In this week’s episode of Be and Think in the House of Trust I am listening to Anne Ravanona, an Irish/Spanish global gender equality advocate and entrepreneur, a campaigner and an uplifting public speaker based in France for the past 30 years.

Anne's mission is to get 1 million women entrepreneurs funded by 2030 and to help companies reach their gender equality targets whilst continuing to scale…

She describes herself as global, passionate, inspiring, dedicated, thought leader!

Join Anne to think about:

1. Together we can! She highlights the economic opportunity and the higher returns on investment that women in entrepreneurship can bring, even if it feels the world is going backwards.

2. The highs and lows of this Gender-Lens investing campaign, and why some Johns and Davids are in the way.

3. The power of community. For Anne, community is capital. By coming together, we can create genuine positive social and environmental change and solve our big issues. She shares practical examples of how we can encourage and activate collaboration, connection and the inclusion of diverse voices in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

4. The role of action and accountability. Anne stresses the importance of taking action, setting targets, and holding oneself accountable. Progress happens through individual commitments and collective effort.

So if you too believe that "Community is Capital", unleash your funding power and join the movement!

Meet Anne on:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anneravanona

Web: https://www.anneravanona.com and https://www.globalinvesther.com

Attend this year’s Invest Her Summit: https://www.investhersummit.com

Gift a founder a space at Dublin’s Invest Her Summit: https://bit.ly/InvestHerSummit-ACCESS

Connect with Servane:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/servanemouazan/

Website: https://servanemouazan.co.uk

Subscribe to Conscious Innovation updates:

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14:26:09 In this show, I'm inviting you to share a moment with an inspiring leader who loves to invest in social and environmental change.

14:26:25 She's also a fab public speaker too. What matters to Anne is her mission and a mission is to get 1 million women entrepreneurs funded by 2,030 and to help companies reach their gender equality targets.

14:26:47 Hello, Anne.

So lovely to be here. Oh, I can hear some accents here. Irish Irish, I always put people at the ease.

14:27:03 Oh, let's make it simple.

Thanks for joining me and we, we met, a long time ago. We've not, we don't choose a pro for a while now, but thank you for taking the time to think, with us all today.

14:27:31 Global?

Oh, I'm so curious now. But I was before, but anyway, let's dive in.

14:27:58 With a method that you call together we can. Yes, tell me more. Together we can like before going into the United Nation I said, how are we going to rouse everybody?

14:28:20 How can we all commit to act now? How can we all commit to act now? And my message is at the UN and my message is at the UN and just generally is We all actually have so much power in our hands that we think.

14:28:34 And so the 2 ways that I said that we can do this to be together we can is one buy from her.

14:28:48 Go go buy from her. But also, you know, consciously be a conscious consumer, know where you're getting getting your products from.

14:29:03 We could solve more very important problems. If fantastic women entrepreneurs were getting founded at the correct rates. So by from her is a call to action that we can all do that, but it's not just for the consumers, also for corporates and governments.

14:29:31 So the We could sit and cry. Or we say, look, 99%. And opportunity to grow that.

14:29:55 So we've a long way to go. So buy from her is a rallying call to the government.

14:30:09 And you can't leave half the world behind very simply. That's from the government. Perspective and for the corporate, the same thing.

14:30:22 Women entrepreneurs to be suppliers in your supply chain because I always have a chat with them. It's very long tedious process and the company has the time to die before they get money from the company, you know, the big corporate.

14:30:42 We the people, yes we can. Together we can. Together we can commit to act now and that is more thoughtful every day.

14:31:05 Because we can unleash that capital much faster than through VC because we see. Again, dismal numbers only 2% worldwide of global capital VC capital is going to women only founded companies 2%.

14:31:34 So There's going to be huge wealth transfer as well, particularly in the US. 35 trillion was what they're still estimating.

14:31:46 I so I really admire your enthusiasm, your dedication, your love for this campaign. And So we have that conversation, I mean, when we met in Barcelona, I remember the 1st year you are TEDx talk back then Barcelona women with all the We have the same conversation.

14:32:12 Okay, so I would say things are getting better and things are getting worse. How are they getting worse that start there?

14:32:39 300 billion dollars in difference of money going to nail and female entrepreneurs and I that made me angry.

14:32:50 So to 2019. That figure had gone to 1.7 trillion dollars, So where going backwards in a very serious way and it's hurting our world because we are not funding.

