Children & Education | Home & Family | Women & Opportunity | Impact & Equity

Closing the Gap Between Performance and Access

Women receive less than three percent of venture capital funding, despite consistently outperforming on returns and repaying investments more fully and more quickly than their male counterparts. The gap is not one of capability or ambition. It is a gap of access.

My work in this space has focused on changing that reality through action rather than commentary. As Vice President of Programming for the Wharton Alumnae Founders & Funders Association (WAFFA), I helped build and deliver programs designed to move women forward as founders, funders, and friends. This community brought together highly accomplished women from one of the world’s leading business schools to strengthen networks, expand visibility, and increase access to capital and opportunity.

The impact was measurable. Through education, connection, and sustained engagement, participation in funding and investment conversations increased, contributing to growth in venture capital access from approximately two to three percent to closer to six to eight percent within this ecosystem. While still far from equitable, the shift represented meaningful progress grounded in performance, credibility, and results.

I am drawn to this work because when women gain access to capital and decision-making power, the benefits extend well beyond individual success. Women-led companies create jobs, invest in people, and build resilient organizations. Expanding opportunity here is not about fairness alone. It is about strengthening economies, communities, and long-term outcomes for everyone.