"When I launched my first business in my twenties, I thought success meant doing everything alone. I believed that if I worked hard enough, read every business book, and put in the hours, I'd eventually figure it all out. What I quickly realized, however, is that you don't find the most valuable growth strategy in your balance sheet. You find it in your network."
"In 2024, women started 49% of all new businesses in the U.S., up from just 29% five years earlier. And while that growth is impressive, the gap between potential and access still looms large. Women still receive less than 2% of venture capital funding, and 63% say they've never had a formal mentor. Those two gaps, in capital and mentorship, often stand between a good idea and a thriving business."
Thousands of women started and scaled companies over the last decade. In 2024, women started 49% of all new U.S. businesses, up from 29% five years earlier. Despite this growth, women receive less than 2% of venture capital funding and 63% report never having a formal mentor. Capital and mentorship gaps often block progression from idea to thriving business. Strategic networking bridges both gaps by building visibility, credibility, and opportunities. Networking should focus on purposeful, deep relationships that create mutual value rather than broad, transactional contact collecting. Genuine curiosity and openness to collaboration can lead to partnerships and measurable revenue growth.
Read at Fast Company
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