Venture Capital 101 for Women

Venture capital is a powerful tool for bringing new technology to market and supporting novel solutions to important problems. But information about how to get started in venture capital is hard to find or inaccessible, whether as an investor or an entrepreneur. By some estimates 40% of VC investors are alumni of Harvard or Stanford, and only 2% of venture capital was invested in female-founded companies in 2021.

Venture Capital 101 for Women is a free, four-part online course that demystifies how venture capital works. It covers the five primary roles in the VC ecosystem—venture capitalists, limited partners, entrepreneurs, fractional talent, and service providers—and explains why women’s collaborative strengths uniquely position them for success in the industry. 300+ graduates are now actively investing, mentoring, and providing talent.

The class is taught twice a year, in February and October, by Jenny Kuan, Associate Professor at California State University Monterey Bay and General Partner at être Venture Capital. The course is based on her research on the history of venture capital in Silicon Valley and beyond.