14:33:14 Way. And on the impact on what we're doing. So yeah, things are not going well there.

14:33:44 So there's been a huge rise in funds that are dedicated to funding more women entrepreneurs. Mainly in the US. S.

14:33:56 And We now we're talking more about it like when I started all of this 11 years ago nobody was talking about funding women entrepreneurs nobody cared and now the conversation is ripe and the UK government are now on creating the biggest fund for funding women entrepreneurs 250 million pounds is what they have announced.

14:34:28 So beyond just women in leadership. It's also about women's supply chain and women in investing.

14:34:45 They have now in 2 states in the state of California and I know in Massachusetts going through they've now built in laws that are requiring VC funds to be transparent about Yeah.

14:35:06 They come to building cows at the door. It's okay. We can stay like this if we want.

14:35:26 Most people didn't know there was such a big issue and a gap when it came to funding. A women entrepreneurs.

14:35:37 There's a little bit more accountability and still a lot of opportunity to do more.

14:35:50 More awareness, more action, you know, more funds being pulled together, or there are still more people named David than, female fund managers, I suppose.

14:36:19 Right, so imagine you had a few specific people on the sofa around you in this house of trust, for instance, you know, you seriously consider inviting to have a frame conversation with they cannot get out of the room.

14:36:47 If you have any name, this is an opportunity to invite. Guest of invitation hospitality. We had Joy, Anderson from Kruterian.

14:37:02 I would like to kind of name and encourage. So the who would like what would I say to the list first? st

14:37:22 It's not okay. So. We, really, really need more male. Allies not just allies but actually opening up and paying and investing more in women and there are some great guys who are doing it but what I say is like 1st of all hey do you realize that when you invest in a woman on business, she's going to give you 35% higher return on investment?

14:37:52 We want more money going to women but that is the actual fact. So I would say to them.

14:38:11 And so absolutely you're talking about rural women, you're talking about women from the people who identified as women from the LGBTQA plus community you are talking about just black women women of color all different types of women who need their access to funding.

14:38:34 So we need to go from 2% or silly 1% to fair access because why should you care? Like 1st of all, if you've got women in your family, do you would it be okay if it was your daughter, your wife?

14:39:05 Why ever it is. Would you be okay with them being? Discriminate is against. Just not even before they walk in the room or open their mouth.

14:39:21 Would you accept that they'd be spoken down to. Underestimated. Yeah, just just even offered advice in advice and so very often investors can It's a power play and they can ask ridiculous, unacceptable in unethical questions.

14:39:48 She was supposed to speak. But some of the speakers rocked out and so the organizer says, can you come up and speak?

14:40:01 And you know, how we introduced her. He said, this is so and so. She she is our Barbie.

14:40:16 I said he introduced you as a Barbie. And she said, yeah. And I said, what did you say?

14:40:25 She happens to be beautiful blonde with long long hair. And the 1st thing he got tired of his mouth residing, here's our Barbie.

14:40:42 Like, I would have thrown it back in the state so fast you wouldn't have known where and I don't care who was like a president, I would have said it to him like, and it wasn't but still unacceptable.

14:41:06 The markets are crazy. For example, I was at an event recently in New York and the Beauty British Council, they had some fabulous women entrepreneurs speaking and they gave the statistic did you know that the beauty industry in the UK is worth 25 billion pounds.

14:41:27 So I would say. Huge opportunity. Get your acting gear because you know what? Nobody the pressure is coming.

14:41:41 Your LPs are going to say, hold on, what are your diversity metrics? Do you have Are you investing in more diverse founders?

14:41:57 Its founders are being more concerning. Now I know it's still in the funding market, the fund the funders currently have more power because of what's happening in the world.

14:42:24 I want more women. I what I would say is look, let's give ourselves a target that.

14:42:36 Founded or co-founded so it doesn't have to be more and only founders because it's too few women only women co-founded teams 30% of your portfolio I would give them that target and I would also say 2 the founders and to the investors who would be investing there and say, and give yourself a target that 30% of the investors be women too.

14:43:02 So I give them a target. I give them an objective and say let's do this and then make it and then say okay are you willing to put your money with me?

14:43:18 Just give yourself a target. And if you make some progress, great. And if you get stuck, that's okay.

14:43:28 I know in Zoe and one of your peers that episodes she was like saying There are great movements like me too, Black Lives Matter that have really pushed us forward, thank God, and it's just because the time is now, we're fed up being squashed.

