TLDR:
- Only one percent of VC capital in Austin goes to women founders
- Austin Women Entrepreneurs Task Force aims to make Austin a leader in female entrepreneurship
Carla McDonald, chair of Austin Mayor Kirk Watson’s Task Force for Women Entrepreneurs, highlighted the gender gap in VC funding in Austin and the need for more support for female founders. The task force is focused on identifying community pillars to support female entrepreneurs and making Austin the best city globally for founding and growing companies. Panelists also emphasized the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equity in entrepreneurship. The task force plans to present pragmatic recommendations to address the needs of female founders to Mayor Watson.
Sara Brand, founding general partner of True Wealth Ventures, stressed the importance of getting more female investors to support female founders. The panelists highlighted the success of women-led startups in using less capital, exiting faster, and providing good returns to investors. They also addressed backlash against funds supporting black women founders and emphasized the need to rectify such discrimination.
