Why embracing equity matters to Antler

Carolina Strobel—Partner, São Paulo

Why is embracing equity so important to Antler? 

I think it is a matter of social responsibility. Equity should run in the veins of the venture capital industry. Not only do we have a responsibility to promote social equality and fairness in the business world by helping address inequalities and the biases that are part of our society, but it's also important to bring diversification to our portfolio. Investing in a diverse range of entrepreneurs and businesses naturally help venture capital funds to minimize risks and increase returns. So being able to attract diverse talent is a valuable addition to our portfolio, and it allows access to new markets and to new consumer segments that might be underserved or even under-seen.

We know that early-stage VC makes a profound difference in the world and Antler’s model of supporting talented founders creates a genuine impact and that generates a virtuous cycle. It focuses on the founder’s talents, not their background, not their gender, not their race. If you look at the percentage of women founders that Antler—high in comparison to other funds—you will see clearly that it runs in our DNA to invest in diversity. To me, Antler’s has a unique approach and it is the missing part of the puzzle of democratizing access to capital.

What advice do you have to be more inclusive, in our everyday work and lives?

We need to get educated. We need to learn and get more used to different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Promote a diverse network, try to hear different opinions, but actually hear—practice active listening. And of course, there is the hardest part, which is to challenge your biases, which may put yourself in a very uncomfortable but essential position. So that we can create a more inclusive environment. I personally learn a lot from my kids about that. The way they see the world is completely different. And I’ve had a couple of humbling experiences with them on this matter. But the last advice I would give: you need to stand up for others who may be facing some kind of discrimination or even a bias. There are different ways of doing that. But you have to find your own and be an ally. You need to become an ally.

Roslyn Jin—Director, New York

Why is embracing equity so important to Antler? 

Startup founders are building to address the biggest challenges in the world and venture provides a way to catapult that process. As VCs, it's crucial to embrace equity so that we can support a larger population of founders, especially those from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, so they can solve more problems facing diverse groups. The problems that they know best and are the best ones to create the most equitable solutions for.

Antler embraces equity by investing at the earliest of stages, providing hands on coaching and a community of resources, which actually helps potential founders from different backgrounds who may lack the existing networks and the capital and gives them a greater opportunity to succeed. Because we democratize access to these resources, we're actually helping empower a new generation of people who will build exciting startups to change the world.

What advice do you have to be more inclusive, in our everyday work and lives?

Whether you identify as male, female, or other, it is important for allies to help create a safe space and allow diverse perspectives to surface and flourish. I actually have a great example of this early on in my career on the trading floor in a very male-dominated industry. I recall one instance in a large meeting of power players where my managing director specifically called on me, the most junior and only female in the room at the time to share my perspectives. Although candidly, I was terrified in the moment, I felt immense gratitude toward him for simply including and valuing my opinions. So highlight other voices, especially the quiet ones, encourage respect, and always keep asking the question, how can I better support you?

Nandini Vishwanath, Director—Bangalore

In your personal experience, when have you experienced the power of gender equity? 

There are two points in my career that I felt this very strongly. One was in my previous job, when I walked into an interview with a fantastic candidate who turned out to be a woman. And she mentioned that she was a little worried that she may not take this offer up because everyone that she'd interviewed with before me were all men. And she was worried about the lack of women in the organization. And I quelled that doubt because we did have a lot of women in the organization. But that left me thinking, diversity is not a buzzword. You need to have women in the organization for more women to join, for fantastic candidates to come in and join and know that this is an inclusive place. Otherwise you're losing out on great hires because they don't want to be in a place that's not inclusive. And it's important to showcase women and to have senior women in the organization. 

The other second experience was at Antler last year, when we funded a women-led company focused on an understudied and underfunded area of female, hormonal health. It was incredible for me personally to see the women founders in the office. It was a great moment for all of us to come together and push these women forward. Showcasing them helps us move these stories from outliers to the norm.

What advice do you have to be more inclusive, in our everyday work and lives?

In the workplace, women need to be outspoken. Make sure that you are heard in every meeting—which is not to say you need to make a random point if you don't have a point. But if you do have a point, don't think of how stupid it is. Don't think of what people think. People will think something anyway, so you might as well make your point, learn from that. At the same time, don't let others steal your thunder. Stand for what you want. Project confidence. Until you keep practicing that confidence, it doesn't come to you.  

The last thing is to always be an ally for women in your team. Stand up for them. This also means questioning women—why are you not standing up for yourself? Or why are you not doing the right thing here? Be that person in your workspace at home, which is easier said than done. The reason I continue to work at Antler and push this agenda forward is because we do have allies and we do have enough women at the table.

Sarah Finegan—Director, London

In your personal experience, when have you experienced the power of gender equity? 

When we talk about equity, we're not just talking about gender, we're talking about other areas of diversity. A recent highlight was my playing a role in the publication of the first-ever data set on LGTBQ+ investors and founders in the UK, which was released by Proud Ventures, which Antler proudly supported. We had an exciting launch event and really celebrated the report with the community. And for the first time in several years, I was in a room where I really felt the full power of bringing a group of underrepresented people together. It was super inspiring and really motivated us to continue progressing diversity and inclusion efforts in the VC industry.

What advice do you have to be more inclusive, in our everyday work and lives?

 There are a number of things that you can do to be more inclusive. For me, it really means being proactive in your approach to supporting the LGBTQ+ community rather than taking a more passive approach. Are you being visible and vocal inside and outside your workplace? So outside the workplace, for instance, are you publicly showcasing your support of the community? Are you actually pushing forward this important topic internally, especially with senior leadership?

Livia Moore—Associate Partner, Stockholm

Why is embracing equity so important to Antler? 

The reason I believe that equity is so important to venture capital is because with technology, we're building the future. And so we need people from all kinds of backgrounds to be involved in building that future and solving the problems of tomorrow. At Antler in the Nordics, we're setting ambitious targets specifically connected to, for example, how we bring on board talented female entrepreneurs and are setting these goals. Actually measuring them really ensures that we can invest in more all-women teams and more mixed teams.

What advice do you have to be more inclusive, in our everyday work and lives?

My best piece of advice when it comes to creating a more inclusive workplace is to set ambitious targets and measure what you do, which is what we are doing at Antler in the Nordics. In my experience, this is the best and fastest way to create impactful results. Another great way to enable more voices to be heard in our everyday work is to specifically ask the opinion of those who perhaps haven’t said as much in a meeting.

Read Antler’s second annual ESG and Impact Report to learn how VC firms can build diverse teams and create sustainable value from the outset. 

Read Antler’s Diverse & Inclusion Policy outlining our approach to applying strong diversity and inclusion values throughout our company, our engagement with founders, and our investment process.