Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic and The Cottrell Entrepreneurship Center at West Chester University are pleased to announce a special screening of the acclaimed documentary, Show Her The Money. This event will take place on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, from 4:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Sykes Theater on the West Chester University campus. “Show Her The Money” sheds light on the significant challenges women entrepreneurs face in securing venture capital.
Directed by Ky Dickens and produced by Catherine Gray, the film features compelling stories from women who have successfully navigated the financial landscape. The women include Emmy Award-winning actress Sharon Gless, who lends her star power as an executive producer and featured subject. “Show Her The Money“ highlights the critical need for financial equity and showcases inspiring success stories of women breaking barriers in various industries. The film is currently on a 100-city screening event tour sponsored by Wells Fargo.
Facts about venture capital for women entrepreneurs
- According to the Global Impact Investing Network (2023):
- In 2018, female-founded startups in the US accounted for only 2 percent (USD 1.9 billion) of the overall USD 85 billion raised from venture capital funding. This is despite women owning 38 percent of businesses. In contrast, 79 percent of that funding went to all-male teams.
- Women of Color or of Diverse Backgrounds: In the United States, women of color fare considerably worse than other women. Only 0.2 percent of venture capital flows to their companies despite comprising the fastest-growing segment of female business owners.
- Despite the funding disadvantage, research conducted in 2023 by Boston Consulting Group found that women-owned businesses generated higher revenues than their male counterparts. The average return on investment for women-owned companies was double that of men-owned businesses.
- According to the World Bank, women-owned firms in the US are growing at more than double the rate of all other firms. Women-owned firms contribute almost $3 trillion to the economy.
Panel discussion about venture capital for women entrepreneurs
Following the screening, a panel discussion will delve deeper into the themes of the documentary. This discussion aims to spark meaningful conversations about the current state of venture capital for women and explore actionable strategies for improvement.
Our panel will kick off with insights from Show Her The Money cast member, Jasmine Jones, Founder and CEO of Myya. She will be joined by panelists including John Majeski, CEO at Portola Valley Partners and an Associate Producer of the film, Tracey Welson Rossman, CMO at Chariot Solutions, Founder of GirlzTech and Journal My Health and Yasmine Mustafa, CEO and Co-Founder of ROAR for Good. The discussion will be moderated by Louise Yochee Klein, PsyD, cofounder of Courage Growth Partners. (See the abbreviated biographies for each panelist below).
Attendees will have the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and local business influencers during a session with light refreshments. This is a chance for women business owners, elected officials and business leaders to connect, share insights and collaborate on initiatives to support women entrepreneurs.
Event details
| Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | |
| Run of Show: 4:00 PM – 7:30 PM EDT | |
| 4:00 Arrival | |
| 4:15 Greeting from Co-Hosts Keiretsu Forum and Cottrell Center | |
| 4:30 – 6:00 Screening of the documentary | |
| 6:00 – 6:40 Panel Discussion and Q&A with audience | |
| 6:45 – 7:30 Networking and Refreshments | |
| Location: Sykes Theater, Sykes Recreation Center, 275 N. Campus Drive, West Chester University, Chester County, PA | |
PPocket Sun, founder of SOGAL Ventures and featured in the film, said, “Crazy is the courage and ability to redefine yourself and challenge the status quo.” This urges us to question the mere 2 percent of capital investment allocated to women. These numbers are despite research proving that women-led startups deliver double the value per dollar.
This event elevates awareness, supports women entrepreneurs and contributes to creating change in the venture capital landscape. Together, we can foster a more inclusive and equitable environment for all entrepreneurs.
Seats are limited. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by clicking this link.
For more information, please contact Cindi Sutera at CindiS@AMScommunications.net, call or text 610-613-2773 or visit https://bit.ly/Show_Her_Screening to preview the trailer!
About Keiretsu Forum
Keiretsu Forum is the world’s largest private equity angel investment network. They have 2000+ accredited investors in 34 North American and 23 International chapters. These individuals have invested more than $1B in early-stage companies in the last 23 years.
The Keiretsu Forum portfolio features Entrepreneurs and Companies from Technology-(Internet, Software, Cyber Security, SaaS, Mobile Systems, IoT, etc.), Life Sciences-(Pharma, Medical Devices, Health IT, etc.), FinServ/FinTech, Consumer Products, Clean-Green Energy, Consumer Products, & more!
