Girls Into VC

🚨New Episode!🚨 Kritika Jain hosted this week’s episode with Diana Melencio, General Partner at XRC Ventures! Diana Melencio is currently General Partner at XRC Ventures, a New York City-based venture capital firm and startup accelerator focused on pre-Seed to Series A startups in the retail technology, consumer goods, and consumer health tech sectors. Diana manages the entire XRC investment process and team and holds over 15 years of investing experience in retail, consumer and healthcare.    Our three key takeaways: 1️⃣ Empathy and open communication are required to properly support a founder as a venture capitalist – it is important to understand the founder’s journey and thought process while guiding them rather than dictating how they should lead their company 2️⃣ Founders should be clear on how the accelerators they participate in will help them, such as with their business development, expanding their network, etc 3️⃣ As Diana said, “you can have it all, but you can’t have it at once” – you need to focus on 1-2 things that are important to you at every stage of life! Thank you so much, Diana, for coming on the Girls Into VC podcast and sharing your journey and heartfelt stories with us! Listen to Diana’s episode here - https://lnkd.in/eY4-5E5C

Calling All Women Entrepreneurs! We're excited to announce TIE NJ's Women's Pitch Competition, and looking for innovative, driven women to showcase their business ideas! This is your chance to pitch your startup, gain valuable exposure, win amazing prizes $$ that could take your business to the next level. If you have a groundbreaking idea and the passion to make it happen, we want to hear from you! And you DON't have to be from the South Asian diaspora to apply, everyone is included as long as you identify as a "female founder"! Deadline to apply: June 30 Apply now: https://lnkd.in/dKDFckzx Let’s empower each other and create a future where women entrepreneurs lead the way. Spread the word to your "circle of influence" and apply today! #howwomeninvest #howwomenlead #TiEGlobal #TiE-NJ #Rotary

🚨New Episode!🚨 Kritika Jain hosted this week’s episode with our second founder on the podcast, Maria Medrano, CEO and Co-Founder of Inspirame! A trailblazing Latina jefa, Maria is dedicated to breaking generational poverty through educational empowerment. Prior to Inspirame, she had an illustrious 20-year career in human resources and diversity leadership at tech giants like Cisco Systems, Visa, and Google. After observing the college counseling system in California, Maria and her husband began Inspirame, a “technology driven, equity based” company with TecoGuide, a unique SaaS platform guiding learners through local academic and employment resources to improve their economic opportunities. Our key takeaways: 1️⃣ While community college is the largest higher education pathway used across the nation, much work is still required as people are still not well informed about their options. 2️⃣ Inspirame and TecoGuide have the potential to make the community college pathway more transparent to students and non-students across the United States by providing users with detailed information on community colleges, courses, financial aid, etc. 3️⃣ Diversity of backgrounds and experiences are necessary as it opens the door to new ideas and opportunities – look at how the experiences of Maria and her husband culminated in Inspirame! Thank you so much, Maria, for coming on the Girls Into VC podcast and sharing your journey with us! Listen to Maria’s episode here -https://lnkd.in/eYC7as99

🚨New Episode!🚨 Kritika Jain hosted this week’s episode with our first founder on the podcast, Dana Le, MHA, CEO and Co-Founder of Wander Health! With an extensive background in digital healthcare solutions, Dana is working on scaling her own startup, Wander Health, a medical concierge startup that connects travelers to vetted, local healthcare services when abroad. Her hope is to give travelers the peace of mind that they have access to “white glove [healthcare] services” abroad.    Our three key takeaways: 1️⃣ At the end of the day, founders should be clear on their priorities and what is best for their startups before heeding any advice given by others.  2️⃣ As travel and consumer spending picks up post-COVID, there are great business and investment opportunities in providing services to travelers abroad. 3️⃣ Time is currency and should be used efficiently – to hear more of Dana's TIPS on using time to your benefit, check out her TED Talk Thank you so much Dana for coming on the Girls Into VC podcast and sharing your journey with us! Listen to Dana’s episode here - https://lnkd.in/ec9ymb3J

