Put Your Money Where the Women Are
Put Your Money Where the Women Are
With Shilpa Yarlagadda, Trisha Goyal and Vee Kativhu
By HURS Team
First let’s talk numbers. Worldwide there are 274 million women involved in business startups. In the US, companies founded by women raised nearly $4.6 billion in 2021. On a positive note, that’s 83% higher than the total raised in 2020. But to put that into context, female founders only received 2% of all VC dollars in 2021, which is the lowest percentage since 2016. For women of color the percentages are worse. In 2020 women-led startups received 2.3% of venture funding, of which Black and LatinX women only received 0.64%.
In all honesty, we find it counterproductive to separate entrepreneurship into genders. A founder is just that, a founder. Terms like ‘Girlboss’ or lists with ‘The Best Female CEOs’, create an environment where we don’t even get the opportunity to compete with our male counterparts. Additionally the lack of diverse representation in the media when it comes to founders creates a one dimensional image of what a ‘female founder’ should represent. With a funding gap that’s still significantly bigger than it should be, we felt it necessary to shine a light on the topic of female entrepreneurship. But through the experiences of three women, over giving you our singular POV.
SHILPA YARLAGADDA
Shilpa launched her direct-to-consumer fine jewelry label Shiffon Co. from her Harvard dorm room in 2017. Her signature product, the adjustable Duet Pinky Ring, has since been spotted on Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, Nicole Kidman and Emma Watson. Half of Shiffon's profits are donated to companies that empower women through her nonprofit, the Startup Girl Foundation.
TRISHA GOYAL
Trisha Goyal is the founder and CEO of Break the Love, a company that breaks down barriers for those who don’t have access to be able to access sport in an affordable and convenient way. Trisha founded Break the Love in 2019 shortly after leading digital product at ESPN & The Huffington Post. She has worked with grassroots communities and has partnerships with the United States Tennis Association, Equinox, American Express, Wilson and more to create more access to recreational sports.
VEE KATIVHU
Vee Kativhu is a YouTuber, education activist and founder of the youth empowerment organisation, Empowered by Vee. She uses her platform to share tips and advice to help underprivileged and underrepresented people from across the world recognise their own academic ability and potential. Vee has received numerous accolades and has taken on roles as a LinkedIn Changemaker, TEDx speaker and BBC Teach presenter.
We asked three entrepreneurs about the one-dimensional Girlboss, the glamorization of entrepreneurship and funding your business.