{"id":26159,"date":"2018-08-12T05:00:38","date_gmt":"2018-08-12T05:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/?p=319328"},"modified":"2018-08-20T23:18:10","modified_gmt":"2018-08-20T23:18:10","slug":"the-helm-fresh-concept-investment-firm-for-female-innovators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/2018\/08\/12\/the-helm-fresh-concept-investment-firm-for-female-innovators\/","title":{"rendered":"the Helm: this fresh concept fund is investing in female innovators"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-319650 noshadow\" title=\"story - brand - the Helm - no. 1\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/story-brand-the-Helm-no.-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"116\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-319541 noshadow\" title=\"photo - sign open - no. 1\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/photo-sign-open-no.-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"453\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-319666\" title=\"art - bank cheque - no. 7\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/art-bank-cheque-no.-7.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"302\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p>&#8212; the story &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">Modern investment<strong> &#8212;<\/strong> fostering projects created by women.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehelm.co\/\" >The Helm<\/a> is a new financial investment fund &#8212; plus a support community &#8212; helping start-ups founded by women. Female entrepreneurs get less help when they reach out to raise money for their projects and companies, compared to start-ups founded by men. Numbers show that women also get less money from small business bank loans, compared to men.<\/p>\n<p>So both in credit and capital, women owned businesses need help. But women are also thriving &#8212; today, more female inspired ideas, projects, shops, services, solutions and applications are making waves in the marketplace and in our everyday lives. One reason is: sprouting communities by-and-for women entrepreneurs. Another valuable help is today&#8217;s mainstream web. The web connects, unifies, and offers new ways of doing business.<\/p>\n<p>The female founders at the Helm are doing both: financially investing in women&#8217;s projects, and using digital tools to nurture a community that supports women&#8217;s start-ups &#8212; helping bring their dreams to life: with mentorship, counseling, practical know-how and encouragement.<\/p>\n<p>The Helm is getting attention from well known publications and broadcasters, and showcases a new model to level-out the lack of equality for women in society. The group&#8217;s investments are smart, organized, and highlight best business practices. They offer a magazine style <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehelm.co\/issues\" >newsletter<\/a> called <em>Women at the Helm<\/em> with advice, inspiration, practical stories, plus a product collection. A novel approach to investment, the Helm is focused on well-being &#8212; with financial success + personal success braided as 2 parts of a whole business. The group invests in early stage projects, with a tech focus, and managed by a female CEO.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">continue reading below:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>materials from the Helm<\/li>\n<li>numbers on the gender equality gap in business investing<\/li>\n<li>resources for start-ups + female entrepreneurs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">on the web<\/span> | pages<\/p>\n<p>the Helm | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehelm.co\/\" >main<\/a><br \/>\nthe Helm | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehelm.co\/issues\" >newsletter<\/a>: <em>Women at the Helm<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-319656 noshadow\" title=\"photo - post it notes - no. 7\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/photo-post-it-notes-no.-7.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"410\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">on the web<\/span> | learning<\/p>\n<p><em>Wikipedia<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Entrepreneurship\" >entrepreneurship<\/a><br \/>\n<em>Wikipedia<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Startup_company\" >start-up company<\/a><br \/>\n<em>Wikipedia<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Business_loan\" >business loan<\/a><br \/>\n<em>Wikipedia<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Angel_investor\" >angel investor<\/a><br \/>\n<em>Wikipedia<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Investment_fund\" >investment fund<\/a><br \/>\n<em>Wikipedia<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Venture_capital\" >venture capital<\/a><br \/>\n<em>Wikipedia<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Maker_culture\" >maker culture<\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p>&#8212; 1. | the numbers &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">institution:<\/span> University of New Hampshire<a href=\"https:\/\/paulcollege.unh.edu\/\" ><br \/>\n<\/a><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">center:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/paulcollege.unh.edu\/research\/center-venture-research\" >Center for Venture Research<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/paulcollege.unh.edu\/\" ><br \/>\n<\/a><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">report:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/paulcollege.unh.edu\/sites\/paulcollege.unh.edu\/files\/2017-Analysis-Report.pdf\" >the angel market in year 2017<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>in 2017 &#8212;\u00a0Women owned ventures totaled almost 30 % of all entrepreneurs asking for angel capital investment.<\/li>\n<li>in 2017 &#8212; And 23.4 % of the women entrepreneurs received an angel investment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">note:<\/span> the Center for Venture Research is under the College of Business + Economics.