🚨New Episode Alert!🚨 Every other week, we launch an episode of our podcast, Girls Into VC, hosted by Kritika Jain, on Spotify and Apple Music. Last week’s episode featured Corinne Bortniker, Director at Cohen Circle and Principal at Radiate Capital. With a background in investment banking, Corinne currently invests in fintech and healthcare businesses that provide solutions to critical global issues alongside compelling financial returns at Radiate Capital.   Our three key takeaways: 1️⃣ There is great investment opportunity in products and services for underserved communities as they have historically been excluded from the business landscape. Startups, like Nova Credit, are fulfilling these communities' needs, and venture capital firms should realize their potential. 2️⃣ Quality data and analytics are vital now more than ever to ensure proper measurement of metrics and reporting, especially for companies adhering to ESG guidelines. 3️⃣ As alluded to by Corinne, the “broken rung” is still a prevalent issue that affects women every day in corporate America. It needs to properly be addressed to achieve gender diversity in all roles. Learn more about the “broken rung” phenomenon here - https://lnkd.in/e8C82ZHJ Thank you so much Corinne for coming on the Girls Into VC podcast and sharing your journey with us! Listen to Corinne’s episode here - https://lnkd.in/ePjNndNx

I got home at midnight last night. WAY past my bedtime. Only something really special could keep me out that late, and the Show Her The Money experience lived up to the hype. Scroobious and All Raise proudly joined the host committee along with 360 Venture Collective, Wells Fargo, Simmons University, Archer Roose Wines, Girls Into VC, StartOut, and more to bring a screening to #Boston. This documentary uses storytelling to both demonstrate how the funding gap manifests in real life and teach women how and why to become investors. People couldn't help themselves from clapping, shouting, and, sometimes, crying throughout the film. I was delighted to join a panel discussion following the film to foster productive conversation and continued learning. Catherine Gray, Wendy Ryan, Marcia Dawood, Marian Leitner-Waldman (she/her), Judith Goldkrand, Kelly O’Connell, Ann E. Metzger, Dawn Lafreeda, Pocket Sun, and other stars, producers, and sponsors of the film are on an international tour bringing screenings into communities for events like we had last night. If you haven't been to a screening yet, I strongly encourage you to find out when it's coming to your city, and if it isn't, be the one who does! #fundwomen #fundraising #entrepreneurship #investing #angelinvesting #venturecapital #femalefounders

New Podcast Episode! 🎙 In this episode, I am connecting you with Isabella Mandis, Founder of Girls Into VC. Girls Into VC is the first organization dedicated to bringing girls into venture capital. They are committed to bridging the gender gap by creating a robust pipeline of skilled, passionate young women equipped and ready to revolutionize the industry. Through targeted education, resources, and mentorship, they empower the next generation of women leaders in venture capital. Listen in here: https://lnkd.in/gWtyQUnd

