Rebecca Torrence’s Post

Our crisis of loneliness, the new bet investors are going after (Insider) https://lnkd.in/eYhBrAsn Subscribe to our newsletter here: http://gimbhi.substack.com  #mentalhealth #startups #investors

YES! And the mental health crisis extends not only to founders, but to emerging VC Fund managers and startup leaders and will particularly hit hard female and BIPOC leaders, who already face additional challenges just by simply being themselves. 💔 After starting 2 companies since Covid, going thru the capital journey, growing 2000% in 18 months organically, and then facing huge personal and professional setbacks the last 2 years (including having to bankrupt 1 company) - I know firsthand the massive mental health toll being in this startup world takes. 🤯 AND I have found, learned, and intimately know the tools, practices, and resilience systems that not just get me back into the arena, but make me bolder, more audacious, and more alive. 💃 (Huge thanks to Regena Thomashauer!) That is why I'm starting 2024 with an event (K. Immersive | Jan 18th | D.C. ) for female founders, VC Fund Managers, CEOs, and leaders who are craving a new internal operating model, a feminine growth model, that gives them: 🔥 tools to actually metabolize and integrate challenges and setbacks and turn them into renewable energy sources for themselves and their businesses (vs shutting down, disassociating, and just powering through) 🔬 clarity into their desires for growth (that tricky balance of listening & incorporating valid feedback but not conforming to whims) 🏃♀️ Power, confidence, and the long-haul resilience capacity to build and invest in companies the world needs. We know that founders (and those that support them) are literally building our future. And we NEED female and diverse founders in the mix to build a more inclusive, diverse, and expansive tomorrow. These founders need different types of support, and I'm so glad to hear that funds like Felicis, Seven Seven Six 7️⃣7️⃣6️⃣, Forerunner, First Round Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Freestyle Capital, Sunset Ventures are supporting this!

"Sadly, but not terribly surprisingly, it feels as though we are in the early stages of an unprecedented founder mental health crisis, said Brad Svrluga (cofounder and general partner at Primary Venture Partners)." VCs are predicting that 2024 will be a tough year for founders. Will investors and the entrepreneurship community step up and support founders? At the Founder Mental Health Pledge, we want to help provide that support to founders across the world. Learn more about our mission ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gmNv7RUA Check out our resources page ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gAqPRRkR Check out the full Business Insider article 👇 #mentalhealth #founders #startup #mentalhealthawareness #support #2024trends

Founders will face unprecedented levels of mental health crisis! 😰 - Startups face funding logjam, shut IPO window, and ghosting clients as cash runs low and investors encourage returning capital - Predicted epidemic of founder mental illness as struggling startups and economic pressures heighten stress levels - Investors offer support through programs addressing founder mental health, including coaching and therapy services What can we do to support the builders of our future?? 👉🏼 “More investors have spun up programs to address founder mental health and burnout in recent years. Felicis and Seven Seven Six 7️⃣7️⃣6️⃣ commit 1% on top of every new investment for founders to subsidize services like coaching and therapy.” Shout out to the The Grand World a startup that provides group coaching as a service to founders. “one of the fast-growing segments of the business is coaching for founders, now that venture firms such as First Round Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Forerunner and Freestyle Capital offer it as a perk to entrepreneurs.” The Grand is a Sunset Ventures portfolio company, and led by Anita Hossain Choudhry + Rei Wang!! Hit them up if your company or fund wants to provide coaching support to your employees / founders! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 https://lnkd.in/gNYVWeWU

Mental health has rarely been discussed in the venture capital community but the issue has garnered more attention recently, particularly among startup founders finding themselves under increased pressure in the current downturn. The pressures of raising funds, meeting performance targets and coping with a stressful work-life balance are taking their toll on many entrepreneurs' mental well-being. According to a survey by data-sharing platform Startup Snapshot, some 72% of founders reported that launching their own business had a negative impact on their mental health. Full Article Here: https://lnkd.in/eSSYAnhW #privateequity #venturecapital

This is so important! PROTECT YOUR #mentalhealth #founders---AT ALL COSTS! "Mental health has rarely been discussed in the venture capital community but the issue has garnered more attention recently, particularly among startup founders finding themselves under increased pressure in the current downturn. The pressures of raising funds, meeting performance targets and coping with a stressful work-life balance are taking their toll on many entrepreneurs' mental well-being. According to a survey by data-sharing platform Startup Snapshot, some 72% of founders reported that launching their own business had a negative impact on their mental health. As a result, more venture capitalists are putting resources towards supporting founders' mental health. But many in the industry believe more needs to be done." 🔗 : https://lnkd.in/gSXzN57d