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-319548 noshadow\" title=\"photo - desk - no. 3\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/photo-desk-no.-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"453\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-319668\" title=\"art - bank cheque - no. 8\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/art-bank-cheque-no.-8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p>&#8212; 2. | the numbers &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">government:<\/span> US Census Bureau<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">report:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/census.gov\/library\/visualizations\/2017\/comm\/women_owned_businesses.html\" >women owned businesses<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">note<\/span> | According to the most current &#8212; and now out-dated &#8212; numbers from the US Census Bureau &#8212; 35.8 % of US businesses are owned by women. And that number is growing. They need investment and loans to: get started, maintain a healthy business, grow and stabilize.<\/p>\n<p>Many new kinds of businesses are emerging &#8212; now that almost every company uses the web for advertising, design, outreach, sales or to support its customers. That means traditional businesses like restaurants, retail stores, personal care products and services all have burgeoning opportunities now that the web is fully mainstream. On every laptop and smart-phone businesses are bustling. New entertainment companies are also evolving &#8212; as well as new digital and web-connected products that play a key role in modern services and home goods.<\/p>\n<p>In the enterprise markets, we&#8217;ve entered a new age of software-as-a-service and customized business applications &#8212; all based on the web. Today women have better access to higher education &#8212; for example: web schools, digital learning materials, new communities that support women&#8217;s progress &#8212; and women are fully participating in the computer era with business ideas of their own.<\/p>\n<p>Easy-to-use web publishing toolkits are now available to everyone &#8212; at any skill level. In weeks or months a product, concept, or publication can be designed and posted to the web with print-quality craftsmanship. Turn-around time for reaching customers, and logging sales is fast and efficient. Accounting software for home office makes owning and operating a business streamlined.<\/p>\n<p>This means that modern software plus municipal web access help all businesses prosper, and help new ideas seed + grow. Today&#8217;s web is democratic, offering amazing opportunities that &#8212; especially women &#8212; have not had in the past. It makes sense that our new era will be a time for equality, for women in business to flourish.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">on the web<\/span> | learning<\/p>\n<p><em>Wikipedia<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Enterprise_software\" >enterprise software<\/a><br \/>\n<em>Wikipedia<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Software_as_a_service\" >software-as-a-service<\/a><br \/>\n<em>Wikipedia<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mobile_app\" >mobile app<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">note:<\/span> the US Census Bureau is under the US Economics + Statistics Admin. &#8212; under the US Dept. of Commerce umbrella.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft  wp-image-319570 noshadow\" title=\"photo - receipt - no. 1\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/photo-receipt-no.-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"453\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p>&#8212; 3. | the numbers &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">research firm:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/pitchbook.com\/\" >Pitchbook<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Pitchbook | <a href=\"https:\/\/pitchbook.com\/news\/articles\/when-it-comes-to-closing-the-gender-funding-gap-theres-no-silver-bullet\" >When it comes to closing the gender funding gap &#8212; there&#8217;s no silver bullet<\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">chart:<\/span> female founded start-ups raise only a small portion of overall VC investment<\/p>\n<p><em><\/em><em>Fortune<\/em> | <a href=\"http:\/\/fortune.com\/2018\/01\/31\/female-founders-venture-capital-2017\/\" >Female founders got 2 % of venture capital dollars in 2017<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">with chart by Pitchbook:<\/span> total value of VC deals by gender<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">with chart by Pitchbook:<\/span> total number of VC deals by gender<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">with chart by Pitchbook:<\/span> female founded companies as percent of total VC deals \/ dollars<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">note:<\/span> Pitchbook is a financial data + software co. &#8212; under Morningstar co.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft  wp-image-319528 noshadow\" title=\"story - brand - Pitchbook - no. 1\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/story-brand-Pitchbook-no.-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"121\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft  wp-image-319623 noshadow\" title=\"photo - desk - no. 5\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/photo-desk-no.-5.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"680\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p>&#8212; 4. | the numbers &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">government:<\/span> US Small Business Admin.