14:43:50 And you have more than just one sofa. You have a Global meetings happening every year.

14:44:04 Since, last year we, I wanted to do more, Savannah. I said, okay, how can we serve more?

14:44:24 The women can do their investor research to find women founder friendly sources of funding there. So that wasn't enough.

14:44:49 Women entrepreneurs, funders, and notice I don't say investors, I see funders because it's all different sources of funding.

14:45:04 To unite them under this together we can. How can we commit to act now? And so. Some of the organizations make public commitments.

14:45:27 So And what we do is I love by saying our formula is it's not a blah blah.

14:45:43 Showcasing what's happening in policy on women entrepreneurship at a global level. We need to know that because that's what's shaping our ecosystem.

14:46:02 Partnership to move the needle forward. And to unleash more innovation. And then we can we have action workshops where people come no deeper.

14:46:23 If you're listening to it now, it's open and you'll see for next year too, so apply now if you're a great kick-ass, we want to hear from you.

14:46:41 Now this year we're going further. So we want because the best form of funding is a paying customer, right?

14:46:53 Access to market. So we're gonna have a marketplace or there be 20 women entrepreneurs who are physically there to showcase their products of services, but an online market marketplace as well.

14:47:17 If I want to use Ireland to access the EU market, how can I do that in an intelligent way?

14:47:28 So access to markets. Bilaterally. Much more than just it's not a bladder come sit and that in sitting listen.

14:47:42 We had 6 winners of the Pitch Global Pitch Competition. We had 108 entries from 27 countries.

14:47:59 Another went on to raise 3.5 million. Pre series I around the 3rd got some contracts and business thanks to meeting people at the summit and was part of a presidential trade mission to Brazil.

14:48:18 So it just shows the. We had some investors who invested in in other funds from the from there. It's incredible.

14:48:31 But the key thing is we use this summit as the gathering place to bring together once a year all these incredible people and then throughout the year we have we have virtual meetups and city meetups for doing that now in different cities around the world to make it go bigger.

14:48:55 This is beyond that. It's joining the movement. And that's why it is a time and the same message.

14:49:06 In the world that we deserve fair access to funding and market access and opportunity. It's not a nice thing to do, it just makes business sense and it makes sense for our planet.

14:49:32 I have my SDG gold. I have everything here in front of me. I have my mug, on gender equality, on my dad.

14:49:45 It's great. It's better. It's better than a BBC studio. You can only make.

14:50:11 No, and also one thing that's different is that's I'm super proud of is that we have certain things happening before the summit and after where we give business to women on businesses.

14:50:37 And And after the summit, we're going to have some post summit tours around Ireland and Dublin, all with women own businesses.

14:50:49 Tourism body because and when I spoke to them and they did the bid for bringing the summit to Ireland I said Yeah, but I want to work with your Irish suppliers.

14:51:06 So I've actually helped them and push them forward. So now they're building a list of women on suppliers and guess what?

14:51:18 Special events in Belfast to do things in Northern Ireland for Northern Ireland sisters so that they come to summit.

14:51:30 And guess what happened when I was organizing that one of the women entrepreneurship is a serial entrepreneur and a woman investor.

14:51:41 Well, I have my business is L of beef. I have 2,000 head of beef in Northern Ireland and I supply.

14:51:53 And I said, okay, I said, no problem. After the call, I connected both of them.

14:52:03 Within 24 h. The woman founder who does the logo her beef was on the menu and being cooked in that chef's restaurant.

14:52:20 No, how can, how can people find you and connect with you, Ed?

14:52:40 Dot com. Okay, so they're the 2 best places and of course on my LinkedIn and all our LinkedIn you get us there.

14:52:58 Hmm. Oh, that's a good question.

14:53:14 Thank you very much, And I wish you all the best with this question because that's a that's a big one.

14:53:36 And do and act with you. My tap line is community is capital. Community is capital. We can do all this.

14:53:54 So communities capital join us. Thank you. That's a lovely, a lovely thought to, to take away from, time together.

14:54:07 Who you would like to have on your sofa and ask this, this kind of questions and have the discussions and challenge.

14:54:23 I'm so curious. I look forward to meeting you again in the House of Trust for our next show.

14:54:46 Connect with me through. So, and get regular conscious innovation updates too. Bye for now. Stay connected.