Marcia Dawood: Transforming the Funding Journey for Women Founders

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In this episode of Figure Eight, host Julie Ellis converses with Marcia Dawood about the funding challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. They discuss the importance of bootstrapping and strategic fundraising to avoid equity loss and the trap of constant fundraising. Marcia highlights the disparity in venture capital funding for women and the need for more women to become angel investors.

Marcia Dawood is an author, TEDx speaker, Podcast host, and an early-stage investor who serves on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. She is a venture partner with Mindshift Capital, a member of Golden Seeds, and the chair emeritus of the Angel Capital Association (ACA), a global professional society for angel investors. She is also an associate producer on the award-winning documentary Show Her the Money.

Julie and Marcia discuss...

Funding Landscape for Women (00:02:08)

Discussion on the poor venture capital statistics for women entrepreneurs. Marcia shares data on angel funding. Marcia discusses the complications female entrepreneurs face in securing funding.

Making a Difference as an Investor (00:06:02)

Marcia reflects on her journey to angel investing. Marcia explains how recent changes have made investing in funds more accessible. 

Developing an Investment Thesis (00:12:44)

The importance of creating a personal investment strategy. Marcia advises on maintaining due diligence to prevent emotional decisions in investing.

Strategizing for Entrepreneurs (00:17:05)

Julie and Marcia discuss how entrepreneurs can strategically approach potential investors. Discussion on the importance of bootstrapping and avoiding desperation in fundraising.

Women Entrepreneurs' Funding Issues (00:24:04)

Highlighting the cultural misalignment in venture capital with women's business needs.

Fostering Femtech Companies and finding trusted advisors (00:28:30)

Addressing barriers faced by Femtech entrepreneurs and the need for advocacy. Importance of identifying reliable advisors and discerning quality advice for entrepreneurs.

Link to the friends and family round podcast episode click here.

Link to the debt crowdfunding episode click here.

Check out Marcia's book

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