<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">story:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sba.gov\/blogs\/sbas-microloan-program-celebrates-25-years-business\" >US Small Business Administration micro-loan program celebrates 25 years in business<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>small businesses unable to access capital elsewhere, benefit from $50,000 loans at low interest rates<\/li>\n<li>small businesses can use the loans to grow their business, create or keep jobs<\/li>\n<li>48 % of businesses getting micro-loans are owned by women<\/li>\n<li>41 % of businesses getting micro-loans are start-ups<\/li>\n<li>by comparison &#8212; less than 20% of conventional bank loans are made to women<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">note:<\/span> the US Small Business Admin. gives support to entrepreneurs + small businesses.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p>&#8212; 5. | the numbers &#8212;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">government:<\/span> US Senate Committee on Small Business + Entrepreneurship<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">report:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbc.senate.gov\/public\/_cache\/files\/3\/f\/3f954386-f16b-48d2-86ad-698a75e33cc4\/F74C2CA266014842F8A3D86C3AB619BA.21st-century-barriers-to-women-s-entrepreneurship-revised-ed.-v.1.pdf\" >21st century barriers to women&#8217;s entrepreneurship<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The most current &#8212; and now out-dated &#8212; report from the US Senate said:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>women entrepreneurs get 4 % of the total dollar value of all small business loans<\/li>\n<li>women entrepreneurs get 7 % of venture funds<\/li>\n<li>We need updated data to track the persistent lack of equality for women business owners &#8212; to fix the gap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">note:<\/span> the US Senate Committee on Small Business + Entrepreneurship researches + investigates problems.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft  wp-image-319587 noshadow\" title=\"photo - desk - no. 6\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/photo-desk-no.-6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"564\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">on the web<\/span> | resources<\/p>\n<p>ReThink Impact | <a href=\"http:\/\/rethinkimpact.com\/\" >main<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">about<\/span> | ReThink Impact is the largest US impact venture capital firm with a gender lens that invests in female leaders using technology to solve the world\u2019s biggest problems.<\/p>\n<p>ReThink Impact believes that the next generation of extraordinary companies &#8212; in health care, environmental sustainability, education, and economic opportunity &#8212; will find success through their relentless pursuit of mission, for the benefit of all communities.<\/p>\n<p>Through our extensive network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and decision makers, we\u2019re changing the way people look at social impact. Our diverse community of committed investors from across the country stands with women. We are a conduit for their values and desire for change. Change in how business gets done and how the investing industry works. 100 % of our portfolio of investments: women on the executive team.<\/p>\n<p>Together, we believe the next generation of the world\u2019s best businesses will succeed through their relentless pursuit of positive impact and a commitment to diversity that starts at the top.\u00a0ReThink Impact is a female focused venture capital firm. We raised $112 million to put towards these ideas. We&#8217;re investing to change the game &#8212; for people + planet.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">description:<\/span> by ReThink Impact<\/p>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft  wp-image-320194 noshadow\" title=\"story - brand - ReThink Impact - no. 1\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/story-brand-ReThink-Impact-no.-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"248\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">on the web<\/span> | resources<\/p>\n<p>US Small Business Admin. | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sba.gov\/\" >main<\/a><br \/>\nUS Small Business Admin. | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sba.gov\/business-guide\/10-steps-start-your-business\/\" >your business guide<\/a> &#8212; plan, launch, manage, grow<\/p>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft  wp-image-319597 noshadow\" title=\"story - brand - US Small Business Administration - no. 2\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/story-brand-US-Small-Business-Administration-no.-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"183\" height=\"142\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">on the web<\/span> | resources<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">American Express<\/span> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanexpress.com\/us\/small-business\/openforum\/articles\/where-are-the-resources-for-women-owned-businesses\/?linknav=us-openforum-search-article-link1\" >Where are the resources for women owned businesses?<\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">deck:<\/span> Women-owned businesses run into a funding + financing gap that can impede their success.<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">deck:<\/span> Thankfully, there are quite a few resources available to them.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">on the web<\/span> | reading<\/p>\n<p><em>Forbes<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/elanagross\/2018\/01\/10\/the-helm\/#678029d516e4\" >How new venture capital fund the Helm is supporting female founders<\/a><br \/>\n<em>Forbes<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/carriekerpen\/2018\/04\/09\/how-women-entrepreneurs-are-closing-the-venture-capital-gap\" >How women entrepreneurs are closing the venture capital gap<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Fortune<\/em> | <a href=\"http:\/\/fortune.com\/2017\/10\/12\/women-venture-capital-helm\/\" >Can experience investing help female entrepreneurs?