For enterprise capitalist and angel investor Brianne Kimmel, what began as a real curiosity in bringing individuals collectively and deepening communities finally changed into a full-fledged profession.

At this time Kimmel serves as founder and managing associate of Worklife Ventures, a enterprise capital agency “designed for the brand new period” that invests in instruments that energy versatile, joyful and inventive work. 

To this point, Kimmel has backed 9 unicorns (startups valued at greater than $1 billion), together with Deel, Webflow and Hopin. In 2022, she launched Worklife Studios in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood. It’s a “first-of-its-kind group house designed in collaboration with artists, cooks, designers and distant employees,” in response to Worklife’s web site.

“Being a lady within the trade simply provides me a really completely different outlook, and the talents that I’m in a position to present are very completely different as effectively.”

The present panorama of feminine enterprise capitalists

When trying on the present panorama of enterprise capital, there’s not a complete lot of range, notably when it comes to gender. Girls make up round 11% of investing companions at VC companies in the USA, with roughly 13% of VC funds allotted to startups with a lady on the founding crew, in response to the Girls and Public Coverage Program of Harvard Kennedy College.

Kimmel has confronted her justifiable share of criticism on her ascent to founding Worklife. She says it’s not unusual to be mistaken for any individual’s assistant or an intern at conferences—individuals have requested her to get them espresso. And but, her numbers converse for themselves. On the time of publication, Worklife Enterprise’s $12 million fund is now valued at $54.9 million, returning the fund in lower than 4 years in enterprise.

Methods to turn into a feminine enterprise capitalist

Wanting again on her personal journey, Kimmel sees 5 methods different aspiring feminine VCs can pave their approach and discover ways to be a enterprise capitalist.

1. Lean into your tremendous expertise

In maturity, girls are instructed to “belief their intestine,” however the actuality is that many women are raised to be compliant, compromising and nice. For Kimmel, she skilled firsthand how essential it’s to embody a real sense of self and to be grounded in your imaginative and prescient.

As an alternative of attempting to slot in amongst different male VCs, Kimmel carved her personal path. “Being a lady within the trade simply provides me a really completely different outlook, and the talents that I’m in a position to present are very completely different as effectively,” she says. In Kimmel’s case, she’s an knowledgeable at community-building and nice at connecting individuals. Other than the standard chilly e mail and the much less conventional direct message by means of X, previously often known as Twitter, Kimmel grew to become a professional at internet hosting founder dinners early in her profession. “In the event you pull collectively a dinner or should you make an intro, these kind of issues go actually far as a result of, once you’re busy constructing an organization, it’s onerous to seek out your tribe and meet new individuals who might be useful,” she explains.

2. View enterprise capital by means of the lens of hospitality

Most of Kimmel’s inspiration for a way she works doesn’t come from Wall Avenue or any kind of books on investing; it comes from learning the hospitality trade. “There’s a motive why corporations need extra feminine buyers concerned within the firm,” she says. “We carry a special perspective to the dialog, and I’m personally dedicated to hiring, mentoring and retaining girls on the firm.”

In all of her interactions with founders, Kimmel seems to be for tactics by which she may help. “Beginning an organization is extremely traumatic, particularly for the first caregiver at residence,” Kimmel says. “I make an intentional effort to ask spouses to dinners and host kid-friendly actions all year long.”

3. Speak overtly (and infrequently) about cash

Cash could be a tough subject to broach, and Kimmel has seen that, whereas many ladies are nice at managing their very own funds, they don’t speak as overtly about cash as their male counterparts. “Having the dialogue about cash is de facto essential,” she says. “I at all times encourage girls to speak about how a lot you’re making; ask your pals who’re in related roles how a lot they’re making. I feel all of us want to assist one another out.”

That stated, Kimmel hints at an uptick in monetary literacy amongst Gen Z and future generations. There are individuals on TikTok sharing their cash recommendation, and there are new apps and methods for individuals to start out investing. “I feel that we’re trending in the direction of a extra equitable future,” Kimmel says. “However, , I feel being on the entrance strains and actually serving to corporations form that tradition is de facto essential, too.”

4. Empower different girls to really feel seen

As an alternative of preventing for seats on the desk, Kimmel takes a extra collaborative strategy. She has seen many ladies finally depart the trade as a result of firm tradition wasn’t supportive sufficient for them, specifically girls who’re planning for households and taking a look at maternity depart insurance policies. “We’ve additionally seen girls go work on different stuff and work in different areas the place there’s extra girls, and so, I feel the 1st step helps each girl really feel seen, after which discover methods to construct that into your organization’s tradition,” she says.

As a part of her mission to make tech extra welcoming and equitable for ladies, Kimmel makes a dedication to assist her portfolio corporations appeal to and retain feminine engineer expertise. “Girls breaking into tech are coming from faculty campuses the place that they had a ton of feminine associates, lived within the women’ dorm and lots of had been concerned in campus teams the place that they had a group…. There’s simply all of those completely different eventualities the place it’s sort of a tradition shock once you enter right into a principally male world,” she says.

5. Embrace AI to focus your efforts

With a view to lean into your tremendous expertise, it’s good to begin saying “no” extra and automating guide duties with AI. “Within the company world, one of many challenges that girls at all times face is we need to be seen, and we do need to be acknowledged for the standard of our work,” Kimmel says, including that, many instances, girls find yourself selecting up much more initiatives like planning the corporate off-sites or virtually working as admin for groups. “There are methods we’re beginning to see automation take form the place it’s really serving to girls,” she says. “We’re not chargeable for taking notes in a gathering and all the different mundane duties that one way or the other at all times fall on the plate of the lady within the room.” 

This text initially appeared within the March/April 2024 concern of SUCCESS journal. Photograph by Evan Mulling/Courtesy of Brianne Kimmel.

Megan Eileen McDonough is an award-winning author and social photojournalist who splits her time between Barcelona and Virginia. Along with operating top-ranked weblog, Bohemian Trails, McDonough’s writing has appeared in publications reminiscent of Lonely Planet, US Airways, Teen Vogue, Fodor’s, and Bustle amongst others. She’s been featured in Journey + Leisure, AFAR, Refinery29, and Forbes as a pacesetter within the journey house. McDonough additionally works as a model strategist, serving to to outline content material route, curation, and compelling storytelling. Observe her on Instagram @itsmeganeileen.