How 8 Women Investors Are Fixing the Shocking Lack of Funding For Women-Led Startups They're writing checks, and making room for more women to do the same.

"VC firms need to promote women. As of February 2020, only 13 percent of decision-makers were female. Women investors are more likely to invest in female founders, and data shows that private tech companies with women-­led teams generate a 35 percent higher ROI than teams led by men. We should protect policies like California's Senate Bill 826, which requires publicly held companies to have a certain number of women on their boards. Finally, let's use our purchasing power to support women-founded brands. When their companies do well, they will be more attractive to VC firms." — Nikki Eslami, Founder and CEO, New Theory Ventures, which invests in women-­led personal-care brands

"Be consumer-centric. At Imaginary, we want founders who put consumers first and reach them through content, community, and culture — and women are very good at this. Female founders challenge the status quo of brands built by men, whether it's size inclusivity to address the 70 percent of U.S. female consumers who are plus size, rethinking retail, or challenging the notion that skin only comes in one color. Women are also great at building teams, being cash-flow nimble, and delivering higher ROI, which leads to another fix: Investors need to support them with a strong bench of executives, the way they would a male founder." — Natalie Massenet, Cofounder, Imaginary Ventures, which invests in retail tech

Related: Out of $85 Billion in VC Funding Last Year, Only 2.2 Percent Went to Female Founders. And Every Year, Women of Color Get Less Than 1 Percent of Total Funding.

"We need to introduce girls to BIZ Experiencesship and finance earlier. What about classes on a female being the leader in a room filled with men? In their teens, they need more examples of female owners, CEOs, women in politics, science, and sales. When I was young, I would have loved a workshop tailored to women. It's great to feel the camaraderie, encouragement, and excitement of brainstorming ideas together — hearing what worked and what didn't, the pitfalls and the rewards. The normalcy of many women dreaming and doing big things is key." — Twila True, Cofounder, True Family Enterprises, private capital investment firm Founder, True Sioux Hope Foundation

"Although we see more women-led startups at the seed stage, they are not making it to the growth stage, where the recent trend of supersize rounds are going to predominantly male-led teams. To fix that, we need to increase the number of female investors at the growth stage, because these later-stage funds allocate two-thirds of all venture capital. At the same time, we need to help more female BIZ Experiencess "supersize' their businesses for venture returns by giving them access to technology, distribution partnerships, and capital." — Abby Miller Levy, Cofounder and managing partner, Primetime Partners, which invests in startups that improve life for older adults

Related: 98 Percent of VC Funding Goes to Men. Can Women BIZ Experiencess Change a Sexist System?

"Give womxn checkbooks. To help turn more womxn into funders, this year we launched our Operator in Residence, a full-time, paid, one-year appointment for candidates interested in venture capital. If more womxn are writing VC checks, they'll encourage their female founders to prioritize their own health and well-being, as we do. In turn, these leaders will be more effective in running their organizations and we'll see more successful companies with womxn in the driver's seats." — Katelin Holloway, Founding partner, Seven Seven Six, a VC firm founded by Alexis Ohanian that commits 2 percent of its investment to founders' personal needs

"The greatest things we can do are to demystify the fundraising process, enable access to investors, and increase the number of female funders. Programs like All Raise's new Masterclasses, which teach women about fundraising and pitching their businesses, are a start. I also recommend networking with other founders who have secured capital; investors are more likely to fund businesses introduced to them versus cold contacts. Finally, as more successful women become investors, more women-­led startups will get funding and the expertise that fuels success." — Jenny Lefcourt, General partner, Freestyle Capital Cofounder, All Raise, which supports women funders

Related: How to Accelerate Your Success as a Female Founder

"Investors need to go beyond diversity mandates, which are great but are not a one-size-fits-all solution. At TMV, we invest in founders and ideas that have a real ability to create positive change. We know from experience and data that the best solutions to our most pressing issues stem from having different perspectives at the table. Female founders should also be building communities, whether that's joining a peer group or starting one, where they can get the support needed to find investors who align with their mission." — Soraya Darabi, Cofounder and general partner, TMV, which invests in purposeful companies Founder, Transact Global, a virtual club of emerging fund managers

"In the process of starting Offline Ventures, I've learned that the problem isn't just a lack of women VCs. We also need more female LPs [limited partners], the individuals and institutions that invest in venture funds. And we need more women to lead companies big enough to warrant VC dollars. Our new 10-week program, Selfmade, teaches women to start a business, while organizations like Ladies Who Launch and IFundWomen provide access to capital and other resources. The entire chain needs representation to make a real impact." — Brit Morin, Founding partner, Offline Ventures, which invests in tech that makes life offline better