Vermont Business Magazine The statistic for investments in women-owned businesses and start-ups is staggeringly low compared to their male counterparts. Leading Vermont business and philanthropic organizations aim to change that in our state. Currently in the United States, only around 13 percent of venture capital dollars go to startups with a woman on the founding team and the 30-year average of all-female founders’ share of venture capital is just 2.4 percent. The Vermont Women’s Fund, the Vermont Community Foundation, and Hula are proud to present the premiere Vermont screening of the documentary Show Her the Money at 6 p.m. Wednesday, October 30 at Hula’s Lakeside Avenue campus in Burlington. A discussion of our business landscape and the need for dramatic change will follow.
“We are thrilled to help bring this film to Vermont,” said Emily Bush, director of the Vermont Women’s Fund. “We know that better access to start-up financing is critical to help women entrepreneurs and business owners build jobs, economic opportunity, and lasting financial security. For too long, women have not had full access to venture capital funding and it’s time to change that story.”
Show Her the Money is a powerful exploration into the challenges women and other underrepresented communities face in the male-dominated venture capital landscape. After the screening, Janice St. Onge, president of the Flexible Capital Fund, will host a conversation with Show Her the Money film producer, entrepreneur, and investor Catherine Gray. With a wealth of experience in producing, co-producing, and directing numerous documentaries, Gray brings unique insights to the conversation. Beyond her work in film, she is a podcast host and founder of She Angel Investors, as well as the co-founder of the nonprofit She Angels Foundation, which champions women-led ventures.
“Not surprisingly, women are extremely adept at investing smartly. Increasing the number of women at the table in venture capital investment firms not only increases the fund’s returns as studies show again and again, but it also increases the likelihood that more women-led start-ups will get funded,” shared Lucia Campriello, CEO at Hula. “Here in Vermont, we have a real opportunity to come together to invest in more women-led companies and we know the impact of those dollars will improve our economy and quality of life. We are very excited for this screening and discussion and the work that will follow.”
Tickets are $25 with proceeds to benefit the Vermont Women’s Fund, a statewide philanthropic resource that works to advance gender equity, social justice, and economic empowerment for women and girls.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here.
The Vermont Community Foundation was established in 1986 as an enduring source of philanthropic support for Vermont communities. A family of more than 1,000 funds, foundations, and supporting organizations, the Foundation makes it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love. The Community Foundation and its partners put more than $60 million annually to work in Vermont communities and beyond. The heart of its work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. The Community Foundation envisions Vermont at its best—where everyone can build a bright, secure future. Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information. Give where your heart lives.
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