ShowNotes for Female VC Lab Podcast with Dr. Silvia Mah

Guest: Dr. Silvia Mah, Adastra Ventures

Host: Barbara Bickham

In this insightful episode of the Female VC Lab podcast, host Barbara Bickham welcomes Dr. Silvia Mah from Adastra Ventures to discuss her journey into venture capitalism and her passion for empowering female-led businesses and founders of color.

Key Points Discussed:

• Introduction to Guest: Dr. Silvia Mah shares her background as part of Adastra Ventures.
• Becoming a VC: The impetus behind becoming an investor was the desire to bring access to capital within the ecosystem; she describes herself as an "accidental investor."
• Professional Journey: With 15 years in startup fields commercializing University Technologies at UC San Diego, coupled with a Ph.D. in biochemistry/molecular biology and an MBA, she brings a unique understanding of both science and business.
• Addressing Access to Capital: Discusses challenges faced by entrepreneurs regarding access to early-stage capital, especially women founders and people of color.
• Personal Investment Philosophy: Inspired by an unexpected inheritance from her father, decided to invest in female-led businesses and those run by people of color; industry agnostic approach.
• Creating Ecosystems & Community Impact: Emphasizes building ecosystems around these investments that nurture communities - when you invest in women, you're investing in their entire community due to their efficiency with money management.
• Investment Thesis Motivation: Shares how personal experiences shaped her investment thesis focusing on impact-driven ventures led by underrepresented groups.
• Reading Habits & Resources: Enjoys reading books like 'Dare To Lead' alongside articles for current insights (mentions Medium) while staying connected with local news through publications like San Diego Business Journal; also listens to podcasts including servant leadership topics along with daily bible readings reflecting spiritual practices.

Evolution Of Venture Capital: Dr. Mah observes tactical shifts towards smaller check sizes due diligence risk mitigation strategies amidst economic changes while strategically noting collaboration trends among larger firms or introduction new general partners driving well-capitalized funds forward; anticipates continued evolution accommodating diverse investor profiles through different financial vehicles enabling sustained entrepreneurial impacts despite size limitations on individual investments.

Connectivity: Listeners can connect with Dr. Silvia Mah via LinkedIn (Sylvia M.), visit her website at sheinvests.com which hosts information about personal investment thesis/portfolio companies or explore collaborative opportunities at stellalabs.org particularly referencing upcoming Women's Venture Summit events designed advocate support network growth amongst female founders/investors alike fostering stronger collective advancement initiatives across sectoral boundaries.

Join us next time on Female VC Lab where we continue uncovering stories behind influential investors shaping future innovation landscapes one conversation at time!