Startup Lessons I Learned the Hard Way
When I first went through YC in 2011, there were two women in our class of 120+ founders. The numbers are a little better today. And with all the resources available, there’s no better time to start a company. I’m a three-time YC founder and sold my last...
6 reasons we stay stuck
Late last year, I created a poll on Elpha asking: “Do you feel fulfilled in your career right now?” and 57% of us responded no. This is a trend that stretches way beyond our community. More and more women have been voicing their lack of fulfillment at work...
Understanding Emotional Boundaries: The Key to Owning Your Superpowers
Content warning: This article discusses sensitive material pertaining to sexual violence. Ana and Jeff met for the first time at one of my workshops in New York. They described their spontaneous chemistry as love at first sight. It was as if they were destined to be...
Working Women Still Suffering “Death by 1,000 Cuts”
While overt sexual harassment persists, less discussed—but no less significant—is the problem that women trying to ascend the corporate, partnership, and/or management level often suffer “death by a thousand cuts,” which delays their advancement and contributes to...
5 Common Pitch Deck Design Mistakes
How you present yourself during a pitch is your first impression: this is the defining moment that can determine if you, your brand and your idea will be deemed investment worthy. Many founders make the assumption that design is either optional, or just a process a...
How Can Investors Actually Eliminate Bias? Adjust Their Scorecard
The last year brought plenty of public promises from VCs to create more equal opportunities for diverse founders, and we’ve seen some positive changes since then. Notably, funding to Black entrepreneurs in the U.S. quadrupled, and at the midway point in the year had...
A Simple “Brain Hack” to Loosen the Grip of Your Perfectionism
Last year, I held a workshop session with employees at my daughter’s company to explore Impostor Syndrome. These employees are high-achievers, yet they complained of feeling anxiety, stress, and overwhelm — and they believed these feelings were getting in the way of...
Key Findings from Women in the Workplace 2021 Report
LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company have released findings from the seventh year of Women in the Workplace—the largest study on the state of women in corporate America. This year’s report shows that although we have seen modest gains in women’s representation across...