About The Cottrell Entrepreneurship Center
The Cottrell Entrepreneurship Center fosters entrepreneurship across West Chester University and throughout Chester County. They prepare students to contribute to the entrepreneurship ecosystem, provide access to a rich network of entrepreneurship resources and enhance the startup and growth of new ventures, developing a strong WCU entrepreneurship culture and a vibrant Chester County entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Biographies
Louise Yochee Klein, PsyD, moderator
Louise Yochee Klein is a psychologist who heads Courage International’s innovation leadership coaching practice. She has equipped hundreds of thought-leaders in technical, engineering and scientific roles to step up, speak up and reach out with courage — as CEOs, Directors, General Managers and Advisors. She has partnered with dozens of Chief Learning Officers across the globe to use action learning to lift courage and accelerate career growth. And she has equipped hundreds of entrepreneurial CEOs to wow and woo investors and partners.
Jasmin Jones, Cofounder and CEO, Myya
Jasmine Jones is the co-founder and CEO of Myya, the only online direct-to-consumer, insurance-billable, post-mastectomy intimates brand. Inspired by her grandmother’s battle with breast cancer, Jones created Myya to address the challenge of finding well-fitting post-mastectomy bras that provide support when you need it most.
Incubated at Cherry Blossom Intimates, the brand’s retail space, Myya is the next step in the company’s evolution. The space will connect women across the country with certified mastectomy fitters. Myya offers breast cancer survivors a completely customizable virtual post-mastectomy bra fitting, ensuring that all women get the perfect fit. Myya is the only online boutique that can bill insurance directly for customers, making the shopping process seamless for them.
In October 2020, Cherry Blossom Intimates, the Techstars-backed company, closed its $1.25 million seed round. This made Jones one of the few Black women in the world to close over $1 million in venture funding. A former Miss District of Columbia USA, Jasmine was named a Forbes Under 30 Listmaker in the Retail & E-Commerce category. She is also a Fashion Institute of Technology award-winning lingerie designer and a Tory Burch fellow.
John Majeski, CEO, Portola Valley Partners
John Majeski serves as Chief Executive Officer & Board Member at Portola Valley Partners. He has experience with startups, turnarounds and large IT companies. He was a founder/partner in 3 startups – successful exits. At Hewlett-Packard, he led the integration of a company and served as a CTO. And at Dell, as VP/GM, he integrated a $1B acquisition and grew revenue from $400M to $2.3B in 3 years. At Lenovo, he was the Founder & Managing Director of a global business focused on acquiring technology to help Lenovo pivot from pure hardware to software and solutions. He has led in product, engineering, sales and M&A areas.
Tracey Welson-Rossman
Tracey Welson-Rossman is one of the founding members and CMO of Chariot Solutions, a premier software development consulting firm in Philadelphia. Her position resulted from her founding TechGirlz.org, a non-profit inspiring middle school girls to embrace tech for their future careers. She is also a mentor and an advocate for women in tech and tech startups.
Yasmine Mustafa
Yasmine Mustafa believes ROAR found her, not the other way around. A former refugee and undocumented immigrant, she draws upon her unique life experiences to lead ROAR in its mission to empower and protect workers across all industries. Her journey is a testament to resilience and unwavering commitment. With over 15 years of leadership in the tech industry, including the successful sale of her first company, 123LinkIt, to a firm in Silicon Valley in 2009, Yasmine is a driving force for positive change, balancing profits with purpose. Yasmine’s workplace safety advocacy and leadership have earned recognition from the BBC, CNBC’s Upstart 100 and the City of Philadelphia.
Yasmine is a highly sought-after conference speaker. Yasmine is a two-time TEDx speaker and has presented at the prestigious SXSW and CES conferences. She shares her deep passion for harnessing technology for positive change. Beyond her professional life, Yasmine enjoys time spent with friends and family, exploring the outdoors, biking and hiking. She dedicates time to the boards of Coded by Kids, Leadership Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technology.
Don’t miss Bobbie Carlton’s article about the film, “It’s Time for Change. Show Her the Money“
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