Changing the Way Women Access, Use, and Control Money
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Show Notes:
Despite making up a large portion of the small business landscape, female entrepreneurs receive a disproportionately small share of business funding, just 2% of total venture capital invested globally. The three incredible leaders compiled for this podcast represent organizations that are changing the status quo and reshaping the way women access, use, and control money.
First, Hali Lee, founder of Donors of Color Network, describes giving circles as a way to pool time, resources, talent, and volunteer hours to do good in our communities. In her book, The Big We, Lee explains how giving circles allow everyday people to engage in philanthropy, and they are booming. She cites a study that showed that in the last six years, tens of thousands of Americans have joined thousands of circles. They are organized mostly by women, and most serve women, girls, and gender-expansive people. And the movement is on track to double in the next five years in terms of people engaged and dollars moved.
Lee says giving circles take philanthropy out of the hands of big billionaires and put it in the hands of people, in the old classic way of neighbor helping neighbor.
Second, Nicki Parr, CEO of Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV), says that economic empowerment allows women the power of choice. If women feel they have enough money, they can choose to leave a job, take a job, get childcare, start a business, or leave a bad relationship. With money comes agency and the ability to choose.
WEC’s main program, SET, is a 14-week class that has run for over 20 years and prepares women entrepreneurs to run their own businesses. Parr says it currently focuses on helping mostly single mothers and reducing poverty in that group. She explains that Santa Barbara and Ventura County, where they are located, are the second poorest counties in the state of California, with income disparity equivalent to Mozambique. The need is great, and the program is successful among women who need an alternative way to make a living that lets them support their children with a living income.
People can learn about the program through their Facebook page or the WEV website.
Third, Catherine Gray, producer of Show Her the Money, says simply, “Money is power,” and she is all about helping women get more of it by investing in other women. She points out that more women would do it if they knew how, which is why she produced her short film to educate women and men about angel investing and venture capital.
It’s not only easy to do. It’s more profitable. People who wait for companies to go public leave money on the table. The real money is made by investing up front, and women-owned startups earn the best returns fastest. Why not back a winner?
Yet most women-owned businesses fail due to lack of funding, Gray says, because men aren’t backing them. That’s why she is reaching out to women to turn the tide and invest and spend—even vote—in alignment with your values. Gray says that boosting investment in women-owned businesses by even 1% would generate billions of dollars for future products and services women need.
Show Her the Money is on a 100-city tour. Watch for it in your city and check out the She Angel Investors website for more.
About Hali Lee:
In 2025, Hali Lee was honored on the inaugural Time100 Philanthropy list for her groundbreaking work in collective giving. A 2021 Forbes 50 Over 50: Impact honoree, she is the founder of the Donors of Color Network, the first national network of wealthy individuals of color, Philanthropy Together, a collective giving support organization, and the Asian Women Giving Circle. As the leader of Radiant Strategies, her boutique consulting practice serves clients like Fidelity Charitable, the Bill Gates Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. A sought-after speaker, Hali has appeared at over 30 events in the past year. Her work, celebrated by The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Good Housekeeping, inspires others to reimagine generosity.
About Nicki Parr:
Nicki Parr is the Chief Executive Officer at Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV), a social-profit championing women’s economic empowerment in California’s Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Since joining WEV in 2018, Parr has spearheaded business recovery programs, introduced financial education as a core initiative, and led the organization’s first disaster grant program, distributing over $750,000 to small business owners. Appointed CEO in 2024, she skillfully guided WEV through a major restructuring and strategic realignment. A UK native, Parr is a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers experience, holds a master’s in Somatic Psychology and serves on multiple boards.
About Catherine Gray:
Catherine Gray is the Producer and Executive Producer of the new award-winning film Show Her The Money. She is also an author, TEDx speaker, podcast host, investor, founder of She Angel Investors, and co-founder of She Angels Foundation. Catherine has long had a focus on media and storytelling, including producing multiple award-winning films and producing the first documentary about same-sex marriage. She also had a successful career in cable TV advertising. Her She Angel Investors platform connects women investors and entrepreneurs to resources through its multi-media platform that includes films, events, e-courses, Invest in Her podcast, and her keynote called Connecting to Millions.