Rachel Lowenstein

I just wrapped up a whirlwind two weeks teaching Build Your Minimum Viable Brand and it was honestly so. much. fun. 🎉 We had such a cool and diverse cohort, with people from the US, UK, Africa, and New Zealand, spanning sectors from Climate to Deep Tech to Private Equity to Spirits (alcohol not ghosts) to Public Speaking. Here’s what a few students said about their experience: “I would recommend it to every founder and business leader that is keen on building an enduring brand. Priceless experience!” “This course is a must for every startup. A minimum viable brand can be as essential to a business as a minimum viable product.” “If you want your business to thrive in a competitive market, this course is an essential stepping stone.” “Kelli is flat out an amazing teacher. She will challenge you to truly know your business and how valuable that really is.” Okay, so people liked it ☺️ But, there’s always room for improvement! So I created a short survey to help me learn how to make the next one even better: https://lnkd.in/eCnn-P8F Whether or not you think you’d want to join a future cohort, I’d love to hear from you if: - You have opinions about what kind of brand resources you’d like access to (hello fellow industry people, old colleagues, and friends 👋) - Are a founder or business leader who suspects you have a brand-related problem to solve (what is it?) - Or are just curious to learn more (what’s on your mind?) There are only 6 questions and it only takes a few minutes to fill out. Thanks for indulging this celebratory post and thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts in the survey! Amanda Hennessey, MFA, Rodrigo Marquez, Dr. Micol Chiesa Churchill, Ese Owie, Emeka Nwachinemere, FCP, Paul Jackson II, Maven, Chelsea Wilson

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Last year back in September, while at NIIFL, I was working with some extremely experienced and passionate ladies on organizing a networking event for women investment professionals on behalf of Ekika, the women's diversity initiative of The organisation. What shocked and appalled me then, was the high extent of underrepresention of women in the financial services, as well as the entrepreneurial ecosytem, and the minimal interventional actions undertaken across the industries, to bridge this gap and boost diversity . Fast forward to April, I came across a report on The ET, which provided some alarming statistics on the issue of underrepresention of women in the industry. The share of VC funding going to female founders dropped to just 9.3% in 2023, compared to 14.7% in 2021. In crux, the status quo remains unaltered. The news of a reputed accelerator having an all - men panel of speakers in an event featuring Investors and Operators has taken the internet by storm, and rightly so, as this action is highly reprimanadable and portrays a harsh yet accurate picture of the persisting unconscious biases that grapple us. Having said that, I would like to recognize some wonderful women investors, operators and industry bodies who have been working tirelessly to make this space more inclusive, and democratized:- 1) Winpe led by Nupur Garg 2) Women In Product an initiative by The Product Folks 3) Girls Into VC led by Isabella Mandis 4) Global Women in VC led by Sutian Dong Dong Some other initiatives, and women worth mentioning:- 1) Included VC led by the wonderful Nikita Thakrar 2) Nicole DeTommaso of Harlem Capital 3) Natalie Neptune 4) Anu Panesar of Sie Ventures Please let me know if I have missed out on any intiative/ investor spearheading change, would be happy to add on. Also, have tagged some wonderful women leaders who have inspired me through their passion and grit, and gifted me the courage to speak out. Shagoofa Rashid Khan Ambalika Banerji Saloni Jhaveri Ankita Agarwal Sheetal Chaudhary , your contributions are highly appreciated:)) #OpenBlindfolds #Letsbringdiversity Winpe

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Looking at owned media through a PR lens ---> I really enjoyed this interview with Andrés López-Varela. Our conversation is free-flowing and expansive; specifically, we lift the lid on owned media, and explore the critical role it plays in PR, and marketing communications more broadly. In this episode, we cover off: 😎 The importance of owned media 😎 Building credibility and authority 😎 Tactical aspects and examples 😎 Destination shows and cadence 😎 Planning is key 😎 Choosing platforms wisely *** PLUS *** Discover why starting small might be more beneficial when building up towards ‘destination’ shows like podcasts or live-streams, and how comprehensive research reports and whitepapers can serve as cornerstone assets generating leads well beyond their initial release date.

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I’m honored to be the very first guest on this incredible new podcast hosted by one of my favorite people. It’s a special moment, especially knowing that he was also the first guest on my show, #TheBuilders podcast. Here’s to the start of something amazing for you Doland White! #podcastguesting #businesstalks #entrepreneurship #TheNextInterview