<\/a><br \/>\n<em>Re-Code<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.recode.net\/2017\/10\/12\/16439044\/women-seed-startups-venture-capital-the-helm\" >A group of women are launching a fund that plans to only invest in other women<\/a><br \/>\n<em>Entrepreneur<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/article\/309555\" >Why investing in women led start-ups is the right move<\/a><br \/>\n<em>CIO<\/em> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cio.com\/article\/3239484\/careers-staffing\/investing-in-women-how-the-helm-is-shaking-up-the-vc-world.html\" >How the Helm is shaking up the VC world<\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">on the web<\/span> | research<\/p>\n<p>the Boston Consulting Group | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcg.com\/publications\/2018\/why-women-owned-startups-are-better-bet.aspx\" >report<\/a>:\u00a0Why women owned start-ups are a better bet<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft  wp-image-319592 noshadow\" title=\"photo - receipt - no. 2\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/photo-receipt-no.-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"453\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"dashed\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">special section:<\/span> profile<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">description:<\/span> by the Helm<\/p>\n<p>a. | the Helm &#8212; INVESTED in WOMEN<\/p>\n<p>The Helm makes it easy to invest in women. We bring you the latest female founded products and companies, tell you why they matter, and connect you with ways to support them directly. And when we say we are invested in women, we mean it. The Helm\u2019s venture fund invests in female founded start-ups, putting capital behind the next generation of leaders in technology and innovation.<\/p>\n<p>The Helm is a community and a venture fund that re-thinks how people invest in female entrepreneurs \u2014 a segment of the financial sector that received only 2.5% of all venture capital in 2016 despite consistently outperforming all-male teams. An alternative to philanthropy, the Helm was founded on the idea that additional value can be created for investors &#8212; both female and male &#8212; by allowing them to see their money drive change first-hand through:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>bespoke experiences<\/li>\n<li>venture education<\/li>\n<li>exclusive content<\/li>\n<li>behind-the-scenes tours<\/li>\n<li>behind-the-scenes series<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p>b. | the Helm &#8212; OUR MISSION<\/p>\n<p>We are on a mission to make venture investing truly equitable. And we\u2019re changing the equation on both sides. If you\u2019re a female founder who needs to raise capital, the odds are stacked against you. Of the $58.8 billion dollars invested by US based venture capitalists in 2015 alone, only 7 % of that funding went to female entrepreneurs. And for women of color, that percentage drops to 0.2 %. In 2016, despite the enormous amount of attention on this issue, the amount of capital invested in female founders actually dropped to only 2.5 %.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re on a mission to make venture investing truly equitable, tackling the goal from two sides. First, we\u2019re expanding women\u2019s access to capital. Our fund invests in female founded companies with female CEOs. We\u2019re putting resources behind the woman who are the technology + innovation sector, at the helm of companies that will change our culture.<\/p>\n<p>Despite being under-estimated and under-funded, there&#8217;s an increasing amount of data that says female founders out-perform their male counterparts consistently. Venture-backed start-ups with female founders have been shown to drive a 35 % higher return-on-investment &#8212; and female teams tend to generate 12 % more revenue on average. And this out-performance continues once companies go public.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also up-ending the system by changing who is invited to do the investing. Typically, men with wealth are invited to invest their money and amass more wealth. Women? They\u2019re invited to give away their money philanthropically. Who receives capital and who\u2019s asked to invest it is biased by gender. Philanthropy can\u2019t be the only way we\u2019re investing in equality &#8212; and it can\u2019t be the only place where women are invited to write checks.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why we\u2019re re-imagining the experience of investing to create value beyond the term sheet. In addition to investing in female companies: the Helm members get access to exclusive events + content, customized perks, and empowerment through education.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p>c. | the Helm &#8212; text<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p>d. | the Helm &#8212; OUR FUND<\/p>\n<p>We believe that innovation is not gender specific, so we do not accept that 97.5 % of the most valuable capital supporting innovation should go to male founders only. It&#8217;s imperative that female voices have a role in creating the companies, tech, and systems that will shape our future. This is a problem that needs to be solved. It&#8217;s also an opportunity to drive out-sized returns by investing risk-taking capital into the next generation of female innovation.<\/p>\n<p>Our fund invests in early-stage, high-growth technology companies with women at the helm. We invest in 8-12 deals per year, most at the seed stage, and provide strategic support to our founders to help their companies grow. We drive value for our portfolio investments and our member community.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p>e. | the Helm &#8212; WHY VENTURE<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re focused on venture capital &#8212; impact through access to capital &#8212; one of the most valuable resource available for entrepreneurs looking to achieve world-changing scale. Venture is the risk-taking financial support that helps new ideas while they become businesses. It\u2019s a fuel for companies looking to grow. And right now, it\u2019s not accessible to women.