Kristin Richardson’s Post

🏔 📉 The valley experience from being a founder Every founder has this experience, male or female - the pressure of financial security. For oneself and if the company is growing, even for employees. And if it is getting tight, you need to have strong nerves and try to find solutions. I joined the 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 of Start-up BW with the topic of “𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁” this week. A great initiative to create a platform of different kind of investors and female founders. It was interesting to listen to various funding strategies of the founder Alma Spribille, Sabrina Hellstern, Maike Lambarth and Ines Würth and their unique valley experiences and how they stepped out of it. I don't want to drop more numbers of how crazy low is the amount of funding deals and volume for female founders compared to male founders. 🔑 What I actively want to share my key take away of the importance of #network between serial and early founders (gender indifferent!) especially regarding investors. That might be a great missing piece to create an #impact for more female founded startups to survive! Links in comments: 👉 Read more about investment behavior of female business angels 👉 Read more about destroying numbers of investments in male vs female startups ;P #girlsjustwannahavefunds #startups

"A new 2024 study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Heather Tookes shows that women are less likely to get funding compared to men with similar entrepreneurial history. One reason is that investors who have experienced a poor outcome from a woman-led startup shy away from other women founders—but benefitting from successes of women founders doesn’t lead them to invest more." Yup, you read that right… despite the fact that 90% of startups fail, male founders are often given the benefit of the doubt and the chance to learn from their past mistakes and failure, leading them to secure VC funding for their next venture. But for female founders, a single failure doesn’t just impact their own future funding opportunities—it can also shut the door for entirely different female founders, as VCs' gender biases hold all female founders back. Even worse, when a successful female founder does bring in high returns to an investor, it still doesn’t translate to more investments in female founders. This was a tough read, but so necessary—it brings research, data, and clarity to what female founders have known all along. If a female founder’s success doesn’t increase investment in other women, then it’s clear: the only thing that matters to investors is whether the founder is a woman or not. Link to article in comments ⬇️

Who else has that Friday feeling??? 😎 Are you ready for another edition of #Unstoppable female founders newsletter? Let's dive in! 👇 💛 This week's Unstoppable Female Founder spotlight shines on one of the most prominent serial entrepreneurs in the UK, the incredible Debbie Wosskow, OBE, founder of Mantra PR, Love Home Swap, AllBright and several others. 📣 My rant this week breaks down the necessary steps you should take to find product market fit for your startup, the metrics you should be measuring and more. (Shoutout to Mark Roberge of Stage 2 Capital for his graphic) And in the #HypeCorner we have a monster list of women who have raised capital with their teams this week. A special shoutout to the all female founding team of Ecosmic who raised their pre-seed this week! 🔸 Benedetta Margrethe Cattani Gaia Roncalli & Imane Marouf Co-founders of Ecosmic 🔸 Annelise Brbora Co-founder & COO of Cordon Technologies 🔸 Kate Pleteneva Founding Computer Vision Engineer of Sorted 🔸 Marie Bedu Co-founder & COO of RockFi 🔸 Pauline Glikman Co-founder & CEO of Payflows 🔸 Dominique Demolle Co-founder & CEO of Cognivia 🔸 Kate Henningsen CEO of Infogrid 🔸 Anastasia Syvolob Co-founder of Geodesic.life  🔸 Dr. Anne-Kristin Heninger & Teresa Rojo Romanos Co-founders of Seamless Therapeutics  🔸 Lorna J Walker & Paige Mullen Co-founders of @Camion 🔸 Eugenia Sagué Co-founder & CEO of Cultimate Foods A HUGE congratulations to these women and their teams, I look forward to seeing what the next phase of growth looks like for each of these startups! ☀ Have a wonderful weekend everyone! ☀ ______________________________________________________________ 👀 To read the full newsletter 👉 https://lnkd.in/eet2Y5QR #femalefounder #founder #startup #womenintech #fundraising #investment #pmf #vc #angelinvestor #climatetech #saas #biotech #fintech #ai #proptech #newsletter

I am happy to share insights from Ike and my recent conversation with Eva Helén, a serial entrepreneur with a remarkable journey in Silicon Valley and beyond. In our discussion, Eva reflects on her experiences founding multiple startups, overcoming challenges as a woman in tech, and the significance of balance and continuity in the entrepreneurial world. What stands out is her unwavering drive to create, now embarking on a new venture! Key takeaways from Eva’s journey: - Managing the emotional roller coaster of entrepreneurship - The value of mentors and allies for female founders - Strategies for prioritizing mental and physical well-being while growing your business - The crucial role of listening and feedback in long-term success For actionable advice on thriving as a founder, dive into our conversation: - YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gJktDgmd - Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gd3YdCry #FearlessFounders #Entrepreneurship #WomenInTech #StartupLife #BusinessInsights #Leadership #GrowthMindset #FoundersJourney #Eva #MentalHealth #Mentorship #LeadershipJourney #CEO

Concrete boots for female founders. Thank you 🍇 Kirstin Hunter and Rachael Neumann for shining the light on the numbers and tracking the results. I’ve been well aware that the odds are stacked against me as a sole female founder - data showing only 5% of VC investor funding flows that way. Not only that, it usually means smaller cheque sizes too. I’ve witnessed it in action with my peers from the time it takes to close and the amount of funding on the table. In the words of Alexander Hamilton - “rise up”! Hunter challenges the Australian VC community to rise to the 27% task, a benchmark Techstars far exceeds. “Unless you believe that men are better entrepreneurs than women (despite the data saying otherwise) if a fund has less than 27% of women founders (i.e. not just businesses with at least one woman founder) in their portfolio, they are suffering from bias in their investment decisions. That bias will likely come at a cost to their Limited Partners in future returns.” I’m very proud to have this formidable leader Kirstin on my Advisory Board along with a fantastic group of investors backing me… more to come on that soon. Let’s do this!

