A New Future for Women in VC
September, 2023
Historically, women have not been supported by the venture capital community. This makes the 2023 gathering of 38 women—all contributors to a new ecosystem of venture capital—a significant moment to celebrate. The inaugural "Women in Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship" event was hosted by Marylou Shockley, Interim Dean of the College of Business and the Institute of Innovation and Economic Development at Cal State University Monterey Bay.
The event featured discussions from a panel of trailblazers. Dr. Amanda Elam of Babson College challenged misconceptions by presenting groundbreaking research on venture capital funding for female entrepreneurs; Ming Yeh, founder of Upshot Ventures, shared insights from two decades in VC investing; and Julie Castro Abrams, CEO of How Women Lead, highlighted the importance of mobilizing women as investors in supporting women entrepreneurs.
What's Next
The participants are now working to transform VC by forming a new ecosystem. A majority of the group was introduced to venture capital through an online course, Venture Capital 101 for Women, taught by être managing partner Jenny Kuan, PhD, who is also a tenured professor at the College of Business at California State University Monterey Bay. Jenny teaches entrepreneurship and nonprofit management. Her research on the history of venture capital demonstrates how nonprofit organizations have provided industry scaffolding. An example is the Western Association of Venture Capital, a nonprofit that formed in the early 1970s and met monthly at the Stanford Club in San Francisco. The members met over lunch to vet investment opportunities, discuss co-investment and how to resolve problems faced by their startups.
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