Getting a seat at the VC table

A few weeks ago, TechCrunch published a piece I wrote at the close of 2018. The inspiration came from another article in the Tennesseean, written by Jamie McGee, entitled, “Nashville women claim their seat at the investors’ table, challenging the status quo”.

When the article came out in the Tennesseean, the title made me stop and think about what having a seat at the VC table means to me. I shared a few of these thoughts in the piece that would eventually be published in TechCrunch. I’m including a few paraphrased highlights below. You can read the full article here.

• Representation is a competitive advantage: Financial returns improve when the investment community is more representative of the population.
• Assimilation is a thing of the past: Be boldly unique as a competitive advantage in the market.
• Safe environments matter: The threat of transgressions from male investors, founders, colleagues, etc. is a distraction and bad for business.
• “There are no more rules” (via Kristen Ostro): The unspoken rules of VC are increasingly being replaced with new, fresh, and much more relevant approaches.
• Build it and they will come: Making safe spaces for new talent to raise their hand and participate is critical.

Special thanks to Jonathan Shieber and TechCrunch for providing a great platform to share ideas!