252 CLEARING THE HURDLES: WOMEN BUILDING HIGH-GROWTH BUSINESSES
and Enterprise), and government-sponsored programs. Of course,
attending meetings is only the first step. You will need to become
actively engaged with other members of the groups, providing feed-
back and support to them when possible and stating clearly your own
interests and needs. These are long-term relationships, so it is best to
get involved early and build the network connections gradually, but
deliberately.
We don’t expect women entrepreneurs to change the nature of the
venture capital industry, but we are confident that there are many
women working toward that goal. When the venture industry begins to
include more women decision makers, women entrepreneurs will find
it easier to make ...