Lindsey Taylor Wood spent years working to empower women and language and eroticismgirls through nonprofits. But she grew disenchanted with the slow pace of the nonprofit world—and realized that some of its strengths could help improve the quicker-moving world of venture capital.
"I grew disenchanted with philanthropy," said Taylor Wood. "You can look by and large at any metric of success, impact, or advancement—for reproductive rights, women in the C-suite—and the net result is stagnation."
That's why she co-founded The Helm, a new venture capital fund that officially launched on Thursday. The fund invests in female founders, and it takes a cue from one area where philanthropy really excels to hopefully improve the impact of its investments.
SEE ALSO: 10 great resources for women entrepreneurs"The thing philanthropy does really well is galvanize people around a mission."
"For all its limitations, the thing philanthropy does really well is galvanize people around a mission," Taylor Wood said. "It's the antithesis of finance where things are transactional."
To build the same sense of connection that philanthropists feel with their causes, The Helm is trying to create a community along with its investments. Investors contribute a minimum of $50,000 to the fund and pay a $2,500 membership fee and a 2 percent management fee. In return—along with returns on their investments—they get programming, venture capital education, and editorial content related to investing and female founders.
Investors, for example, would spend a day attending dinner with the founders of one of their portfolio companies, taking a tour of their startup, meeting with other leaders in that startup's industry and take home some samples. In its pitch to members, The Helm imagined that all happening at Loreal's Women of Color Lab with leaders in the beauty industry.
It's an experiential component that Taylor Wood and her co-founders, Erin Shipley and Emily Verellen Strom, hope will convince longstanding philanthropists to try their hands at another way of making a difference.
SEE ALSO: The energy at the Grace Hopper Celebration is enough to make you less cynical about tech"Why is philanthropy the only way we're investing in equality?" Taylor Wood asked. "Charitable aid is a great thing and will always be needed, but what I realized was we weren't being honest about its limitations."
The Helm's venture fund—aiming to include 40 members and a minimum of $2 million in capital—will invest in companies that have both a female founder and a female CEO. The firm is aiming to invest in between eight and 12 startups in its first year and write them checks for at least $200,000. So far, they've heard from female-led startups working on artificial intelligence, fintech, the future of work, sustainability, software, and a whole array of ideas.
"Women who have wealth are asked to give their money away."
It's another way to support women-led companies in an environment where female founders only received 2.19 percent of venture-capital funding in 2016.
The Helm's model is attracting investors who are interested in backing female founders, but also philanthropists used to this sort of community, impact-oriented approach who haven't really invested on their own. Oftentimes, those philanthropists are women.
"Historically, men with wealth are invited to amass more wealth. Their buddy says, 'Buy this stock, make this deal,'" Taylor Wood said. "Women who have wealth are asked to give their money away—write a check to this nonprofit, chair this gala."
The Helm hopes to encourage those women to invest alongside their philanthropic pursuits, while also supporting female founders who are often passed over for venture capital funding elsewhere.
Their project is focused on the wealthy who have the money to invest an extra $50,000 alongside their usual charitable contributions—but it's hoping to change who's investing and who's getting their money.
How This Long
Google’s hum
Best TV deal: Save over $400 on LG 55
Best earbuds at Amazon: Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX wireless earbuds are 50 percent off
Best smartwatch deal: Get an Apple Watch Series 9 for 34% off
Webcam models are exploited by studios and online platforms, according to new report
Xbox Elite Series 2 controller deal: Get it at its lowest price ever
Best Sonos deal: Save $50 on Sonos Era 100
Best headphones deal: Save $116 on Sennheiser Momentum 4
Best speaker deal: Save $70 on Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth
Elon Musk's space Tesla actually served an engineering purpose
Wordle today: The answer and hints for December 11
OpenAI Sora release: It's officially here
TikTok requests emergency injunction to delay U.S. ban
How This Long
Best TV deal: Save over $400 on LG 55
Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks 2024 livestream: Watch NBA online
NYT mini crossword answers for December 10
Puerto Rico hurricane crisis: Here's why this could be Trump's Katrina
Best Echo Pop deal: Save $22 at Amazon
'Queer Eye's first trans participant speaks out about the episode'DC League of SuperHow to help refugees fleeing UkraineThe top 4 sports network streaming apps, rankedPeople say they're booking Ukrainian Airbnbs to support besieged localsSomeone tried to smuggle a snake onto a plane by hiding it in a hard drive'DC League of SuperThe most memorable moments of Elon Musk so far in 2018.Did Donald Trump send Kim Jong‘West Side Story’ should have let Anybodys sing ‘Cool’A cat resembling a person has captured the internet's attentionDictionary.com didn't throw shade at Kylie Jenner. It actually made an important point.When are Netflix's Marvel shows coming to Disney+?TikTok suspends livestreams in Russia a day after its 'state'Elden Ring' review: How it is and isn't easier than other 'Souls' gamesWhen are Netflix's Marvel shows coming to Disney+?Oprah just Googled herself for the first time ever and learned so muchAriana Grande didn't find Pete Davidson's joke about Manchester bombing funny'Our Flag Means Death's realGrandpa accidentally films himself instead of marriage proposal Apple's iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are in very short supply right now 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for December 2 AOC invites Megan Rapinoe to the House of Representatives Croatia vs Belgium livestream: How to watch FIFA World Cup Group F live Samuel L. Jackson goes off after spotting mistake in 'Spider Cosplayer Belle Delphine trolled her followers with the promise of a Pornhub account Costa Rica vs Germany livestream: How to watch World Cup Group E live Bryan Stevenson shares why HBO's 'True Justice' almost didn't get made Japan vs Spain livestream: How to watch World Cup Group E live Gritty surprises kid with custom Gritty prosthetic leg 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for December 1 Ghana vs Uruguay livestream: How to watch World Cup Group H live 10 best gifts for people who are obsessed with their iPhone 'The White Lotus' Season 2 is nearly ruined by one character 'Violent Night' review: Who is this murderous Santa movie for? Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for December 2 Ryan Reynolds' fake Amazon review of his own gin company is as glorious as you'd expect Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for November 28 Adam Rippon on Trump, Taylor Swift, and coming out Elon Musk says he'll make his own smartphone if Apple bans Twitter
1.5022s , 10193.90625 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【language and eroticism】,Defense Information Network