307 - Secret to Higher ROI: Invest in Women

Karen Cone, Advisory Boards Director, Venture Partner
Lake Dai, Partner, LDV Partners
Jocelyn Goldfein, Managing Director, Zetta Venture Partners
Gillian Muessig, Managing Director, Masters Fund
Wendy Spies, Worldwide Director Of Engineering Strategy and Business Development, Microsoft
June 11, 10:45 am - 11:45 am  •  San Jose

In 2015, First Round Capital rocked the startup world with their 10 Year portfolio report which indicated that their female-led companies returned an average of 63% higher ROI. Female entrepreneurs looked forward to better venture capital funding opportunities. Yet, in 2016, only 2.19% of all venture funding was invested in female founders, which by 2018 still remained basically flat at 2.2%, according to recent PitchBook statistics reported in Fortune. At the same time, Fortune reported that companies with women at the helm perform three times better than the S&P. Kevin O'Leary of Shark Tank asserts that, "not some of my returns, all of my returns, have come from the ones run by women,..."


Clearly, there is a disconnect. Why is the money is not "following the money"? And what is the path forward for investors and entrepreneurs? Join our panel of VC and corporate investors for an audience-inclusive discussion of how, where and why, venture funding is changing. We'll reveal where new money is coming from, flowing to, and how it is addressing the quickly evolving landscape of the next phase of entrepreneurship around the world.