Going back to my old world of startup investment in today’s gab. I just funded a company in the cybersecurity space, CyberPopup, led by a woman. I did it for the same reasons I write scifi that hopefully appeals to more women.
First, it’s a little lonely in here. Leaders in both spaces are traditionally male. It’s changing and I’m all about helping it along with more than just my presence. I want to bring others.
Second, both scifi and early stage technology pave the path to our future. It’s SHOCKING how few women have had a say in both. Is this really what we want to see in the world?
This is me raising my hand, and my wallet, to say that women can create as good of and absolutely a better world if we are half of the voices at the leading edge.
When I ran Tech Wildcatters, we cast a very wide global net. The only criteria was that they receive their revenue from businesses, rather than straight consumer. It was Dallas, TX. We weren’t exactly known as a cool place to start a cool brand. But, we had big businesses with lots of problems to solve. I had investor money to protect and there wasn’t enough deal flow or enough support/understanding of women in tech to feel like I was a good steward of capital if I focused solely on teams with female founders. We always had a few, but they were in a tiny minority – or relegated to support roles.
I don’t have that concern now. And there are a lot more women (and men!) out there doing what I am. The lead investor of today’s deal, Vitalize, is a fund headed up by a man and two women. The Fund, with separate funds in Austin, NYC, Chicago, Colorado, LA, London, Australia, and India, requires balanced teams for both its partners and the companies they fund.
I’m fortunate to be where I am in life and have the ability to look to our future, with an understanding of the past, and do my small partto make the world a better place for more people. Other people can’t do that while they flee their homes, or struggle just to get through the day. That’s why I must.
I wanted to write it down to remind myself of my why, and cast a net for other like-minded people. Let’s focus and invest our time, talent, and treasure in the future we want to see. I am HERE for it. (no, I am not raising a fund)