Getting Investors To Fall In Love With Your Business with Katie Shea

“You're not trying to convert the skeptics, you're looking for the believers.” Raising capital can feel like the ultimate courtship process and Katie Shea has all the tea on making your business the belle of the ball every fundraising season. Before having an investment portfolio valued at over 6 Billion USD, Katie started her career by co-founding a manufacturing company from her NYU dorm room, that went on to have best-selling brands at Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, and even more global retail locations. Now Katie is the Founder and General Partner of Divergent Capital, a $30 Million early-stage venture fund. If you ask Katie, she feels like the entrepreneurial impulse has to be in her blood because trusting her instincts while building these ecosystems through VC and angel investing has been one of her greatest assets. In today's episode, we sit down with Katie Shea to discuss her incredible Founder’s journey and what she believes every Entreprenista looking to raise capital or build a more scalable business should know. She shares what VCs are currently looking for founders, the importance of effective communication, the benefits of co-founding from an investor's perspective, hitting profitability faster, keeping your circle of champion investors excited about your business, and more!    We talked about:   Business plan competitions  Factoring + receivable financing  Underwriting  Angel Investing + Venture Capital  Starting your own venture fund  Early stage vs. last stage investing  Portfolio must-haves   Diversion Capital  Investment areas + strategies for a generalist fund  Startup fundraising strategies + communication tips  Knowing who + what offers are worth your time   Members of our Entreprenista League get access to live Office Hours with top founders that have been on our show! Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!        Connect with Katie:   Divergent Capital Linkedin  Are you ready to make meaningful business connections that lead to real business results?    Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE! Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate and support you every step of the way.    Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!     Become An Entreprenista!   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast - the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. . If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Radio | GooglePlay   Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.   Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, and LinkedIn and for more exclusive content, tips, and insight, join our community of founders right here.