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Vivek Joshi
Director & CEO @ Exc... • 1d
After promoting 132 startups in just 2.5 years, a thought-provoking question from one of our funders stopped us in our tracks: “Why are all the startups you’ve supported male-led?” Truthfully, we were stunned. There was no bias or intentional direction—it had happened organically. But that question made us reflect deeply. In response, we launched a dedicated cohort for women founders with the goal of fostering greater inclusion. Yet, despite extensive outreach and promotion, we received only 3 pitch decks and a handful of inquiries from women-led ventures. The intent was strong, but the outcome signaled something deeper: access, visibility, and trust still remain barriers. Now, we’re taking a more intentional approach. We’re calling on ecosystem partners, women-led communities, and accelerators to co-create outreach strategies. We’ll host women-only pitch days, mentor-matching sessions, and listening forums to better understand what women founders truly need.
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