Let me be honest with you—when I sat down to write my testimony for Massachusetts House Bill 1921, it felt pretty scary. I didn’t know what it would feel like reading it out loud in front of strangers. I didn’t yet know that I would be sitting in a small room listening to so many stories from people testifying about child trafficking, sexual assault or child pornography to support various bills protecting citizens from abuse by people in power.
It was humbling, to say the least. But all these cases and testimonies were about the same thing: power, and what some people choose to do when they have it over others, and what victims have as resources to defend themselves and protect others.
To be clear: throughout my time working in entrepreneurship in Boston, I have worked with many brilliant, thoughtful and profoundly human entrepreneurs and investors. It is meeting these people that made me excited to help early-stage entrepreneurs connect with investors. When I started a program for female founders in 2016, we were building a community and programs that ended up supporting more than 100 women who collectively raised over $100 million. I was proud of that work.
As we built opportunities, we were also building trust with these women.
What I heard
They started sharing the experiences they were having with investors—the questions they’d get, the situations they’d find themselves put in. The stories ranged from “You’re too attractive to be taken seriously as a CEO” to being grilled about their dating life, when they planned to have kids or whether their husbands approved of them being CEOs—all during business pitch or due diligence meetings.
Some women told me about unwanted advances during what were supposed to be professional investor meetings. But the story that really got to me was about a founder who showed up to what she’d been told was a business meeting, only to realize the investor was treating it like a date. He had zero intention of talking about her business.
These weren’t one-off bad experiences. They were part of a pattern that showed me something was seriously broken in this industry. When I heard about S1118/H1921 being reintroduced to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, I wanted to share the stories we’d been hearing.
The impossible math
Every single founder who shared their story faced the same awful choice: speak up and risk getting blacklisted from the tight-knit investor community, or keep quiet and just ‘deal with it.’
I get it because I’ve been there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been the only woman in a room, doing this constant mental calculation—do I call out this inappropriate comment or do I let it slide to protect my professional relationships? That mental load is exhausting. It affects your work, your relationships, everything.
The numbers tell the story of why this keeps happening. Venture capital is still about 90 percent male investors, and at senior levels where real decisions get made, it’s even more male-dominated. Women get less than two percent of VC investment in the US—and it’s actually gotten worse recently.
But this isn’t really about gender. It’s about what happens when someone has power over your economic future and decides to abuse it.
Jackson Block, CEO of LGBT+ VC, also testified to show how these same power dynamics hurt people in the LGBTQ+ community too. “This is an everyone issue,” he said. Block pointed out something important—even tiny amounts of power can make people act badly. “I tell my students and young investors that we have a zero-tolerance policy for any form of discrimination and sexual harassment—we need comprehensive legislation to address what’s hidden.” He shared stories of CEOs, investors and innovators who have come to his organization to seek support.
And this is where you—the reader—come in: it’s SO important to have different voices in this fight. We’re all dealing with the same fundamental problem: people abusing power.
What H1921 actually does
So what would this bill do? Right now, there’s basically no legal protection for entrepreneurs who face sexual harassment from investors. H1921 would change that.
It would make it illegal for professional investors to make sexual advances or create hostile environments when they’re in business relationships with entrepreneurs. If someone violates this, victims could sue for damages and attorney’s fees. The state Attorney General could go after bad actors, too.
There’s a three-year window to file claims, which—although short—is crucial because it often takes time for people to feel safe enough to come forward.
Why this matters right now
A 2020 study by Women Who Tech found that 41 percent of women in tech experienced some form of harassment. But the number who report them is much lower. Meanwhile, between 2022 and 2023, women-owned businesses grew at 4.5 times the rate of male-owned businesses. Women now represent 40 percent of all businesses and generate $2.7 trillion annually.
We have more women starting businesses in Massachusetts, but investment is still controlled by the same power-dominated networks. That’s a recipe for exactly the kind of abuse we’re trying to stop. Our state’s economic future depends on creating an environment where all entrepreneurs can succeed based on their ideas, not on whether they’re willing to put up with harassment.
How you can help
If any of this resonates with you, here’s what you can do:
- Call your reps: Contact your state representative and senator. Representative Tram Nguyen and Senator Cindy Friedman introduced the bill, with support from Reps Samantha Montaño, Steven Owens, Lindsay Sabadosa and Danillo Sena.
- Write testimony: Send written testimony to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary (JointCommittee.Judiciary@malegislature.gov). Include your Massachusetts address, say you support H1921, and share any relevant experiences.
- Tell your story: If you’ve dealt with harassment while trying to get business funding, consider sharing that story. Real experiences help lawmakers understand why we need this protection.
- Get organized: Connect with business groups and entrepreneurship organizations. Collective voices are louder. Join the coalition mailing list at capitalequityma@gmail.com or follow MASS NOW for priority bills, including this one.
Let’s lead on this
I know I had advantages that made it easier for me to speak up—I had credibility and an established position. Not everyone has that, which is exactly why we need legal protection. If you’ve experienced harassment while seeking business funding, I want you to know: you’re not alone.
H1921 exists to create a business environment where your ideas matter more than your willingness to tolerate bad behavior. In an industry that’s supposed to be built on relationships and trust, harassment destroys both.
Many people have pushed this bill forward—let’s thank Amy Spurling, Allison Byers, Modjossorica (Rica) Elysee, and many others for taking this on. Massachusetts has a chance to lead the country on this. Let’s not waste it.
H1921 is under review by the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary. To support it, contact your state representatives or check the Massachusetts Legislature website. Not in MA? Contact your state legislature to see where you can influence a bill like this being included. To better understand the process, you can start here.
About Marie Meslin
Marie Meslin is a dynamic collaborative leader with over 20 years of experience in non-profits, entrepreneurship and innovation, specializing in women’s rights, strategy consulting and social justice. She served as President of The Capital Network, where she helped over 100 female founders raise over $100M, and currently leads Northeastern University’s Center for Entrepreneurship Education, the world’s largest student-led entrepreneurship center. As a culture “fixer-upper,” she helps leaders build collaborative, joyful programs and cultures while also mentoring with youth-focused social impact programs and producing social impact documentaries with Smoke & Apple Films. This multilingual change-maker leverages her global network to turn social impact understanding into meaningful and joyful action.
There’s a growing movement to change these investor power dynamics—not just through legislation like H1921, but also through global initiatives. How to Get 1 Million Women Funded by 2030: the Global InvestHer Summit shows the push for equity in funding.
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