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Finding the Perfect Balance at popped.nyc: Where Exclusive Meets Inclusive At popped.nyc, we're all about crafting a unique environment that bridges the gap between exclusivity and inclusivity. We embrace the "IYKYK" mentality, creating a space where insiders and newcomers alike feel valued and engaged. How do we achieve this balance? Open-Access Programming: We host events that are welcoming to all, ensuring that new faces can seamlessly integrate into our community while still offering exclusive experiences that make our regulars feel special. Inclusive Design: Our workshops and events are crafted with everyone in mind. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a curious newcomer, you'll find opportunities to connect and contribute meaningfully. Mentorship and Guidance: Experienced members are encouraged to share their knowledge and guide newcomers. This fosters a collaborative atmosphere where everyone can grow together. Segmented Access: We offer a range of events, from exclusive gatherings to open-access programs, ensuring that there’s something for everyone while maintaining the special touch of our niche community. Transparent Communication: We believe in clear, open communication about the nature of our events and the reasons behind any exclusivity, helping manage expectations and ensure inclusivity. Interactive Elements: Our events are designed to spark curiosity and engagement, providing newcomers with a glimpse into what makes our community unique. Respectful Boundaries: We balance privacy with openness, ensuring sensitive topics are handled respectfully while still fostering an inclusive dialogue. By focusing on these principles, we create a vibrant, dynamic space where the "IYKYK" mentality enhances our community while ensuring that everyone feels welcomed and involved. Join us at popped.nyc and be part of a community that celebrates both exclusivity and inclusivity. Let’s make connections and build something special together! #CommunityBuilding #InclusiveCulture #Networking #PoppedNYC #Events #ProfessionalGrowth

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Let's stop blaming the VC funding gap against women/non white founders on meritocracy (snoozy argument) Thank you so much to Esme Verity for sharing these stats in her latest newsletter from Considered Capital. Also recently discussed in Diversity-X. 👉 In 2023, all-women-founded companies raised $3.2 billion from VCs, while all-male-founded companies raised $114 billion in 2023. That's 2.8%. (Source 1) 👉 In the past 10 years, Black women entrepreneurs have experienced the worst outcome — receiving 0.02% of funding overall with only one Black woman founder secured Series A funding (Source 2) 👉 In 2022, of the UK's multi-billion pound venture capital funding, women entrepreneurs routinely received less than a 2% share of the investments made each year. 👉 Out of each euro of VC invested in Germany in 2021, 91 cents went to all-male founding teams, 7 cents to mixed-gender teams and only 2 cents to start-ups headed only by women. (Source 4) 👉 In 2021, only 8% of completed deals involved startups led by all-women founding teams, a decrease from 12% in 2020. Additionally, just 5% of total investment dollars went to these women-founded startups, down from 8% the previous year. (Source 5) 👉 For LGBTQ+ founders, the situation is equally challenging. A significant 57% of gender minority founders report that they would never feel at ease sharing their identity with an investor. Most LGBTQ+ founders steer clear of these conversations entirely, often due to concerns about bias or potential backlash. (Source 6) Source 1: CFO Source 2: Sifted Source 3: Gov.uk Source 4: KFW Source 5: Smart Company Source 6: Proud Ventures My take? We gotta stop investing in sparkles. Everyone seems to want to be rich and famous tomorrow, whether it's a teen, an employee, an investor.... What is the consequence? We invest in what sparkles and what seems fast. We don't like realistic, naturally longer term projects, because, well, we want to be famous by tomorrow. So if we want to fix venture funding, we need to also fix our mindset. Women are known to portray more realistic visions of their businesses, they will be much less likely to lose themselves in "revolutionary" "never been done", "groundbreaking" terminology but rather in realism. If fall for the words, you probably have never built a business yourself because you'd just laugh.

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It's #WorldMentalHealthDay! 🌍 Started 32 years ago by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) with just 10 countries participating, it has grown into a global movement. This year's theme, "It’s Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace," couldn’t be more timely. In the past 18 months, the circles and groups I’ve been part of have made it clear—this is truly the need of the moment. With #techlayoffs and companies restructuring, many of us are navigating the choppy waters of work-related mental wellbeing. 🌊💼 As a career transitioner myself, I feel you. Sending mutual encouragement to everyone finding a new way of being and a path forward.🌅 "𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜." — 𝙉𝙤𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙝𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧 💭 Below: Spotlighting a recent development in the workplace mental health startup space! #MentalHealthMatters #WorkplaceWellbeing #MentalHealthAwareness #Resilience

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It looks like women can still invest in women. I’m still stunned by IFundWomen’s recent news about needing to take the women out of the brand, but you can’t take the woman out of #menopause, now can you. If women over 35 represent 1/3 the population and all women go through menopause I guess the market is big enough to rally support, and this time from your “sisters”. Women with #wealth and #power can make a difference. It’s great to seem them rally around this “start up”. How about rallying around #capital for #startups run by women? Not sure how these high net worth celebrity investors are found and pitched, if anyone knows send them the long list of other businesses that need their support. I feel like I’m seeing progress in some cases, menopause went from “What’s that” to a #trendingtopic. Help me out here, is this because it’s an untapped financial vein ready to mine, or is it because it matters? Oh, right, it has to be both! If only we - The women- were always able to come together on behalf of our bodies. How about we do that from beginning to end. I’m glad, at least that the taboo of menopause is lifting. Let’s de-stigmatize all the other womens health issues too. #healthcare #wellness #women #fundraising #menopause #reproductiverights

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