Ten Intriguing Women Investors to Follow in 2023 (Supporting Women and Minority Founders)
by Insiyah Saeed
- Arlan Hamilton is a prominent figure in the world of venture capital and entrepreneurship. Best known as the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, Arlan Hamilton’s story is remarkable as she built her career and fund from the ground up — from being homeless to confronting significant challenges. From her book, “It’s About Damn Time,” to her talks and workshops, “Your First Million,” — she has been known to impart useful information to future entrepreneurs. @arlanwashere
2. Ariane Simone is a successful entrepreneur who has founded and co- founded several businesses, now co-founder of the Fearless Fund. Her background expands in fashion, beauty, PR, with ventures such as Fearless Magazine and The Fearless Tour. Fearless Magazine is a publication that aims to inspire and empower women, and The Fearless Tour is a series of events and workshops focused on personal and professional development. @ariansimone
3. Nisa Amoils has an extensive background in venture capital. She has invested in a wide range of industries, including blockchain, fintech, artificial intelligence, and more. Her investments often align with her interest in emerging technologies and disruptive innovations and she invests through a100x.com. @nisamoils
4. Janine Sickmeyer is a co-founder of of Overlooked Ventures. Overlooked Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on supporting and investing in early-stage companies with one or more historically ignored founders and provide them with capital, resources, and connections to scale their business. Filed as 506(c), its first fund is a 50 mil fund, with check sizes between $150–250K. @myfriendjanine
5. Alison “Ali” Rosenthal is the founder and Managing Partner of Leadout Capital, which she founded in 2018. Leadout is an early-stage venture with a focus on backing founders with world-class customer expertise, building software solutions for underserved and large end markets. She specifically seeks out “non-obvious,” “resilient,” founders. @alisonrosenthal
6. Hadiyah Mujhid is the Founder & CEO of HBCUvc. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Hadiyah received an MBA from Drexel University and a BS in Computer Science from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a historically black university. Hadiyah is a strong advocate for leveraging technology and entrepreneurship to address economic inequality and has over 15 years of software engineering experience. Her work has been recognized in Forbes, Blavity, TechCrunch, Business Insider, Black Enterprise, and Handelsblatt. @hadiyahdotme
7. Natalia Oberti Noguera is a notable figure in the world of venture capital, entrepreneurship, and diversity advocacy. She is best known as the founder and CEO of Pipeline Angels, an organization that focuses on changing the face of angel investing by supporting and training women and non-binary femme investors. Natalia is a dedicated advocate for underrepresented entrepreneurs and investors, and her work has made a significant impact on increasing diversity in the startup and investment landscape. @nakisnakis
8. Lolita Taub is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech and startup industries. She has been vocal about the need to support underrepresented founders, including women and people of color, and has worked to raise awareness about the challenges they face. Currently at Ganas Ventures. @lolitataub
9. Anu Duggal is the founder of Female Founders Fund (Fund 3), a venture capital firm that focuses on investing in female-led technology startups. F3 aims to support and empower women entrepreneurs by providing funding, resources, and mentorship to help them succeed in the competitive startup ecosystem. Many notable investors including Melinda Gates and others have invested millions into the Female Founders Fund. @anuduggalnyc
10. Aileen Lee is perhaps best known for popularizing the term “unicorn” in the context of startups. She coined the term in a 2013 TechCrunch article to describe privately-held companies valued at $1 billion or more. Aileen has been an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech and startup industries. She has spoken about the importance of gender diversity and has been involved in efforts to address the gender gap in entrepreneurship. @aileenlee
