Funding Women Entrepreneurs

On Monday, I spoke at a panel on term sheet negotiation for the Women's Technology Cluster in San Francisco. During the post-panel chitchat, I learned from WTC CEO Jennifer McFarlane that in 2004, they honored a few venture firms that had each invested in four women entrepreneurs. This represented a huge stride in funding for women entrepreneurs, and was celebrated.

In talking to Jennifer, it occurred to me that I was taking funding diversity for granted at Omidyar Network. When I mentioned that our team had funded six female startup founders (and ten female-led nonprofits) this year, she and the other WTC staff were pleasantly shocked.

So....let me show off a little and point you to some of the great women entrepreneurs that Omidyar Network funded this year. (Unfortunately, there's one still being stealthy so I can't post her actual info, and yet another that I can't name since it is announcing this month and I don't want to have my chops busted. I'll come back and name those names after they have done their splashy announcements.)

2005 Venture Investments:

• Backfence - CEO/Founder: Susan DeFife
• Platial - CEO/Founder: Di-Ann Eisnor
  
• Spikesource - CEO/Founder: Kim Polese
• Voxiva - EVP/Founder: Pamela Johnson
• Wikia – VP/Founder: Angela Beesley
  
• World of Good - CEO/Founder: Priya Haji

(This is 6 startups out of 19 this year.)

2005 Nonprofit Grants:

• Ashoka – President: Sushitma Ghosh
• Benetech – Director: Janice Carter
• Donors Choose – Founder: Ilana Goldman
• Global Giving – Founder: Mari Kuraishi
• Institute for Justice – Director: Beth Stevens
• KickStart (FKA ApproTEC) - Director: Tracy Pettengill
• Public Radio International – COO: Debra May Hughes
• Sevak Solutions – President/Founder: Laura Frederick
• Unitus – Vice President: Kate Cochran
• Witness – Executive Director: Gillian Caldwell

(This is 10 nonprofits out of 21 this year.)

I was glad to be reminded of our team's neutrality when it comes to color, gender, nationality, etc. Funding diversity isn't something that our team has sought, but maybe the social networking theory is true: when your investment team has diversity (see my previous post about Omidyar XX), so does your investment portfolio. 'Nuff said.

****NOTE: I updated this post on 3/9/06 with the real name for one of the two stealth companies (Platial)...and again on 3/28/06 with the real name for the final 2005 stealth company (Wikia).

Tags: christine herron spacejockeys technology omidyar network technology cluster women technology society wikia platial backfence world of good spikesource voxiva venture capital

Comments

[Family Development Services]

Family Development Services is an Economic
Empowernment of Women and girls seeking some funding for dairy livestock and pig farming. Kindly assist in finding some funds for the our NGO. WE ARE TRAINED IN bUSINESS mANAGEMENT AND REQUIRE SOME FUNDING TO DO SOME BUSINESSES TO UPLIFT OUR FAMILIES.

[Flora Mariki]

we are 3young ladies working for Microfinance here in Tanzania, we have noticed that most of women are failed to repay the loan because of the lack of business skills we have that skills and we will love to give this skills to our fellow women we are now looking for the fund, atleast for transport and other expences as we have enough skills to provide to give please if there is anyone with idea or assistant we will love to hear from you.

[Dr. Naveeda Shoaib]

Website Launch Announcement
NAWE Website Launch Announcement

“The National Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs-Pakistan” (NAWE)

---a subcomponent of Entrepreneurship Development for Economic Empowerment of Women-EDEW project!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are pleased to announce the launching of the website for the “NAWE” subcomponent of the Entrepreneurship Development for Economic Empowerment of Women-EDEW project funded by Canadian International Development Agency-CIDA-PAGE Programme. The website can be viewed at:
www.nawe.org.pk
The portal provides a forum for peer learning, information exchange, marketing linkages, business development and access to resources which support expending economic opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs in Pakistan. The portal features an aggregation of news, events, information from national and global sources and also offering training events targeted to the women entrepreneurs. The website has become the place to go to learn about the women entrepreneurs issues and accelerate opportunities in the country. More features will be added to meet the growing needs of the alliance members.
The website is presently only available in English but is being translated to Urdu, which will be made available soonest possible.
We hope you will enjoy surfing the site. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome, either through the site's "Feedback" facility or directly to the EDEW project at sarsabz.rc@gmail.com , contact@nawe.org.pk
For further Information Contact:
Dr. Naveeda Shoaib National Secretariat
The Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs "NAWE”
616 A, Peoples Colony No1 • Faisalabad, Pakistan
Tel: 0092 41 8715888 • Fax: 0092 41 8716111
Email: membership@nawe.org.pk • Website: www.nawe.org.pk