Why is backing female founders more than just a numbers game? Female-led teams receive an average of $700,000 in VC #funding, while all-male teams receive $3 million. This gap isn’t just a statistic; it sets #FemaleFounders up for a steeper climb, forcing them to achieve the same milestones with far fewer resources. It’s not just about who gets funded—it’s about how much and the barriers they face. Learn more from Kylie Frazer in Startup Daily: https://lnkd.in/gGVqzJbW

Despite Black women launching businesses at the highest rate of any demographic, they receive what amounts to a statistical rounding error in VC funding. It's not just disheartening. It's a systemic failure that we need to address. If you're an underrepresented entrepreneur looking to secure capital, here are three approaches you can take to get where you need to be: https://bit.ly/3ARn92Z #WomeninResearch #MRX #MarketResearch

In the dynamic world of startups, diversity remains an underutilized but essential resource. Despite progress in entrepreneurial landscapes, startups led by women and minorities continue to face significant disparities in funding. These gaps not only hinder business innovation but also limit potential economic growth. To tap into the true potential of diversity, it's crucial to recognize both the challenges and solutions within the startup ecosystem. The Funding Disparity: A Persistent Barrier Startups led by minorities and women are often subject to systemic barriers in securing venture capital (VC) funding. For instance, Black entrepreneurs receive less than 1% of VC funding in the U.S., with Black women receiving even less, often a mere fraction of that figure. This staggering disparity is a reflection of deep-rooted biases and a lack of representation in decision-making roles across investment firms. Many minority and female founders face challenges such as…. Read full article here(https://shorturl.at/WdwMB)

"You don't have to be one particular kind of person to be a successful entrepreneur' Victoria-Rose Tucker runs the UNSW Founders New Wave program and she says one of the first change in mindset is getting beyond the idea that women have to be what is perceived to be more masculine to make it. There are many paths to accomplishment. Find one that looks like you. Listen up to how the New Wave is changing women's path on Multiple Hats today! 🎧🎧🎧https://lnkd.in/ddtYjNXS #multiplehats #womenentrepreneurs #founders #startups

Thank you to Julie Peterson Klein for hosting Arizona Bell Bank women for a private viewing of Show Her The Money! SHOW HER THE MONEY addresses how women are getting less than 2% of venture capital funding and demystifies what venture capital is. Featuring rock-star female investors who invest in diverse women entrepreneurs with innovations that will change the world, Show Her The Money reminds us that money is power and women need it to achieve true equality. The film follows four visionary entrepreneurs as they endure uphill battles to turn their ideas into reality. In spite of their dedication and passion constantly being challenged, these women, with the financial support and mentorship of their angel investors, become even more determined, resourceful and resilient, and the growth of their businesses is mind-blowing. Each business has the potential to become a “unicorn” … a billion dollar business.   Vicky Pasche aspires to change the world of fashion with Dapper Boi, a gender-neutral, body inclusive apparel line. Jasmine Jones, founder of Myya, wants to make shopping for mastectomy bras empowering, convenient and sexy for breast cancer survivors. Diipa Büller-Khosla, founder of indē wild, creates beauty products influenced by ancient Indian medicine known as Ayurveda. She is empowering South Asian women to celebrate their brown skin in a country that historically markets skin lightening products. Marian Leitner’s company, Archer Roose, sells luxury wines in cans, reinventing the image of wine drinkers while lowering the carbon footprint of the wine industry.  Trailblazing wealthy and connected women are funding these female funders. The film gives us a peek into the exclusive lives of these gate keepers including: Dawn Lafreeda, a waitress turned millionaire, who owns more restaurants than any woman in the United States; Pocket Sun who is the youngest woman ever to start her own VC Fund and recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 100 most powerful women in the country; and Wendy Ryan a powerhouse investor, who is using her generational wealth to empower women and BIPOC entrepreneurs. Each of them, along with other female angel investors, are rewriting the rules of the American economy by funding companies led by women – knowing that funding women is a winning investment strategy.  In addition to the founders and angel investors, the film also features Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner, Sharon Gless, Primetime Emmy Nominee Elizabeth Banks, and the ultimate connector and award-winning producer, author, Tedx speaker, podcast host and founder of She Angel Investors, Catherine Gray.  It was a woman who invented the electric dishwasher, central gas heating, and the list goes on. Who knows how much our society and our planet will benefit from future generations of women with game-changing creations and innovative ideas? The only way we’ll ever know is if we SHOW HER THE MONEY! https://lnkd.in/gXNQmkuu