TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa nonprofit is hosting a summit from Aug. 26-27 to help more women learn about investing in startups, an effort, organizers say, aimed at addressing the small share of venture capital money going to companies founded by women-only teams.
According to a 30-year Harvard research study, less than 3% of venture capital investment money went to startups founded entirely by women. About 13% went to teams with at least one woman founder, while the rest went to companies founded entirely by men.
Embarc Collective calls that disparity the “Glaring Gap.”
“The idea is the more women investors that are in existence, the more women founders who will have the opportunity to have an investment in,” said Evan Erickson, senior director of partnerships and events at Embarc Collective.
Embarc Collective’s Glaring Gap Summit brings together women interested in investing in early-stage and growth-stage companies. The event lasts a day-and-a-half and has helped more than 300 women with their investment journey since it began in 2020.
Embarc Collective focuses on helping startups grow.
Patti-Ann Dresback, an attendee at the summit, said she works for a company that helps small businesses and is attending to learn more about startup investing.
“I’m looking forward to meeting like-minded women who are thinking about business, talking about money openly, and how they progress their careers and the value that they add to the people they’re serving,” she said.
Dresback said she wants to use what she learns to support other women interested in investing.
“I’m looking forward to meeting like-minded women who are thinking about business, talking about money openly, and how they progress their careers and the value that they add to the people they’re serving,” she said.
Dresback said she wants to use what she learns to support other women interested in investing.