I’m joined by VC-backed startup operator, angel investor, author, and podcast host Stef Caldwell. She’s a champion for not just getting women a seat at the table, but actually helping female-owned businesses build their own tables. We talk about some of the reasons why women don’t pursue their big ideas, why she’s so passionate about closing the gender wealth gap, and tips for how to take that first step to starting your business. Stef breaks down the different fundraising options available for entrepreneurs and what to do when you’re feeling lost in a conversation where people are using industry jargon. We also touch on the rise of conscious VCs who believe in creating space for founders to be successful on their own terms and why that shift is so important.    IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT: How Stef landed in the FinTech industry  Examples of how you can make every dollar you earn work for yourself The first step to opening up the conversation around fundraising and connecting with the right investors  The link between your energy and the opportunities you attract Tips for how to collect data and get started with your dream business  What to do if you want to fundraise, but don’t feel like you have the network    RESOURCES Thanks to Bombas for supporting Earn Your Happy. Go to bombas.com/lori to get 20% off your first purchase.  Thanks to Issuu. Sign up for a premium account and get 50% off issuu.com/podcast and use promo code LORI.  Sign up for The Spritz newsletter at litepink.com! Text PODCAST to 310-496-8363 for updates and a chance to be featured on the show!   CONNECT WITH STEF Follow Stef on Instagram: @bystefcaldwell  Listen to PM School     CONNECT WITH LORI Follow me: @loriharder Follow Lite Pink: @drinklitepink Follow Earn Your Happy: @earnyourhappy Follow Girlfriends & Business: @girlfriendsandbusiness Listen to Girlfriends & Business   ABOUT STEF Stef Caldwell is a personal development author, vc-backed startup operator and angel investor who specializes in helping start ups & high-growth companies develop and generate revenue in new and existing sales channels. Stef has a proven track record in breaking into and closing business at the highest levels of F500 companies and commercial markets. Stef has expertise in developing strategic executive relationships, and negotiating complex deals, making her an asset to business development teams charged with building new revenue channels from scratch within aggressive timeframes and/or optimizing existing channels.    Since childhood, when she wrote a letter to the White House about race and class discrimination in her third grade classroom, she's been focused on how she can make an outsized impact & make the world a more equitable place for all. The culmination of a lifetime of focusing on how to make the world a better place translates directly into her work as an author, investor and mentor to women consumer and tech. She is the author of ManifestHer - The Ambitious Woman's Guide to Getting Unstuck, Navigating Ambiguity and Manifesting Your Biggest Dreams, which was published in Fall of 2020 and received praise from Best-Selling Authors Kim Scott (Radical Candor), Amber Rae (Choose Wonder Over Worry), Lori Harder (A Tribe Called Bliss) & Team USA Gold-Medalist, Lauren Doyle.   By day, she is the Head of Business Development & Partnerships at CircleUp, a top FinTech company using Al to make venture capital more equitable & scaling access to capital to epic entrepreneurs so they can thrive. Their top performing venture fund is both diverse (>50% female founders & >35% minority founders) and has achieved top performance marks.   By night, she is the host of PM School Podcast, an inspiring, "how I'm building this" style podcast inspiring the next generation of women entrepreneurs by bringing them behind the scenes with inspiring founders to hear the stories of how they ideated, started, capitalized and scaled their businesses.