Doyenne Group, the Madison-based nonprofit that supports Wisconsin's women entrepreneurs, has launched an accelerator program for women who want to become investors.
The 12-week Doyenne Investor Accelerator begins in January and continues through March.
"We believe that women should be able to learn about investing even if they don’t yet have the funds to begin investing," wrote Heather Wentler, the co-founder and executive director of Doyenne Group, of the accelerator. "That’s why our accelerator has no income or wealth requirements and is affordably priced."
Less than 5% of venture capital partners in the U.S. are women, which can create a barrier for women entrepreneurs to become investors, Doyenne states.
"By educating more women about what it means to be an investor, we aim to add more women to the ranks of angel investors and venture capitalists," Wentler said.
Since its creation in 2012, Doyenne has grown to more than 150 members across the state and has supported roughly 50 women entrepreneurs from across Wisconsin through its strategic planning retreats and pitch events.
Registration for the accelerator closes on Dec. 31.
"We know that the flaws of our current system extend beyond just the underrepresentation of women, which is why our program is built around our guiding principles," Wentler said. "We teach investors how to check their biases and avoid the trap of only investing in founders that feel familiar. We’re introducing them to innovative, more equitable ways to structure deals, because we know that women tend to be passionate about creating wealth for their communities and turned off by the extractive nature of the traditional venture capital model."
