Several powerful women have joined forces to spotlight a glaring problem with an award-winning new documentary film, Show Her The Money, The Power of Funding Women Entrepreneurs. Chief among them is Catherine Gray, podcast host and founder of She Angel Investors. The film examines the troubling reality that women receive less than 2% of the $238 million allocated annually to venture capital funding.
Show Her the Money demystifies venture capital and reminds us that money is power and women need it to achieve true equality. It features several rock-star female funders who invest in diverse women entrepreneurs with innovations that will change the world. The film tracks the journey of four visionary female founders facing steep challenges as they work to turn their ideas into reality. Despite persistent doubts about their dedication and passion, these women – with the financial support and mentorship of their angel investors – have become even more determined, resourceful, and resilient, and the growth of their businesses is mind-blowing. Each venture has the potential to become a “unicorn” – a billion-dollar business.
Executive producers Golden Globe winner Sharon Gless and Denny’s founder Dawn LaFreeda note that women are not raised to discuss money or learn how to invest. Yet, as a waitress, Dawn bought her first restaurant at 23, and she says, “The rest is history.” In fact, women-owned businesses consistently outperform their counterparts. The World Bank reports, “In the United States…women-owned firms are growing at more than double the rate of all other firms, contribute nearly $3 trillion to the economy, and are directly responsible for 23 million jobs.”
Catherine says the bottom line is women need to invest in other women. And the money is there. By the end of the decade, women will control one-third of the wealth in the United States, but while women are generous with giving, they have yet to enter the venture capital arena. In her TED Talk, Catherine urges women if you don’t have the next big idea, create your legacy by supporting the woman who does. Her rallying call to angel investors is “Fund women and save the world.”
Only 22% of angel investors are women, which is one reason most of the funding goes to men. Catherine says that people invest in other people they can relate to. That’s why she encourages women to join angel investing groups. She promises that they are headed by women who understand finance and investing and how to hedge risk for profitable returns.
History has proven time and time again that women often have superior, ideas, skills, products, and inventions to bring to light. In fact, women invented the electric dishwasher, central gas heating, windshield wipers, and computer programming, to name a few. Who knows how much our society and our planet will benefit from future generations of women with game-changing creations and innovative ideas – especially if their ideas are equally funded? The only way we’ll know for sure is if we SHOW HER THE MONEY!
To learn more, check out the screening opportunities at https://showherthemoneymovie.com/, and listen to Catherine’s TED Talk or podcast at https://www.sheangelinvestors.com/