VC’s Gender Gap is Closing (But Not Fast Enough) with Paige Hendrix Buckner

Women and non-binary investors have doubled their share of partner seats at U.S. venture firms in less than a decade. But a title doesn't always come with power.

In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Paige Hendrix Buckner, CEO of All Raise, a national nonprofit helping women and non-binary venture capitalists grow their power and influence.

Paige shares how the share of women and non-binary people in partner-plus roles at U.S. VC firms grew from 9% to 18.8%, and why All Raise is now focused on a new measurement. She explains why a partner title doesn't guarantee check-writing authority, board seats, carry, or credit for deals, and how the attribution gap makes it harder for investors to build the track record they need to raise their own funds.

They get into:

• What All Raise does and its strategy of community, data, and "lore"

• The attribution gap and why credit for deals matters

• Why sponsorship can make or break an investor's career

• Why more women are leaving to start their own funds

• How diverse VC firms change which founders get funded

• What the $124 trillion wealth transfer could mean for women LPs

• What good firm building looks like, from LP relationships to brand

• How AI is helping emerging managers run lean firms

• The different paths into a venture career

 

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Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.