Cindy Gallop’s Post

THIS. Invest in founders who are solving their OWN problems. ps No one understands product market fit like us. #womenFounders #autisticFounders #disabledFounders #investNeurodivergent

Cool news from Female Founders Fund! 💃 In 2014, investing in women’s health was anything but mainstream. Yet Female Founders Fund saw the potential in Maven, a women’s and family health startup, and took a chance. Today, Maven has raised $125 million at a $1.7 billion valuation, marking a key milestone not only for Maven but also for Female Founders Fund, which has now fully returned its first fund—a rare feat for any young VC firm. This success strengthens FFF’s mission of backing female founders and challenges the notion that investing in women is niche. As FFF founding partner Anu Duggal says, “We’re betting on a thesis that is proving out.” FFF’s commitment to underrepresented founders is delivering returns and reshaping the venture landscape. Read more: Fortune.com.

For #IWD2024, we're spotlighting a different business woman every day from exited founders to super angels, throughout the month of March. 🙌 Today: Meet Pip Wilson, CEO and co-founder of amicable divorce, who has twice successfully exited and has been an angel investor for six years. Why #BeMyAngel is a great idea: It removes the fear on getting started in angel investment and gives people the chance to be involved with small amounts of cash. People don’t consider angel investment because they think they can’t afford it. But you only need to invest what you can afford. It’s a great way to put something back into the ecosystem. I’ve been an angel investor for six years. I was lucky enough to have some funds and I wanted to give something back. I only invest in female run businesses with a social purpose that address a problem in society. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eH5sGaci

I want to meet more women 🥹 Every week I talk to an average of 10-12 founders. So far this year, I've had over 250 video calls. And I noticed something striking: Only 4 were with female founders, under 2%. 🤯 Surely that can't be the ratio of female to male founders raising money? When I started as an angel, my goal - also as a father of girls - was to support and invest in female founders and build a diverse portfolio. Of the 10 investments I have made, two have at least female co-founders. My next 2 commitments are again male founders. So where are the amazing women that are building? Let's talk ladies, I'm investing. P.S. Sorry for the ambiguous hook - it was just too tempting ... I am the happiest man with my 4 ladies at home. ❤️ ____________________________ Sharing my experience as an entrepreneur and angel investor. Investing in early stage B2B SaaS startups. Happy to connect 👋

As a tech founderwho has bootstrapped her way through a pandemic and beyond, the Supreme Court's ruling against Fearless Fund deeply resonates with me. Access to funding is crucial for women of color who face systemic challenges that many cannot fathom. It enables us to launch ventures, create jobs, and drive economic growth in our communities. For those of us with intersecting identities—navigating the complexities of race, gender, and disability—the barriers are even greater. I can say that from experience. This ruling isn't just a setback… it's a call to action. We must advocate for inclusive funding practices that recognize and address our diverse needs. What happens when we ensure equitable financial support? We can create a more just society where every woman, regardless of her background, has the opportunity to succeed. You ask us to be the backbones, well we need back support! #Equity #VC #Entrepreneurship #WomenAndBiz #WomenInTech #BlackInTech #DOBE

🌟 The Fearless Fund is crucial in bridging the venture capital funding gap for women of color founders, and this divided court ruling widens it. To all the Black women business owners out there: WE BELIEVE IN YOU. 💪🏾🌈✨ #BlackWomenLead #FearlessFund #BlackWomenFounders #VCFunding #SupportBlackBusiness 💼👩🏾💻👑

We've been talking a lot lately at the 51 ranch about what a exceptional joy it is to support women-led or women-focused brands and companies. Not just because it makes our hearts happy to see other women succeed, but because when I see numbers like this, it lights an inextinguishable fire: > Tech companies with all-women founders secured $3.2B from VC investors while all-male founding teams secured $114.8B > Businesses with mixed-gender leadership raised $44.7B (So, basically just having a male on your founding team gives you a $40B+ advantage.) If you're a female-founded business that has looked or is looking for funding, you know these numbers are very real. You have to answer questions about plans for a family and balancing work with personal life. Do not let this stop you or throw you off your game. Channel it into your pitch. We can help. Let's close this gap. #womenentrepreneurs #femalefounders #fundingstrategies #womenbusinessowners #womeninvestors #womeninvesting #femaleinvestors #investorpitch

50% of my startup clients are female founders. They have all raised capital or in the process of raising. The best part of my job is getting to be part of changing the stats by helping these companies get funded. Check out my other posts highlighting these founders!

This is how much money female founders aren't making, when our unicorns-in-waiting don't get funded (only 1.7% of all venture capital last year went to female founders). And this is how much money female founders who don't get funded to be able to scale unicorns, aren't able to recirculate in the funding ecosystem to in turn #FundFemaleFounders. Puck

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled against the Fearless Fund’s Fearless Strivers Grant Contest. Their ruling found that this contest is “substantially likely to violate” the provisions of Title 42 of the US Code, which prohibits race from being a factor when awarding and enforcing contracts. According to CNN: "The appellate court ordered a federal court in Georgia to enter a preliminary injunction blocking the fund from closing its grant application process while the case continues to be litigated . . . The court’s decision marks a victory for anti-affirmative action legal strategist Edward Blum, who filed a lawsuit last August against the fund on behalf of his group American Alliance for Equal Rights." Shortly after the ruling, Fearless Fund CEO Arian Simone called the court's actions devastating: "I am shattered for every girl of color who has a dream but will grow up in a nation determined not to give her a shot to live it," said Simone. "On their behalf, we will turn the pain into purpose and fight with all our might. America is supposed to be a nation where one has the freedom to achieve, the freedom to earn, and the freedom to prosper. Yet, when we have attempted to level the playing field for underrepresented groups, our freedoms were stifled." While we don't yet know what Simone's next move will be to create a more equitable funding landscape for founders from marginalized communities, we do know that she doesn't quickly back down from a fight. Understand more about the passion, energy and long-term vision that she brings to her mission by listening to the audio recording of her presentation from SXSW 2024 via the link below; https://lnkd.in/gkgBPncg What does the ruling against the Fearless Fund mean for the future for startups led by women and people of color? How can non-traditional founders get a larger slice of the venture capital dollars if not for these kinds of programs? If you have forward-thinking ideas creating a better ecosystem for entrepreneurs of all backgrounds, then you should enter a speaking proposal for SXSW 2025. The speaking proposal process opens on Tuesday, June 25 via the PanelPicker interface. Speaking proposals are accepted through the end of the day on Sunday, July 21. https://lnkd.in/eSXnqtA #funding, #venturecapital, Arian Simone, Fearless Fund, #sxsw, #sxsw2024, #sxsw2025, #DEI, #founders, #founderstories, #entrepreneur, #VC, #panelpicker, #inclusion, #leveltheplayingfield, #diversity, #equity