The Glaring Gap Summit will feature panels, sessions and networking opportunities. Photo provided.
Women across Florida will have a chance to learn more about startup investing Aug. 26 and 27. Nonprofit Embarc Collective is hosting the annual Glaring Gap Summit at its Tampa headquarters.
Founded in 2019,Embarc Collectiveis a startup hub that provides founders with operator-led coaching, strategic connections and a curated community.
Embarc Collective senior director of partnerships and events Evan Erickson explained that attendees will have the opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers and network with peers.
“We realized that less than two percent of venture capital is going to female-founded companies,” she said. “We had a thought of, ‘we do so much to support founders and help them get the resources they need, but what if we were to flip that idea upside down and help create more investors who care about and want to invest in these female founders?’”
Every year, 50 women are invited to participate in the event. These include individuals of all career stages as well as students. This can allow for multigenerational bonding. While this year’s gathering is at capacity, there is a waitlist for next year’s summit.
“In a previous event, we had a student who participated and she happened to sit next to someone who worked in venture capital,” Erickson explained. “That student went on to work in venture capital, which she wasn’t necessarily planning to do, and ended up getting her first job with that woman she sat next to.”
Through hands-on education, participants will explore the startup ecosystem and learn how to vet early-stage business models and assess markets. Additionally, they will study valuation tactics and portfolio strategy.
“I think you can’t take education away from anybody,” she said. “No matter what you’re going through, that is something that stays with you forever. I think that if we can educate people on how to think about things or how to see opportunity, they will take that with them in their everyday lives.”
Startup companies are developing solutions to a wide range of challenges, giving investors an opportunity to support ideas that could help “solve the world’s problems.”
Columbia Business School professor Angela Lee will lead the “Demystifying Angel Investing” workshop Aug. 26. It will cover topics such as venture math, due diligence, portfolio construction and investment thesis development.
A variety of panels and discussions are also scheduled for the same day.
Lisa Dallmer, the former chief operating officer and interim chief financial officer of Dimensional Fund Advisors, will participate in the “Capital is Power: Women, Wealth & Influence” session. The discussion will cover how investing, wealth creation and capital allocation impact industries and opportunities.
All Raise senior vice president of marketing Elise Brown and angel investor Mina Kim will be in conversation with Kamel PR founder and consultant Kathy Osborne. The topic will be “Inside the Networks That Shape Venture Capital.”
According to a prepared statement, the panel will focus on “how relationships, sourcing and trusted networks influence venture investing” and “what is changing across the ecosystem.”
Raechel Canipe, founder and CEO of Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship and chief operating officer of RevStar, will join consultant and author Sue Bevan Baggott and inCioX founder Christy Cunningham in a conversation entitled “From the Sidelines to the Cap Table.” The women will discuss their transitions from observers to investors. They will also share the lessons they have learned throughout their careers.
Florida Funders director of investments Rachael Ferm will give a presentation Aug. 27 about what makes startups stand out to investors. Additionally, a founder pitch showcase is scheduled. The companies participating are Glam Now, Vetzi, Iya, Fractio and Esencia Property Maintenance System.
Erickson said that attendees will receive a fictitious amount of money so that they can practice their investment skills. The women will select which companies they would invest in and how much capital they would allocate.
“Talking about money is not always the most comfortable thing,” she added. “I feel that sometimes women have found themselves in silos in some of these regards. So, being able to network and share experiences and share community is so important, especially to women in general.”
