Celebrate & Elevate Female Leaders in Venture Capital

Margo Cogliano
Vector AIS
Published in
5 min readApr 26, 2022

--

In March, we had the privilege of shining a light on a few of the many amazing women that are making strides toward a more inclusive ecosystem in the alternative investment space. There are so many incredible women emerging in this space right now that we’re truly in awe of, so narrowing this list down was a challenge. These profiles offered a small glimpse into the many women in venture capital who are working to create change. The scarcity-based mindset that there are only so many seats at the table for women is shifting. It’s truly a time to celebrate and empower each other to make the changes we wish to see a reality.

At of the end of 2021, women accounted for 15.4% of general partners at venture capital firms, and there were nearly 1,000 female angel investors, according to a recent Pitchbook report. These women are evolving an industry that has traditionally been dominated by men for decades, and although strides are being made, it is still an uphill battle.

Overcome Obstacles

Women in the alternative investment industry have struggled with the notion that they are not as aggressive when it comes to investing or quick decision-making. Historically, they have also faced a lack of equal opportunity, a shortage of role models, and cultures that promote a male-dominated environment.

While venture capital investing reached all-time highs in 2021, funding to woman-owned businesses remained low. According to Crunchbase data, companies with female founders raised just 2.2% of all venture funding in the first eight months of 2021, the lowest share in the past five years.

Virginie Raphael, Founder and Managing Partner of FullCircle, a New York-based pre-seed fund focused on creating a more diverse, inclusive, and prosperous workforce, believes women can overcome these and other obstacles by being true to themselves.

“Be yourself and follow through relentlessly. If you continue showing up authentically and always do what you say you will, you will become unstoppable,” Rafael says.

FullCircle’s mission is to invest in technologies that will make it possible for more workers to realize their full potential and gain agency, flexibility, ownership and pride over their work. Raphael is obsessed with serving founders at the earliest stages and is passionate about finding ways to better align founders and funders. To help achieve that goal, FullCircle is a perpetual fund pioneering a unique LP shareholder model.

Break the Bias

This year, International Women’s Day focused on “breaking the bias.” Conscious or not, bias is prevalent in many organizations, especially in venture capital.

Kristen Ostro, Founder of Strut Consulting and Founder and Managing Director of Let’s Talk Ops, says, “I’ve learned that although the hard moments, negative experiences, and failures in one’s career can feel so monumental and catastrophic when they happen, they’re really just a curve in the road, clearing an opening for what’s ahead. If the ‘bad’ thing didn’t happen, the opportunity for growth, learning, and self-reflection in its wake wouldn’t happen either.”

While most women can probably attest to working harder to be heard than their male colleagues, women of color must often work even harder.

While the U.S. Latino population is 19%, Latinx investment professionals comprise only 2% of total venture capital investment professionals, according to a 2021 LatinxVC study of 370 venture capital firms that have a recent active fund of at least $100M.

Noramay Cadena, Managing Partner of Supply Change Capital, is not only a founding board member of LatinxVC, but also a Latina mom leading an early-stage venture firm investing at the intersection of food, culture, and technology. Supply Change Capital’s vertically integrated approach is returns-focused, community-driven, and rooted in values. Noramay has created a seat at the table as an engineer, investor, and immigrant.

“I heard another woman say, ‘What you believe, you build.’ And waking up with that reflection has blown my mind and supercharged my execution. I believe in a future of food that is sustainable, supply chain efficient, healthier for us all, and rich in culture. And, I’m building it through Supply Change Capital,” Cadena says.

In it Together

Sara Ledterman, the founder of 3+ ventures, who is committed to helping other female founders, says, “The beautiful thing about venture is that winning is a team sport. My success is predicated on the success of others. So, the most important thing I can do is build a community around making sure others feel included, empowered, and equipped to succeed.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Elevating female leaders in venture capital is not a nice thing to do; it’s a business imperative. By taking action, we can work to diversify not only the venture capital industry, but also make strides in the business world more holistically.

We are at the precipice of serious change; the last few years have shed light on outdated systems that need to be broken and rebuilt. I am excited to see how the coming years unfold, and I am grateful to all the females and supporters who are stepping up and leading the charge. What you look like, who your parents are, and what your gender is, should not define the opportunities that you have in life. Your actions, effort, and how you treat others should be what matters.

Thank you to all the supporters, leaders, and emerging mentors. Thank you for not being discouraged by the noes and the naysayers, thank you for your abundance mindset and encouraging others to try! I am inspired and energized by your efforts, and I look forward to a prosperous future for us all!

In the spirit of taking action, Vector will be offering a 20% discount on our annual administration fees for the first three years for all women launching debut funds. This offer will run through August 2022. For more information, please reach out to sales@vectorais.com.

About Vector

Vector AIS is a next-generation fund administrator and technology company for closed-end investment funds.

At Vector, we strive to create an inspiring, inclusive, equitable workplace that celebrates and values employees. As we continue to scale, we do so with a responsibility to foster a culture of inclusivity and balance that allows teammates to thrive at work and in their personal lives.

Join the team, become a client, or follow us as we execute our mission.

Originally published at https://vectorais.com on April 26, 2022.

--

--