72 CLEARING THE HURDLES: WOMEN BUILDING HIGH-GROWTH BUSINESSES
at the first Springboard Forum at Oracle Computing. A
reporter was just finishing up her interview with a venture
capitalist at a nearby table. She asked, “What do you think
of this event?” The gray-haired, tanned man leaned back
and said, “It’s just terrific. But, I would never invest in a
women-led business. Don’t get me wrong, women are great
for running day care centers and have done a lot for cus-
tomer service, but as an investor, you can’t take a chance
that they might leave to get married or pregnant.”
It’s a given that growing a venture requires a grand vision for the
company, as well as commitment of significant time and energy that
can interfere with family and personal life. Is it ...