Investments identity.vc (Seed & Series A) | Founder Herizon | Ex Growth Operator (idea to Series A)
I totally understand this sentiment. As a female VC, I've observed numerous challenges faced by many women in the industry: - Receiving a significantly lower carry percentage compared to male colleagues, often being tokenized as the "diversity poster girl" partner. - Being overlooked for board seats in portfolio companies, or if they do get board positions, they are often with the least promising companies. - Being excluded from female-focused VC activities under the pretext that their primary role is to source deals, thus limiting their networking opportunities. - Facing subtle yet pervasive biases during partner meetings, where their opinions are frequently undervalued or disregarded in favor of their male counterparts. - Experiencing a lack of mentorship and sponsorship from senior leadership, which hampers their career growth and advancement within the firm. - Being expected to handle administrative or operational tasks more often than their male colleagues, detracting from their time and focus on deal-making and strategic initiatives. That said, I find it hard to understand why leaving the industry solves anything. While there are many aspects of the industry status quo that I disagree with, I believe that the most effective way to drive meaningful change is by remaining within the industry and actively working to transform it from the inside. By staying, women in VC can leverage our influence, advocate for equitable practices, and support other women and underrepresented groups, ultimately creating a more inclusive and fair environment for everyone.
"People take me less seriously than white male VCs." - An anonymous female VC partner. Ask women around you and I am sure that you will get similar testimonials. VC remains a male-dominated industry (77% of investors are male), and sadly, some women are leaving as a result. At Five Seasons, 43% of our investment team are women. We're committed to promoting gender diversity with the following initiatives: ➤ Training our team on biases ➤ Implementing a policy on parental leave ➤ Providing additional coaching ➤ Encouraging networking in women-led events like WVC:E Do you have other ideas to build an inclusive culture in VC? Let me know in the comments!
