Happy Super Mother's Day!

I'm blessed to be surrounded by women with superpowers. My Mom was a high school valedictorian of the early 60s and her loving support is endless. My wife inspires me in how she "exceeds expectations" at Google but particularly at home as a mother of three. My 16-year old daughter's EQ exceeds mine and her gritty resourcefulness will serve her well in whatever she chooses to do. Our youngest girl (not even 5) is off the charts on so many qualities, and I'm ready to work for her! I'm also incredibly inspired by my Dad, brother and son. But today is Mother’s Day, and we host a special "The Future is Female" deep dive on May 11 at 11:30am: register here.

One of our speakers, Aleksandra Gren, shared research on how female-led funds lead in performance but receive less than 3% of VC funding (see links below). Given the chance, I see that women can do things we men cannot, even our super-moderator Simon Vine. In fact, having Denise Brouder as co-moderator made for more dynamic discussion and processes. That’s the spirit of “360” in our Roundtable approach.

As I was reflecting with one of our trailblazing speakers Heather Henyon (leading a fund investing in female-led ventures), I see how lazy I've been by not reaching beyond my immediate “social” network circles to find and partner with more female-led funds and companies. While Internet-based social networking seems to open doors, it also closes us up to more silos.

However, as opening keynote Susan Payne shared with us, recent events have heightened awareness. For me the women in our 361 network amplified that awareness for me. 

At our 3rd Annual Impact event in March, I set goals for us (myself). In one year, I’d like to see us doing more or better in measurable ways as to:

• Inclusion by gender, ethnicity and geography for a truly global diverse community
• Deals/Funds Onboarded and investments with Impact
• Impact Measurement Framework by 361 Community (as investors and individuals)
• Partnering with Impact-focused organizations (akin to SDG #17)
• Philanthropies Connecting! ramped up (e.g. SDG Roundtables, Strategic Advisors)
• 361Foundation strategy, targeting priority initiatives and related events
• Fall Summit (Semi-Annual)  

To help us reach these goals, my ASKs for Tuesday’s event are as follows:

1. Invite female-led fund managers (and independent sponsors) as well as companies across all stages/asset classes and around the world. This extends to ethnic diversity, a focus for future events, as well geographically (per our global mindset per the “One Firm” of my beloved Arthur Andersen)
2. Onboard funds/deals that help widen diversity via www.361firm.com/onboard     
3. Record a brief (60 seconds to 5 minutes) “spotlight” video to share your insights or thoughts on inclusion, and what 361 should consider in this area - see guidance at www.361firm.com/spot
4. If you haven’t yet, join our 361 community on our App, via web (www.361firm.App) or iOS/Google App stores

5. Be a Co-Leader within 361, which is effectively “fertile soil” for you to co-lead an events or group. We meet at 10:30-11am ET in “Town Hall” style on Tuesdays (before the 11am Briefing) and Wednesdays (with Breakout Zoom rooms for various groups and events to coordinate).

It takes a village. My hope is that you see (or will come to see) 360 One Firm as a platform that you can leverage not only for finding top-tier investments but also to learn and teach, and to collaborate on making the world better. We can do this via our philanthropic groups, but also on our investing side. Feel free to reach out to me or my colleagues including our growing group of Strategic Advisors with any questions or suggestions. 

Reports and articles that were mentioned in Aleksandra Gren's Spotlight Video:

1. McKinsey & Co ?Diversity wins. How inclusion matters”, May 2020
2. Gender diversity is good for business
3. Why are women entrepreneurs missing out on funding? Reflections and considerations Executive summary
4. Evidence that investors penalize female founders for lack of industry fit
5. Report: Women-Owned Startups Deliver Twice as Much Per Dollar Invested as Those Founded by Men