For Women Who Are Unapologetically Ambitious and Fiercely Informed

Women raise only 1% of VC money.  Depressing stat, yes - will it stop us from getting $$ - hell no.  I was invited to speak in a roundtable for Gritty In Pink InvestHER Roundtables where a powerhouse group of women gathered to discuss this challenge facing female founders: ACCESS TO CAPITAL.  Ie, how to raise money in a system that wasn’t built for us. Panelists included Jenny Fielding (Everywhere Ventures), Jennifer K. Mandelbaum (Halogen Ventures), Melissa Withers (RevUp Capital), Shruti Kumar (Tusk Ventures), Sarah Vinall (iHeartMedia), Evi Heilbrunn (Peach Ventures) and little ole me. The conversation went beyond the usual talking points, diving into what actually makes a company fundable today, how bias still dominates deal-making, why traditional VC models often exclude women from the start, and, of course, should you even raise VC money.  The next day I saw Beth Ferreira speak at the Forbes Iconclast, who tackled many of these questions in a recent episode of Takin’ Care of Lady Business. Beth, Managing Partner at Serena Ventures, breaks down the key questions: Can your business scale fast and big? Are you willing to give up control in exchange for growth? Do you want to go big, or build sustainably? Beth reminds us that not every business should chase venture and that redefining success on your own terms is not just valid, it’s powerful. Whether stated in the podcast or on the panel, the message is clear: it’s time to stop forcing women to play by outdated rules and start funding businesses in a way that actually works for us. So rich ladies, fund female founders that same way you fund non-profits - often and without guardrails or gatekeepers.  The stats are there...we are the best investment.  

With Love & Lady Business,
JJ

In today’s edition:
— Beth Ferreira on Finding the Right Investor
— Three Ways Female Founders Can Raise Money (Without Playing by Old Rules)
— Music Industry Report

“Ultimately, we have to play the game that’s on the field… we can complain about it or say it’s unfair, but we have to figure out how to break through this.”

Key Takeaways:
 — Why product-market fit matters more than passion alone
— The truth about equity, dilution, and returning the whole fund
— How to choose investors who back your vision—not just your valuation
— Why you need to start using AI now if you want to stay competitive
— Only you get to define what success looks like

Three Ways Female Founders Can Raise Money (Without Playing by Old Rules)

Raising capital as a woman still feels like playing a game where the rules were written by and for someone else.

Here are 3 strategies that work without compromising your value, your voice, or your vision:

1. Build a Brand Before You Fundraise
Investors don’t just back businesses, they back momentum. Start building visibility before you need the money. Show the traction. Own your niche. Make it hard for them to ignore you.

2. Leverage Female-First Capital
All the VC funds listed above were built to invest in women and underrepresented founders. So stop pitching to rooms that don’t get you or will not be great partners in the long run.  There is such a thing as bad money. Find the ones that are already looking for what you bring to the table.

3. Consider Non-Traditional Capital
Revenue-based financing. Crowdfunding. Angel syndicates. You don’t need a $2M seed round to prove you’re serious. You need capital that works for you, not against your control or equity.

Let’s stop pretending the system isn’t broken and start building new ones.

Forward to a founder who needs to read this.

Music Industry Report 

The Women and Equalities Committee, part of the UK's Parliament, has released its latest report: Misogyny in Music: On Repeat.

This report confirms what many of us have known (and lived) for decades:

– Harassment and abuse are still widespread
– NDAs are still being used to silence women
– Freelancers remain dangerously under-protected
– Change has been far too slow

We must act, and the culture has to change. Together, we can make that happen by refusing to stay silent.

Lady Bits:

Read:  The Job Market is Brutal for Female Executives
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/09/dei-meta-female-executives

Watch: JJ Played Poker with Poker Power, Nasdaq and Girls Who Invest.  Watch the sizzle here.  And no, she didn't win the table.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DKu7yOWCS4s/?hl=en

Listen - Scott Galloway on Nowthisimpact
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKiCEIrsgS5/

Applaud - The First Female VC billionaire - Theresia Gouw 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/phoebeliu/2025/06/08/meet-venture-capitals-first-woman-billionaire/

Laugh - thetech.bros on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thetech.bros/ 

Hi, I’m JJ.

Since starting the Justice Dept, I have increased women's wealth by over $100MM in just over 5 years. Want to know what inspires me to do this work? My clients' surprised reaction when I manage to get them much better terms for themselves and their companies, whether talent agreements, employment, severance, partnerships, asset sales or investments. They often admit that they never thought they could get that result. Not even hoped. This blows my mind

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