Invest. In. Women. And real men out there, speak up for women, because they shouldn’t have to do this alone. Women know all of this already. Men need to listen and amplify, otherwise the algorithm won’t help. Please watch this whole interview with the inspirational Melinda French Gates who is leading the charge with Pivotal Ventures investing $1 billion over the next ten years to promote gender equality. And that is not nearly enough. Based on data from its widely-respected Global Gender Gap Index, the World Economic Forum estimates that it will take the United States another 208 years to reach gender equality. This is not surprising given women founders only receive less than 2% of venture funding. The gender pay gap has remained steady over the past 20 years. In 2021, women earned 84 cents for every dollar paid to men for full-time, year-round work. This gap is significant at every level of education, and women may need to earn an additional degree to earn the same as men with less education. The gap is also more pronounced for women of color, with Black women earning 64%, Hispanic women earning 57%, Native American women earning 59%, and Latinas earning 55% of what non-Hispanic white men earn. In 2018, there were more men named James running Fortune 500 companies than there were women. In 2019, only one CEO on that list of 500 was a woman of color. Women are 51 percent of the population but hold only 24 percent of the seats in Congress. "I hope that women and people of color see that you can lead differently and you can be at the top of your field and you can be a great human being, living your personal life the way you want to and be a leader in your sector," she added. "I think you get these industries where, when over time they become very male-dominated, then the guys expect that everybody's going to act the way they act. And when they don't see somebody leading or acting the way they are there, there's pushback.”
In an interview from earlier this spring, Brian Sozzi of Yahoo Finance asked me about the core values that guide my work. My answer, which can be traced back to what my parents and teachers taught me as a kid, is that I believe we’re all here to lift up those around us. Ultimately, I want everyone—especially those who have been left behind or excluded—to have the resources and opportunities they need to live the life they want. Listen to the full interview:
I remember when I was consulting in medtech and a potential client said, "so you want to play with the big boys." He was expecting me to behave a certain way for him to invest in me, and while I did a project for him, eventually it didn't work out. And I'll be raising funds soon and wouldn't be surprised if I get the exact same response.
Invest 👏 in 👏 women 👏 Also actively put women in leadership positions for greater representation, and fix the broken rung
Remember enjoying that interview very much. Brian Sozzi on point with perhaps the most consequential philanthropist leading today. What a wonderful example for #women and girls.
“72% of women in tech report experiencing ‘bro culture’ at work, signifying discrimination.” That’s a statistic to sit and chew on. (Or time to look up the equivalent stats for your industry. Spoiler: it isn’t what it should be.) I appreciate how you add your voice to these issues, Dave.
I personally know women of color who face an Everest mountain of working hard just to stay at poverty level. It’s nuts. Thank you, Melinda Gates! And same to you, Dave Lu for always shouting atop of mountains for this change
Sara Lindquist the opportunities in the PNW will explode!
"In 2018, there were more men named James running Fortune 500 companies than there were women." <= 👀
Board Of Directors @ National Hispanic Health Foundation | Junta Directiva Fundación Nacional de Salud Hispana | Board of Directors @ Gwen Lily Research Foundation | Junta Directiva de Gwen Lily Research Foundation
7moNot just investing but not taking them to the cleaners on term sheets when they say they will invest in you. The times I’ve been told that I must prove myself over & over again makes me feel insane.