Venture Capital and Gender Bias: How Questions Shape Funding Allocation

Send a question or message to Kate & SamIn today’s episode, Kate and Sam discuss a thought-provoking article that was published in The Harvard Business Review. The article explores how male and female entrepreneurs get asked different questions by venture capitalists, leading to funding disparities. Despite female business ownership being high, women receive only 3% of venture funding. The questions asked to men focus on the vision and potential, while women face defensive queries about risk and break-even. Flipping prevention questions to promotion ones can change the trajectory. It’s quite incredible how the way a question is asked can have such profound consequences on mindset and perception. They discuss how disrupting bias in questioning is crucial for funding equality and for women to succeed in business generally. Here's the link to the  Harvard Business Review article:https://hbr.org/2017/06/male-and-female-entrepreneurs-get-asked-different-questions-by-vcs-and-it-affects-how-much-funding-they-getTune in now and learn more about the importance of being mindful of the questions asked - even how you frame questions to your friends and family! Today’s discussion encourages entrepreneurs to be proactive in shaping the narrative during pitches and marketing of their message. Episode Highlights:Gender bias in venture capital fundingUnequal funding for female entrepreneursDefensive position for female entrepreneursInfluence of female venture capitalistsThe Funding Gap: Entrepreneurs who field prevention questions raise significantly less funding compared to those asked promotion-focused questions.Seeking External Funding: Many women turn to their partners for initial funding, facing similar questions that hinder their funding opportunities.The Power of Passion and Purpose: The importance of passion and purpose in business to stay motivated and resilient through challenging times.Flipping the Bias: The hosts propose flipping prevention questions into promotion answers during funding discussions to disrupt the cycle of bias.The need to position themselves differently and offer a competitive advantage in their business approach.Understanding finances and presenting ideas effectivelyParenting Styles and Questions: Kate and Sam explore how their differing parenting styles impact their children's responses and emotions.And so much more!Connect with the Women Doing Business Hosts:Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired BusinessWebsite: https://katedejong.com/Instagram: katedejong.inspiredbusinessEmail: [email protected] Morris | The Business ImplementorWebsite: https://thebusinessimplementor.com/Instagram: sammorris.businesscoachEmail: [email protected] Business Podcast 🌐Website:   https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/ Connect with Your Hosts:Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business 🌐 Website: https://katedejong.com/ 📱 Instagram: @katedejong.inspiredbusiness ✉️ Email: [email protected] Morris | The O8 🌐 Website: https://www.theo8.com/ 📱 Instagram: @the_o8crew ✉️ Email: [email protected] THE AI SETUP WORKBOOK🌐 https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/ai-setup-workbookGET YOUR FREE PASS TO THE ENGINE ROOM🌐 https://www.thrivingbusinesspodcast.com/the-engine-roomNOTE - OUR WORKSHOPS AND RETREAT WILL BE BACK IN 2027!