, as she talks to us about her journey from Goldman Sachs to Craft, what makes Craft Ventures different, trends and sectors she is excited about including remote working platforms, and her advice on how to break into the VC industry. 

In this episode, Maggie Vo and Olivia Gaudree from Fuel VC, talk about their individual journeys into investing and the importance of networks and mentors in succeeding. They also touch on what differentiates Fuel VC from other firms and the startup scene in Miami before finally sharing their experience with gender disparity in VC and the belief that positive change needs to be encouraged through a top down approach.

See our episode with Adriana Saman, where she talks to us about:- Her passion for LatAm and how FinTech can be mobilized to improve financial inclusion in this market- What contributed to her success at Clocktower Ventures and,- The importance of having a support group for women looking to get into VC

In this episode, we talk to Elizabeth Edwards, founder and partner at seed-early growth stage, consumer focused, H Venture Partners, about her transition from consulting to venture capital and her company's focus on investments in tech-backed "human" products including major consumer categories: food, beverage, apparel, personal care, feminine care, among others. We also dig into post-covid trends in the consumer sector and what it takes to start a fund and enter venture capital. 

In our conversation with Caitlin she starts off with how she discovered her career path of investing. She also discuses recent exciting sectors the fund has been following and is excited about. Caitlin then touches on the culture of inclusivity towards women in VC and how to further improve it, what to consider when getting into venture and a fundamental overview of the job.

See our episode with Min Zhou, where she talks to us about her career as a scientist before her recruitment into VC, deep tech investments and why investors should look at China for VC investments and finally, her advice for women wanting to break into the industry and why women in China have been relatively better at building a presence in business.

In this episode, we speak with angel investor and experienced executive, Marjorie Radlo-Zandi, about her transition from VICAM / Waters to angel investing and the innovation trends she's most excited about. She further touches on her experience and ongoing efforts with gender inclusivity and her belief, backed by  data, that investing in women and people of color is largely beneficial to the industry.

In this episode, Brittany Yoon, Principal at NFX talks to us about her career at startups and how she navigated growth most recently at Ethos and Uber. She touches on her transition from startups to investing and shares the themes and sectors she is most interested in post-pandemic. Brittany concludes with some important next steps to promote a culture of inclusivity in VC and the subsequent improvement in the business as a whole.

This episode features Amy Cheetham, principal at Costanoa Ventures. Amy talks to us about the work ethic she gained from working at one of the top investment banks straight out of college, her belief that quantity over quality approach works at VC firms, and her love of early stage investing. She advises women looking to break into the industry to feel comfortable asking for help and reaching out to people willing to sponsor their careers. She ends the session with her inspiring yet practical life mantra to “show up.”

In our most recent episode, Heather Hartnett, CEO and Founding Partner at Human Ventures Co., joins us to discuss her unique learning experience at Maharishi International University and her path into impact investing. She touches on the venture studio model at Human Ventures that focuses on ongoing founder support and shares her own observations on gender dynamics in VC. 

In this episode, Annelies talks to us about how her entrepreneurial spirit has been a part of her identity since her youth—initially inspired by her dad! We also chat about the vitality of hustling in helping you find your niche (at startups in particular) and the parallels between working in venture and competing in college athletics. We also hear her experience as the first female in WTI's Investment Team and why early stage investing stands out to her and provides the unique opportunity to get involved in the company's development early on.

In this episode, Camille shares with us how her upbringing influenced her professional choices as well as her work philosophy of doing good while doing well. She also talks about her work at Venrock, what guides its investment strategy, her particular passion for investing in orphan diseases and the importance of finding the right culture at funds.

In our most recent episode, Cristina Nunez talks to us about True Beauty Ventures, a beauty and wellness VC firm which she co-founded in 2020 and touches on the firm's vision and investment thesis and her passion for the space. Cristina talks about how her experience and insights as both an operator and investor has contributed to her role in VC. She articulates the importance of women having other female mentors in the industry and closes with some thoughts on the state of women in VC and what remains to be done.