[RITAH]

we are called butega women's group which is a cbo that basically deals with women who are less previlledged.hope tp hear from you.

yours.
Ritah

[Shamim]

ear Sir/Madam
We are called Makindye Women's Group Association, we are ten (10) in our group and we are poultry farmers and we need your assistance in this business, the reason is that we want to cross breed the exotic breeds with the local breeds and also to search for market for the products like eggs etc
So far we have 100 hens and cocks and we need more so as to broaden our association.
Here is the orgasnization chart
Executive Director
Shamirah
Nanyanzi Rose
Naluyima Annet
Nabawa Fatiya
Nagoba Solomy
Nalubega Pheobe
Nabukeera Justine
Ahunkuda Patience
Namatovu Oliva
Namazzi Sandra

we will be grateful to hear from you very soon
Regards
Shamirah
Executive Director
Tel: 256 0782673071/0774348088

[Maria Edwin]

Aehd is a non-profit organization working for the uplift of women groups in Pakistan. The Aehd is actively involoved among women of rural and and urban areas of Pakistan.

HISTORY OF AEHD:

AEHD came in to its formal position in 2004, when it saw the need to do and expand its services in an organized manner. The women members ( of Aehd) were in - in formal contact with AEHD for last five years, but the formal contact was established in Sep 2004, when the women felt to be organized.

This all happened with the contineous efforts of AEHD. AEHD wasactively involved in raising awarenss among women, and AEHD wished that women themselves should decide tht they need to be organized. It at last came from the women that they want to be organized under the umbrella of AEHD.

OBJECTIVES:

To empower women

To make them self reliant and self sufficient

To raise awreness on their health and education

To make them active members of the society.

VISION:

Empowerment of Women.

THE STATE OF PAKISTANI WOMEN

Pakistan is an Islamic state, where women are 52% of total population. The women right from the birth face discrimination. The birth of a girl child is considered a financial burden on the family. She is also considered a curse for the family, and above all a sign of disrespect. Right from her birth she is looked down upon and given a discriminatory deal from her parents.

She is purposely kept inactive as by her active participation the honor of the family can be badly affected. Therefore right from the beginning she is forced not to act as active member of the family. She is not allowed to go out of the house alone and with out the permission of the father.

When she has reached the age of adolensce she is kept under strict control, so that she may not develop a friendly relationship with any boy in her area. She is discouraged to have boy friends.

She is also taught that her job is only to look after the house.

A RAY OF HOPE

The print and electronic media has brought a revolutionary change in the third world and very especailly in a close Pakistani society. We can see some positive results with regard to women in Urban and rural educated families, but still 90% of the women are in poor state. They look for some one to free them from physical and mental slavery.

PRESENT TREND:

At present majoriy of the women think and act according to the above-mentioned atmosphere. They are convinced that in surrendering is success, but struggle is considered a faluire. AEHD is educating wmen that struggle will set you free from all unjust and discriminatory structures.

REQUEST:

AEHD is requesting all friends to extend technical, moral and fiancial assistance for the epowerment of women in Pakistan.

Sincerely,

Maria Gill

AEHD

Faisalabad-Pakistan.

[Jen]

What a great post!

I reviewed Omidyar's site and its investees after reading your post. Right now I'm looking for funding for a women-owned nonprofit ISP that wants to provide service to rural areas and underserved populations, such as Katrina-ravaged communities that are still suffering displacement.

I don't understand how Omidyar accepts applications - or if it does. The site indicates that unsolicited business proposals are discarded, but I'm not sure if seeking an investment constitutes a business proposal. How does it find the entities it wishes to fund?

[Christine]

Hmmm...I don't have much experience related to thrift store funding/operations. But my best guess: If you are looking to start a community thrift for which proceeds are directed to a particular charity (or group of charities), then it's worthwhile to put together a proposal for the charity as to how much up-front capital is needed, how many proceeds they'd expect to get back, etc. I suspect the charity would then either fund out of operating cash (if available) or submit targeted project grant requests to their own funders.

If this is a private (not related to charity) thrift, then I'd recommend that you look up the same resources - usually loans or friendly individual investment - as used by mom & pop businesses such as dry cleaners, coffee bars, etc.

Good luck!

[donna joyner]

Hello My name is Donna Joyner
I am looking for funding to start a thrift store. I was told by the chamber of commerce to contact local charites. No luck so far. Can you help me or point me in the direction I need to go?

Thank you
Donna Joyner

[Leila P. Beray]

I need fund donors for our project Enterprise based communities throguh formation of women entrepreneurs