This problem is not going away.
When I began sharing this research in seminars, panel discussions, and classes in 2018, I held the notion that this funding disparity would briskly move towards equality. Obviously, I was wrong.
Evidence that investors penalize female founders for lack of industry fit
Are female founding CEOs penalized when raising funds for their ventures based on industry served? Across an observational study conducted on ventures seeking funding (N = 392) and an experimental study conducted on investors allocating venture funding (N = 130), we find evidence for a “lack of fit” effect: Female-led ventures catering to male-dominated industries receive significantly …