I had an interesting experience during our recent fundraise when a male VC friend remarked that our team should consider changing the name of the fund. “Your returns are great,” he said, “but funding only women-led companies is a hard sell to institutional investors.”

His comment encapsulated exactly what continues to be the most significant hurdle for female entrepreneurs today. Many investors view female-founded companies as “impact investments,” versus an opportunity to generate alpha returns—or excess returns earned on an investment above the benchmark return—within an asset class that has been historically under-appreciated. READ MORE