The Future Of Venture Capital Depends On Who Controls The Capital

For years, the conversation around women and venture capital has centered on one statistic: women founders receive less than 2% of venture capital funding. But that statistic tells only half the story.

The bigger question isn’t who receives capital. It’s who controls it.

A growing number of women are launching venture capital funds, becoming angel investors and educating the next generation of investors. Rather than waiting for greater access to the traditional venture capital ecosystem, they’re creating a new one; one that could fundamentally change who gets funded and which innovations reach the market.

Changing Who Writes the Checks

Venture capital doesn’t just finance businesses. It determines which ideas grow into companies and which entrepreneurs have the opportunity to scale.

According to Catherine Gray, founder of She Angel Investors and executive producer of Show Her the Money, changing the future of entrepreneurship starts by changing who makes investment decisions.

“It’s not enough to simply help more women pitch investors,” Gray told me. “We must have women investors at the table.”

Her perspective is supported by research showing that as more women become venture capital decision-makers, female founders gain greater access to investment capital. The people writing the checks influence which businesses receive funding.

Gray points to innovations like the redesigned medical speculum developed by gynecologist Dr. Annie Munez as an example of why representation among investors matters. “Women identify with women,” she said, noting that investors are naturally drawn to problems they understand personally.

Building A New Venture Capital Ecosystem

Rather than waiting for the traditional venture capital industry to become more inclusive, Gray believes women are building something entirely new.

“We are absolutely building our own venture capital system,” she said. “The old boys won’t let us in, and we don’t even want to be part of their system because their system is not great.”

She points to trailblazers including Julie Castro Abrams of How Women Invest, Nikkie Kent of Red Clover Fund, and Lorine Pendleton of 125 Ventures, along with more than 300 women-founded venture funds operating across North America.

While progress remains gradual, women continue to represent a growing share of venture capital decision-makers, creating more opportunities for diverse founders and ideas to receive funding.

Education Is the Missing Link

Gray believes one of the biggest obstacles isn’t access to capital – it’s access to knowledge.

“So many women don’t know what venture capital is,” she said. “They’ve never been taught that it’s even an option.”

That belief inspired Show Her the Money, a documentary designed to make venture capital more accessible through storytelling. She’s also launching the VC 101 College Experience that combines the movie with an online course and case study videos. This program teaches students about venture capital as a career path, and a funding and investment path.

An entity called Girls into VC introduces young women to venture. They did the beta trials for the VC 101 course that officially launches in the fall semester at Babson College before expanding into schools across the country.

The goal isn’t simply to create more women founders. It’s to create more women allocating capital.

Funding Growth, Not Just Ideas

Gray also believes founders need to think differently about capital.

While grants and pitch competitions can provide valuable exposure, they’re rarely enough to build a venture-scale company. “The good thing about pitch fests is there are usually investors in the audience who can invest directly in your company,” Gray said. “That can be far more valuable than the grant itself.”

Instead of focusing solely on prize money, founders should view these events as opportunities to build relationships with investors who can support future rounds of financing.

She also points to firms like SoGal Ventures, whose commitment to meaningful investment and follow-on funding gives founders the runway to scale rather than simply survive.

As Gray put it: “Women have to think bigger.”

The Bottom Line

The future of venture capital isn’t just about helping more women raise money; it’s about helping more women control it.

As more women become investors, fund managers and capital allocators, they’ll have greater influence over which companies receive funding and which ideas shape the future of innovation.

Changing who writes the venture capital checks may prove to be the most powerful way to change entrepreneurship itself.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com