The model minority
Pointing to the success of Asian-Canadians as proof that equity is earned through hard work and assimilation is misleading—and harmful.
Too passionate?
Signs of passion in women are merely meeting expectations, or even viewed as overly emotional or “inappropriate.”
When funding reverses attraction
When female-founded ventures are backed solely by female investors, they are two times less likely to secure additional funding.
Designing for exclusion
Solutions built for overlooked communities provide value for everyone.
The Overton window
The Overton window represents the range of policy ideas the public considers acceptable. This window is constantly shifting, expanding, or shrinking as societal attitudes evolve.
Data and stories
A study by Silberzahn et al. (2018) found that analysts arrived at different conclusions even with the same dataset.
Pitch like a girl?
Feminine behaviours decreased the likelihood of being a finalist in a pitch competition by 13%, regardless of the entrepreneur’s gender.
The industry fit illusion
Investors reward male founders for being bold. They penalize female founders for being outsiders.
Faith & finance
Faith and finance have long been intertwined across religious traditions, shaping ethical investment strategies and financial systems.
Debugging Gender Bias in VC
Women entrepreneurs are held to higher standards compared to their male counterparts.
Broken promises?
In 2020, the gap in capital for Black leaders and communities was undeniable. Promises were made. Commitments to increase capital to Black leaders were publicized.
The momentum hasn’t been sustained over the last few years.
Six families
A founder often depends on their friends and family to raise their first round of financing to build their venture.
Men are asked to win, women are asked not to lose
Male entrepreneurs are asked asset-based questions, while female entrepreneurs are asked liability-based questions.
Three women
Representation is not enough. Reaching critical mass is crucial to unlock the full economic benefits of diversity.
Shilpa Tiwari: Neutrality is a path to irrelevance
Some are calling for neutrality as a way to combat DEI. However, neutrality is a path to irrelevance.
Seth Godin: “That will never work”
This recent blog from Seth Godin is a perfect reminder as we start the new year.
The discontinuity effect
At the start of every year, like many, I embrace a set of resolutions and updates to my habits. And…they don’t always stick.