Want to break into VC in 2024? Here's 5 things I invested in over the past 14 MONTHS that set me up for success: ✨ Mentorship Programs & Communities 🌱 seed stage | Allie Mullen 🔗 : https://lnkd.in/eFRe3vcK 💜 VC Unleashed | Tanvi Lal | Michelle Dhansinghani 🔗 https://vcunleashed.xyz/ 💛 Women Venture Capitalists | Eugene Yao | Meg Lizza 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eSJas-x7 ❤️ Aspire to Her | Jo Cheng | Jordan DeTar | Anna Copman *0-5 years within your career 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eSXGcT_6 🌳 Crown Affair Seedling | Dianna Cohen | Elaine C. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e2Xf4yQq ✨ Networking Sourcing high-quality deal flow can be a game changer, but here's other ways to stand out: 🤝 Connecting investors to talent, co-investors, LPs, other ecosystem partners 📑 Sharing your unique industry insights through your personal investment thesis 👩🏽💻 Flexing your founder or operator skillset - do an audit of fund & provide recs (ex. Platform & Brand Pitch: https://shorturl.at/eTW79) ✨ Self-Education 🎙 PODCASTS Due Diligence | Dulma Altan ▶ https://lnkd.in/dq9cH4vT Brydge Club | Ruffin Mitchener ▶ https://lnkd.in/dP32w7DA 💸 Invest Like the Best | Patrick O'Shaughnessy, CFA ▶ https://lnkd.in/eRXFq9zM 🔐 Acquired | David Rosenthal | Ben Gilbert ▶ https://lnkd.in/daVAnZCD ✍🏽 NEWSLETTERS Fortune Term Sheet | Allie Garfinkle 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d8Qga8z8 Fortune The Broadsheet | Emma Hinchliffe 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dtyU23uE Femtech Insider | Kathrin F. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dy-tgUuk FemWealth | Anamaria IUGA 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dyagVCMV Female Founder World | Jasmine Garnsworthy 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dk-dy3pW #SoYouWantToWorkInPlatform | Allie Mullen 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dHnWctWd Investing 101 2.0 | Kyle Harrison 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dhnWcMqj 📲 REPORTERS TO FOLLOW Dominic-Madori Davis | TechCrunch Natasha Mascarenhas | The Information Anita Ramaswamy | Reuters Breaking Views Claire McCormack | Beauty Independent ✨ Interview Follow Up If you have solutions to challenges the team expressed during the interview process, send the tool/resource, a connection you could make, research & content you've written, testimonials from founders, etc. in your thank you email. ✨ Personal Brand The easiest way is by creating content - post once a week on Linkedln/Twitter, TikTok/IG, or on a blog/newsletter about one of the following: ▶ Industry Deep Dives (ex. state of creator economy) ▶ Curation of Funding & Investor Resources ▶ Analysis & Predications Based on Social/Policy/Economic Changes ▶ Culture trends' Impact on Investor Appetite or Startup Innovation _____________ 📖 VC Guides: Breaking Into & Thriving in VC | Cowboy Ventures 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dttv5KPD Decoding the VC Platform Role | Lerer Hippeau 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dppMKPiA How to break into VC | Weekend Fund 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dw_VPn75

We are so excited to announce ⭐️ The Girls Into VC 2023 Summit ⭐️ ⁉️ What is it? A gathering for pioneering women and allies dedicated to reshaping the entrepreneurship and venture capital landscapes. 🥅 Objective: To inspire, educate, and empower the next generation of female leaders in venture capital. We will provide attendees with: - Actionable insights + resources to break into/thrive in the industry - Opportunities to connect with established mentors and peers from diverse backgrounds - A platform to celebrate the achievements and potentials of women in VC, while laying a foundation for future inclusivity in the field - A pitch competition where attendees can either participate (gaining invaluable pitching experience + the opportunity to win a grant) or listen (gaining insight into new exciting ventures) 🗓️ Date: November 12th, 2023 📍 Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts 👂 Hear from Dorm Room Fund Techstars, LinkedIn, Morgan Stanley, Hyperplane and more! ❤️ Thank you to our sponsors Gunderson Dettmer, Bloomberg Beta, and The MBA Fund for all of your support! Learn more and register here: girlsintovc.com/events

It was a pleasure meeting Raaga K., the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and co-founder of Minvest Finance as part of the Girls Who VC Scout Program! Minvest Finance is a digital platform designed for young individuals that simplifies, personalizes, and accelerates the investing process. Its mission is to empower young individuals to grow their finances and become more financially literate. Today, with a team of over 15 individuals and a $6,000 grant from Modak Makers, Minvest is working tirelessly to develop its exciting product and make a difference in the investing journeys of millions of young individuals. Visit https://lnkd.in/eQ-2s9Fs to learn more about Minvest's story and mission! Thank you to Isabella Mandis and Girls Who VC for providing such a great opportunity to meet with female founders with promising startups! Special thank you to Raaga for meeting with me and I hope to keep in touch!