The 2023 Women’s Venture Summit Recap

The Impact Seat Foundation Sponsors the 2023 Women’s Venture Summit

Image by NSP Studio via. https://www.nspstudio.com/

When we launched The Impact Seat Foundation in November of 2021, we dreamt of creating an ecosystem of founders, funders, movers and shakers – all dedicated to uplifting the advancement of women in business. 

Women-led startups and are drastically underfunded in the venture capital sphere– companies founded by women receive less than 3% of all venture capital investments and women account for less than 15% of checkwriters. At The Impact Seat Foundation, we know that investing in women is not just a moral issue – it’s a fiduciary responsibility.

That’s why this year we proudly sponsored the 10th annual Women’s Venture Summit, hosted by our partners, the Stella Foundation. With an aim to build bridges between female founders and investors, this year’s Women’s Venture Summit proved a huge success!  

Check out some of our highlights below:

Image by NSP Studio via. https://www.nspstudio.com/

Kick-Off Party

The Impact Seat Foundation was thrilled to sponsor an unforgettable Kick-Off Party with the Stella Foundation!

Image by NSP Studio via. https://www.nspstudio.com/

Under the San Diego sunset, our CEO, Cheryl Contee, and Founder & Board Chair, Barbara Clarke, delivered powerful insights towards women entrepreneurs and innovators. They reinforced the importance of supporting women not only for the present, but future generations to come!

Image by NSP Studio via. https://www.nspstudio.com/

This wasn’t just a party; it was a celebration of empowerment, of potential, and the promise of what lies ahead. Women-led ventures are more than a trend; they're our future, and this event celebrated that vision!

Day One 

We kicked off the day with a stellar keynote given by Latia Vaughan, CEO of The UNetwork, Founder of the REDISCOVER U movement and the creator of “The Pusher’s Academy” - a virtual campus designed for accelerated personal, spiritual and professional growth. Latia hypnotized the crowd with her powerful words, reminding every female founder, investor, and community member the importance of believing in oneself and using the power of affirmations to overcome impostor syndrome.. 

“... I’m going to love the win, I’m going to push for the win, and that win is going to accept me and love me back.”

Image by NSP Studio via. https://www.nspstudio.com/

Likewise, on Day One of the summit, both our CEO, Cheryl Contee, and Founder and Board Chair, Barbara Clarke, shared unforgettable insights in each of their panels!

“How Women Invest” Panel with Cheryl Contee

Starting off with Cheryl’s panel “How Women Invest,” alongside Geri Stengel, Julie Castro Abrams, and Alicia Hanf, the panel deep dove into strategies and insights for female founders seeking funding and investment opportunities.

When discussing the topic of patriarchy and its implications on funding and investment opportunities, Cheryl makes clear to the crowd the importance of staying focused on exit strategies and empowering diverse-led firms and startups. 

Image by NSP Studio via. https://www.nspstudio.com/

Cheryl revealed that “diverse led firms are more innovative, they are more productive, they are more profitable, when they exit they exit at higher multiples, they are more capital efficient because they HAVE to be.” 

Cheryl added, “If your argument to me is that you’re trying to make the most money, I’d like to invite you to consider that maybe you are doing it wrong.” 

“Protecting Your ASSets” Panel with Barbara Clarke

Additionally, Barbara’s panel “Protecting Your ASSets,” alongside Phillippa Balestrieri and Rita Astoor gave attendees a glimpse into the due diligence process. The panel equipped female entrepreneurs and investors with ways to identify warning signs in the due diligence process.

Barbara gives her insights in navigating the due diligence process carefully, emphasizing the need for reasonable steps in assessing goals, strategies, and capabilities. She states,“What do you need to believe in order to make this investment? Is this team the right team?” 

Image by NSP Studio via. https://www.nspstudio.com/

Barbara further gives advice on credible and dependable team members to consider during the due diligence process: “A really good green light is someone who has already demonstrated that they are able to recruit a great team.”

Each participant received a copy of her book Build Your Board, Build Your Business.

Day Two

We started the day with an impactful keynote from Elizabeth Gore, Co-Founder of Hello Alice! 

Hello Alice, along with several funds like the Fearless Fund, have recently been called into question by America First Legal (AFL) for violating civil rights. Elizabeth discussed the recent unjust lawsuits threatening equity and the integrity of the United States economy. 

She reminded the crowd of the company’s mission, to drive capital, connections, and opportunities into the hands of small businesses of all types of backgrounds. 

Image by NSP Studio via. https://www.nspstudio.com/

One of the standout moments at the conference was the Women’s Fast Pitch finals. After battling through regional contests, six finalists showcased their ventures on the grand stage to the entire Women Venture Summit audience. Conference attendees were given the opportunity to vote for their favorite organization’s mission and values!

The winner of the finals was awarded $75K for the best pitch, which went to CathConnect and their founder Joelle Tudor. 

Image by NSP Studio via. https://www.nspstudio.com/

Even as the equity gap persists, seeing trailblazing women present their startups and funders stepping up to champion them at the summit is a breath of fresh air. This year's Women's Venture Summit was proof of the power of collective drive and collaboration. Change isn't just on the horizon - it's happening now!

The Impact Seat Foundation is proud to have been a key sponsor of this transformative event. We're already buzzing with excitement for next year!