Being able to endure childhood adversity and trauma actually can make one stronger. “Van den Brande has built Hummingbird into one of the best-performing venture funds of the past decade. It has delivered three vintages with over 10x net returns. According to Van den Brande, his firm backs 0.1% of the founders it assesses. It hires just 0.11% of the job applicants it receives. Hummingbird’s team believes that the right entrepreneur is 80% of the equation. Hummingbird looks for neurodivergent founders who have endured real trauma. Like the founders of the startups they worked for, they were strange, unorthodox, and piratical. First, Hummingbird believes that an experience with trauma is predictive. “All of the best people, in our opinion, have gone through a level of trauma. Where at some point life shows up and it’s not just all Tom and Jerry and cartoons. And it shows its teeth,” Van den Brande said. For some time, research has suggested a connection between childhood adversity and entrepreneurship. A look at some of the most effective entrepreneurs of the past few decades offers anecdotal support: Bill Gates endured consistent bullying, Elon Musk lived beneath the rule of a cruel and violent father, and Steve Jobs grew up with the knowledge his birth parents had given him up for adoption.” This article really spoke to my deepest inner self. When I was in my young teens, I was frequently bullied in school because I was fat, my father berated me often, looked down on me, he packed up his bags and left one day due to his gambling debts, and that led to my parents divorce not long after. I picked up a sport (swimming and waterpolo) and trained daily so as to be physically fit and strong, and vowed never to be bullied again. I studied hard in school so as never to be looked down again. The connection to childhood adversity and trauma can make one stronger, only after you acknowledged its past, embraced it with full open arms, and now decide to move on into your own future. The Best Venture Firm You’ve Never Heard Of - Hummingbird Ventures https://lnkd.in/gG9AvhYn

Startup founders will face an 'unprecedented' crisis of mental health this year, VCs predict   “A funding logjam at the early stages. A shut window for IPOs. Clients ghosting businesses. If the investor warnings are to be believed, struggling startups will face a bloodbath this year as cash runs low and wary investors encourage founders to return the capital.   Now, investors are predicting an epidemic of founder mental illness in Silicon Valley and beyond, the likes of which tech has never seen.   "Sadly, but not terribly surprisingly, it feels as though we are in the early stages of an unprecedented founder mental health crisis," said Brad Svrluga, a cofounder and general partner at Primary, which invests in early-stage startups based largely in New York City.”   https://lnkd.in/gRgzK6My   #empower #mentalhealth Empower Mental Health

Do you Embrace Honest Self-Assessment? In the world of startups, acknowledging and diagnosing shortcomings is crucial for growth Just like diagnosing cancer is the first step to finding a cure Admitting that your "baby" (startup) might have imperfections can be tough, but it's a necessary part of the journey Turning a blind eye to challenges can lead to obsolescence and missed opportunities for growth During Intro Calls, When genuine concerns or feedback are raised, some founders tend to get defensive. However, instead of seeing feedback as an attack, view it as an opportunity for learning and refinement. Dont think fundraising is like Leonard Di Caprio in Wolf of Wall Street selling pink sheets of Junk Aerotyne Int to someone over the phone It takes more than 6-7 calls or 3-10 Weeks for Deals to go through after clearing all the concerns. Be transparent! Don't try to hide any funny business, eventually, it will resurface The best way to fundraise is to create a comfortable space between you and the investor to engage in insightful conversations on the future of your startup Also if a VC is really interested in the future of your startup and comes up with ideas and suggestions, that's a huge green flag. #web3 #vcfunding #startups #fundraising

Startup founders will face an 'unprecedented' crisis of mental health this year, VCs predict   “A funding logjam at the early stages. A shut window for IPOs. Clients ghosting businesses. If the investor warnings are to be believed, struggling startups will face a bloodbath this year as cash runs low and wary investors encourage founders to return the capital.   Now, investors are predicting an epidemic of founder mental illness in Silicon Valley and beyond, the likes of which tech has never seen.   "Sadly, but not terribly surprisingly, it feels as though we are in the early stages of an unprecedented founder mental health crisis," said Brad Svrluga, a cofounder and general partner at Primary, which invests in early-stage startups based largely in New York City.”   https://lnkd.in/gyKdkhSh   #empower #mentalhealth Empower Mental Health