<\/p>\n<p>Venture investing is one of the most unfair forms of capital. Of the $58.8 billion dollars invested by US based venture capitalists in 2015 alone, only 7 % of that funding went to female entrepreneurs. In 2016, that number dropped to 2.5 %, despite the cultural spotlight on this problem.<\/p>\n<p>Access to venture capital is plagued by an enormous amount of gender discrimination. Investors evaluate men on vision and promise. Women, however, are judged on proven history. We see the enormous challenges female entrepreneurs face when they try to raise capital &#8212; especially at the seed stage. Every day we see brilliant, tenacious women creating innovative, necessary companies but struggling to get them funded. It&#8217;s not uncommon to take 6 months + 100 meetings to close their seed rounds &#8212; or be forced to take alternative forms of funding that lock them out of the networks they need to grow.<\/p>\n<p>So if we want the future to include companies that consider women, are led by women, and create wealth for women, we need to invest in them now. Because we also know that when women do break-through and get access to capital, they out-perform their male peers. This creates a new avenue for impact: investing directly in the female founders who are going to become the leaders in innovation and investment of tomorrow.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p>f. | the Helm &#8212; INVESTING in FEMALE INNOVATION<\/p>\n<p>Our unique investing philosophy. We believe there&#8217;s a huge financial opportunity to invest capital into incredible founders, and provide the structural support they need for their vision. At The Helm, we invest in female innovation. To qualify as a potential investment for The Helm, you must be an early stage, tech enabled company &#8212; helmed by a female CEO.<\/p>\n<p><em>What we look for in potential investments:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">problem-driven businesses<\/span> &#8212; Having a large addressable market is important for any venture-scale business, but the companies we get most excited about are the ones that have a unique insight into a pervasive, challenging customer problem. We invest in solutions centered around promoting resource efficiencies, leveraging technology to increase accessibility, creating products for underserved consumers, and enriching ecosystem infrastructures.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">experienced founders<\/span> &#8212; At the seed stage especially: the composition, experience, and character of the founding team will carry strong weight in our investment decisions. Founders\u2019 unique vision and professional + personal backgrounds tell us why a founding team is in the best position to solve the problem they&#8217;re tackling.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">tangible product<\/span> &#8212; We consider ourselves seed investors. To us, that means that we won\u2019t be writing a check into a company before there&#8217;s a tangible MVP and feedback from customer testing. Our expectations for traction change depending on the industry &#8212; but regardless of sector, we look for data points that indicate a passionate group of early users.<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re active supporters of and partners to the companies in our portfolio. Community is the primary driver of our platform, and once The Helm is invested, we leverage our network of members, advisors, and mentors to provide ongoing strategic support to our founders as they scale their companies. Our community is a diverse mix of people &#8212; enthusiastic about driving access to resources for female founders. Their experiences range across industries: leaders in media and tech, successful founders, artists and activists. Collectively, our community is an influential and sophisticated focus group.<\/p>\n<p>We like to meet with founders as early as possible. We want to get to know you! And give you the opportunity to get to know us. We meet with founders when they&#8217;re still in the idea stage, and we&#8217;re happy playing the role of sounding board + friend &#8212; before we play the role of investor.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dotted\" \/>\n<p><img style=' float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0 7px 2px 0;'  class=\"alignleft  wp-image-319574 noshadow\" title=\"art - receipt - no. 1\" src=\"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/images\/art-receipt-no.-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"680\" height=\"373\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>[ story file ]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">story title:<\/span> the Helm: this fresh concept fund is investing in female innovators<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">deck:<\/span> Modern venture group growing the next generation.<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">year:<\/span> 2018<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">posted by:<\/span> managing editor<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">section:<\/span> digest<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #ffaa00;\">theme:<\/span> innovation + entrepreneurship<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&mdash; the story &mdash; Modern investment &mdash; fostering projects created by women. The Helm is a new financial investment fund &mdash; plus a support community &mdash; helping start-ups founded by women. Female entrepreneurs get less help when they reach out to raise money for their projects and companies, compared to start-ups founded by men. Numbers [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":454,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26159"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/454"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26159"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26345,"href":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26159\/revisions\/26345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}