Challenging the myth: 'Don't ask for money until you're perfect'

If your only fundraising idea is ‘I’ll bootstrap until I have traction’ — this might be limiting your growth.” 🚨 Opinion time: There’s a harmful myth in many female‑founder spaces: “Don’t ask for money until you’re perfect.” That advice often ends up stalling women’s growth while others (often men) raise early and scale fast. During Business Finance Week, I challenge you to shift into a mindset of “strategic investing in your business.” If you know you need funding but you're hesitant, let’s talk....... #BusinessFinanceWeek #ChangeYourMindset #WomenRaise #FinancialConfidence

“As an investor, I hear a lot of talk about supporting women — but what they really need is investment. What matters most to me is helping fellows achieve tangible results.” Anna Raptis, founder and managing partner of Amplifica Capital, is a mentor in the Cartier Women’s Initiative community. She helps fundraising fellows scale their businesses and impact by providing support and connections across the capital spectrum — investing in three fellows along the way. Explore Anna’s perspective on mentoring here: https://lnkd.in/ekf-WqXz

🎓 FEMALE FOUNDERS: Empowering women in business. The Open University and NatWest have relaunched the £50k Open Business Creators Fund, offering grants and mentoring to help women entrepreneurs develop their ideas and grow their ventures. 📅 Applications close 21 November 2025. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eXagnp_s #MiltonKeynes #BusinessMK #FemaleFounders #Entrepreneurship #Funding #NatWest #OpenUniversity #Education #Empowerment Debbie Lewis Amanda Wright Michelle Theuma MK Ethnic Business Community (MKEBC) Chaitali Patel

“How do we fund women’s health more strategically?” In this clip, Georgie Kovacs explains why recent funding announcements are only a start — and outlines a roadmap for closing the gaps. #WomensHealth #HealthcareInnovation #HealthEquity #Funding

🚨 The Wealth Gap for Women in Business Is Real — and Growing Recent reports revealed a stark reality: while women are starting businesses at record rates, capital access hasn’t kept pace. In fact: Black women are the fastest-growing group of U.S. entrepreneurs, yet they face loan rejection rates 3x higher than white-owned businesses. Venture capital is even worse — less than 1% of U.S. VC funding went to Black women in 2022. To make matters harder, legal rulings like the one against the Fearless Fund’s Strivers Grant are dismantling programs designed to level the playing field. ❌ The result? Too many women with vision, grit, and viable business plans are being denied the capital to scale — while outdated systems continue to reward insiders. But here’s the good news: ✨ New pathways are emerging. Debt funds, peer networks, and education platforms are equipping women with the tools to rise above systemic barriers. And this is where we come in. At Fiscally Fabulous® (powered by REIA NYC), we don’t just teach women to hustle. We teach them to: Build wealth strategically through real estate and business ownership Establish bankable business credit & compliance Leverage alliances and networks to open doors capital has closed Create legacies that outlive policies, politics, and gatekeeping Because here’s the truth: women don’t need charity. We need strategy, structure, and solidarity. 💡 If you’re ready to join a movement of women reclaiming their financial future, the Fiscally Fabulous® community is your next step. 👉 Start here: https://lnkd.in/evZ6aHj8 #FiscallyFabulous #WomenBuildingWealth #EconomicJustice #LegacyMinded #REIANYC

Initial notes from Oliver Yonchev 1. Understand sector/problem 👉 Show that you deeply understand the industry you’re in — and the pain points. Not in generic “the market is big” terms, but in specific this is broken and here’s why terms. 2. Obsession – founder personality 👉 Investors back founders more than ideas. Show your obsession with the problem (why you can’t not solve it). Your credibility comes from your obsession. 3. Prepare the company story 👉 Go beyond the “what” and “how” into the “why you.” Why are you uniquely placed to solve this? Background, insight, network, experience. 4. Paint macro (pour salt on wounds) 👉 Agitate the problem at a global/macro scale. Make it obvious that this problem isn’t small — it’s urgent, growing, and expensive to ignore. 5. Story > data 👉 Data supports the story, but the story leads. Investors remember a founder’s story, not their charts. 6. Value of funding 👉 Be explicit: “Here’s what angel funding unlocks.” Show how their money adds value (speed, reach, tech, team), not just survival cash. If you want the rest of my notes, email me: Mitterlehnercindy@gmail.com :-)

Funding follows trust — and trust is built on relationships. As Daniela Santangelo shares with Tamara and Danielle Thompson, investors aren’t just backing a business; they’re betting on you. The company is just secondary. Build the relationships, learn from every round, and keep iterating. That’s where the real investment begins. Know more in this episode of Women Unlocking Wealth, brought to you by Broadcast Your Authority! https://lnkd.in/gAiaytFq #EntrepreneurJourney #BusinessFunding #InvestorConnections

Why would a man build a women-focused financial brand? Because allyship isn’t about speaking for women, it’s about creating structures that let women’s voices, dreams, and wealth thrive. I’ve seen firsthand how financial exclusion holds women back, and I believe that when women rise financially, families, communities, and economies rise with them. This isn’t charity! it’s strategy, it’s equity, it’s the future. #unwomen #allyship #finance #man #matriarchy

Before You Apply for That Grant ... Pause. Every grant has a reason it exists. Some fund innovation. Some fund women. Some fund sustainability. But many founders skip that part, and send in the same proposal everywhere. That’s how you miss out. Before you apply: ✅ Read the funder’s intent ✅ Study past winners ✅ Align your story Grants don’t go to the best writers. They go to the best fits. Stay strategic, today. © Israel Alabi Grant Consultant || Grant Writer || Business Plan/Proposal Developer #TheIsraelAlabi #BrilliantGrantEntrepreneur #YourImpactfulSpeaker #BusinessPlanWriter

As women increasingly step into positions of financial leadership, CEO Kathleen Grace, CFP®, CIMA® recently spoke with Ben Stupples at Bloomberg about how women of wealth are approaching this shift as stewards of family legacy. Kathi shared her perspective about how this rise in female-controlled wealth is reshaping financial priorities, noting, “I do see a growing trend of women building their financial plan around philanthropy.” As opposed to solely focusing on growing generational wealth, many women are leading with impact, making charitable giving a core pillar of their long-term strategy. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eHhtvFXq #WomenOfWealth #Philanthropy #WealthManagement #SuccessionPlanning