In building Garden District Ventures, we have elevated diversity, gender equality, and ESG to the forefront of our screening process when considering prospective investments and their founding teams. It is a step in the right direction that increased attention is being focused on female founders, but 2.3% of total VC funding is still far too little. This piece from Fast Company outlines some of the continuing challenges across the industry.
According to the Kauffman Foundation, nearly 40% of U.S. companies are owned and operated by women—some 12.3 million companies—and these companies generate an economic impact of $1.9 trillion each year.
Globally, Spain leads the pack in female-led companies at an equivalency of 9:10 compared to their male counterparts, and here in Southeast Asia, nearly 30% of Vietnamese companies are female-founded and managed.
The Women’s Entrepreneurship Report, produced by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and London Business School provides a wealth of knowledge and is available for download here.
