Introduction
Sister, Where Art Thou?
Women. Over half of the earth's population, and creators of life for the whole of it. They are our mothers, wives, daughters, and colleagues. Women account for 85 percent of all spending, arguably the expression of true power. And yet, if you survey the landscape of founders who've created the most successful tech companies of recent years—all males. Zuckerberg, Dorsey, Cheskey, Kalanick, Spiegel: captains of Facebook, Twitter, Airbnb, Uber, Snapchat. Revolutionary founders who have created massively valuable companies that affect billions. It clearly appears to be the sport of men.
Is it just a coincidence that there are so few women at the top? Only 24 female CEOs lead America's Fortune 500. And in tech, female‐founded companies are only 3 percent of all startups funded by venture capitalists. Are we to believe that women simply don't create great things? Or should we finally acknowledge that we operate in an unfair system where the path for women in business, leadership, and entrepreneurship is much, much harder. As an angel investor in startup companies I routinely hear amazing pitches from female entrepreneurs. In 2015, I pledged to only invest in tech startups with at least one female cofounder. Yet, in 2017, women are still not getting funded or promoted at the same rate as men, and the refrain from every female entrepreneur is consistent: women are pushing a larger rock up a steeper hill.
Women's lack of power and broader success ...