You're investing in underrepresented founders. How can you diversify your Venture Capital firm's portfolio?

In my experience, diversity among the team and the board in a startup is critical to succeed. The type of diversity you need is less about background or gender, it is about diversity of thought and an ability for the CEO to bring new voices to the table. Great CEO’s create a flat organization where the best ideas float to the top regardless of skin color or gender. In a world where AI will drive many of our decisions and commoditize conventional wisdom, it is more important than ever to get new ideas and those most likely will come from a wide set of people and varied experiences.

Being part of a founding team in a startup often means using creativity to innovate and iterate, as the perfect solution is rarely found immediately. Product-market fit emerges through continuous revision and adaptation. When investing, a founding team with diverse backgrounds and perspectives can be a signal of a strong potential for that long-term success. Beyond diversity of thought, diversifying across sectors, geographies, and problem spaces helps round out a VC portfolio by capturing growth from multiple angles. Investing in underrepresented founders isn’t just about promoting equity (though that is powerful)—it's a strategy for identifying overlooked opportunities and driving better returns.

Broaden Investment Criteria: Look beyond traditional metrics and consider investments in emerging industries, diverse founders, or underrepresented sectors. Engage Diverse Networks: Collaborate with diverse groups and organizations to identify investment opportunities that may be overlooked. Incorporate ESG Factors: Consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, which often align with diversity and inclusion initiatives. Monitor and Adjust: Regularly review your portfolio's diversity and performance metrics, making adjustments as needed to align with your goals. Seek Out Impact Investments: Invest in companies that prioritize social impact alongside financial returns, supporting innovation in underserved communities.

. Um...please don't "enhance diversity" like it's an optional "filter" setting on your VC portfolio. You need to actually understand diversity or you miss its power. ?? Underrepresented founders have underrepresented experiences. ?? Underrepresented experiences mean underrepresented insights. ?? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????? indicate innovations, opportunities and approaches that nobody else has, is thinking about, or is looking for. "Underrepresented founders" have been creating and inventing for a lonnnnng time. ?? Their Underrepresented Insights are an investment portfolio's strategic advantage. ?? If you want in on the power of Underrepresented Insights, "diversity" is mandatory, not optional. ??

Na minha experiência, como MULHER, já fa?o parte de um grupo sub-representado, e por isso gosto muito de trazer para os meus negócios e times a DIVERSIDADE, em especial para o VENTURE CAPITAL. Olhar para startups que detêm um equilíbrio entre gênero, expertise, nacionalidade e gera??o é algo que me faz brilhar os meus olhos, pois traz riqueza e inova??o, que potencializam o crescimento de um negócio e que poderá fazer parte do meu portifólio de investimento.