TeLisa D.’s Post

You Are More Than Inc. and Shobana Powell Consulting! : ✨ Check out the next free webinar in our Self-Employed Survivors Series! (Link in bio to register- seats are limited) So excited to partner with Dr. Shobana Powell, DSW, LCSW for a powerhouse panel discussion on how to navigate your truth as a social entrepreneur and the complexities of systemic barriers, authenticity, self-disclosure, and what feels safe, comfortable, and culturally right for you. Speakers to be announced soon! ✊🏾❤️🙌🏾 Although this workshop is geared towards survivors of trauma, we encourage service providers and all historically and currently oppressed folks (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, persons with disabilities, immigrants, women, and more) to attend. Please note that in order to foster a trauma-informed virtual environment, this event will not be recorded. If there’s something you’d like us to cover, please let us know in the comments. We hope to see you there! #financialfreedom #economicempowerment #domesticviolence #genderbasedviolence #humantrafficking #entrepreneurship #survivorleadership #livedexperience

Check out the next free webinar in our Self-Employed Survivors Series! Link to register (seats are limited): https://lnkd.in/eqvVd_gB So excited to partner with You Are More Than Inc. for a powerhouse panel discussion on how to navigate your truth as a social entrepreneur and the complexities of systemic barriers, authenticity, self-disclosure, and what feels safe, comfortable, and culturally right for you. Speakers to be announced soon! Although this workshop is geared towards survivors of trauma, we encourage service providers and all historically and currently oppressed folks (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, persons with disabilities, immigrants, women, and more) to attend. Please note that in order to foster a trauma-informed virtual environment, this event will not be recorded. If there’s something you’d like us to cover, please let us know in the comments. We hope to see you there! #financialfreedom #economicempowerment #domesticviolence #genderbasedviolence #humantrafficking #entrepreneurship #survivorleadership #livedexperience

If you and a sec, please vote for our panel on 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ in Venture: Data Transparency, Community, and Capital Allocation: A LGBTQ+ Lens

In honor of Pride Month, we want to share this insightful article on the Venture Out Partnership, aiming to boost LGBTQ+ visibility in venture capital. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gp-iKEZh 🔗 Since its inception last summer, Venture Out has amassed 70 members, from investors to lawyers to entrepreneurs. It tackles the lack of LGBTQ+ visibility in VC, building a support system for queer people in venture and encouraging more people to come out. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we are glad to see more focus on issues like these. At RevFund, we are committed to inclusivity and empowering *all* voices to be heard. If you want to work with us, apply to work with us: https://lnkd.in/gCi9bPwT #revfund1 #investmentservice #investmentfund #orangecountyinvestor #orangecountyinvestment #sustainableinvestment #meaningfulbusiness #climatetech #healthequity #humanequity Source: Fierce Healthcare

Can't believe this has come around again so quickly! If you have an innovative idea, involving #chemistry do look at applying for one of the categories. I am looking forward to judging the entries! #innovation #greenchemistry #sustainability

Reflecting on my first three weeks working at a fund dedicated to fostering diversity... Although identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs is just over a year old, it has already achieved significant milestones in the venture space. One of the key advantages of working in a small, emerging fund is the hands-on experience—having direct conversations with founders, contributing to investment decisions, and shaping internal strategies, all while building a strong and supportive community. Speaking of community, I had the privilege of helping organize the Queer Female Founder Dinner, a wonderful collaboration between SHE/THEY – Queer start-up founders club and identity.vc. Congrats to Mari Luukkainen, Tinush aka Tina Weise, and Jil Landtau (Froembling) for bringing this event to life. 🚀 Here are my 3 cents on it: 1. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐊𝐞𝐲: The bonds formed in these spaces are crucial for building networks that fuel both personal and professional growth 👉 they've been instrumental in helping me build a new community in Berlin, hit me up if you're also in Berlin/Paris and want to connect. 2. 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Seeing so many accomplished queer female* founders and future leaders in one room reinforced how important representation is in our industry 👉 I don't need to list all the studies highlighting the lack of representation of women in the VC and startup ecosystem—one number says it all: just 3% of funding in the EU goes to female-only teams, according to Sifted (https://lnkd.in/eSir-ttb). That statistic speaks volumes. 3. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: These dinners don’t just offer support—they spark collaboration and innovation, strengthening the entire ecosystem 👉 Ties to my last point, we need to connect with each other to create network and therefore fundraising opportunities. 💸💸💸

Learning from my first startup's failure, resilience became a cornerstone in my current venture. As founders, let's treasure life's freedom to pursue our vision, crafting a unique path by solving age-old problems. Seeking help or suggestions with the right questions and addressing identified problems can make our businesses sustainable and secure. Rather than letting the world dictate, lead by example. Demonstrate how it's done, and others will follow suit. Sassiest Building India’s first doctor-backed sexual wellness and pleasure brand for women and lgbtq+ with Karishma Chavan and Dr Nikita Dound 💜🧿 #entrepreneurship #Resilience #FreedomToInnovate #learning

See how we run our LGBT+ VC College Fellowship? Very smart, very focused. We don’t overcomplicate things — just opportunities, mentorship, and real-world experience. That’s how you get ahead in the #venturecapital game. Some programs are out here making noise but miss the point. Not us. We’re here to build the next generation of savvy, LGBTQ+ investors. Very prepared. Very polished for every room you walk into-- it's very respectful. It's #demure. A lot of you show up ready to grind, but without direction? It’s like showing up to class with last year’s syllabus. We’re giving you the tools and the guidance you need to crush it in VC. Let’s do this the right way.

"It’s still hard when you’re pitching across the table to people that just see the world very differently." StartOut’s 2023 State of LGBTQ Entrepreneurship Report found: ▪ Only 0.5% of the $2.1T in startup funding was raised by LGBTQ+ founders while nationwide 7.1% of the population identifies as LGBTQ+. ▪LGBTQ+ founders created 36% more jobs, 114% more patents, and 44% more exits, despite raising 16% less funding compared to the average founder. ▪Of the funding raised by LGBTQ+ founders, 85% was raised in only 5 metros with San Francisco raising 6 times more than NYC or LA and 12 times more than Denver or Austin. ▪The largest metros without any LGBTQ+ founders are Orlando (FL), Charlotte (NC), and Birmingham (AL), all of which are located in states without comprehensive non-discrimination policies for LGBTQ+ people. https://lnkd.in/eics3hph #founders #vc #investing #pride