SheVentures

What path leads you from NBA marketing exec to the mystic world of shamanism and moon circles?

Ashley Cramer was a burned-out marketer, yearning for change. Becoming a shaman was the last thing on her mind, and even today she understands people may be skeptical of shamanism and what it entails. Cramer's healing journey along with her appreciation of lunar cycles and all they involve inform her practice today.

Shamanism is a term used for energy healers across many cultures worldwide, and Cramer is seeking to modernize her lunar practice with her new website and app, Align With the Moon.

Learn more about how Cramer focuses on the moon's position and energy to help her clients engage with their innermost emotions and to help discover their purpose on this episode of SheVentures.

COVID-19 required us to be mindful of our physical health like never before. What about our mental health? It's time to talk to about it.

Kristin Miscall is a psychotherapist with nearly two decades of helping others under her belt. She worked initially with homeless LGBTQIA+ youth before pivoting to private practice. Last year, she, like many in the mental health field, transitioned to telemedicine to meet the unprecedented need for her services in the midst of the pandemic.

Miscall noticed women were impacted disproportionately by COVID-19, and she shares her experiences of teletherapy over the past year. She speaks about the adjustments both she and her patients made — a blueprint for any practitioner.

Listen as Miscall recounts the impact of COVID-19 on women specifically, and on humanity as a whole, her ultimate tips for self-care in a time when we need it most, and the power of saying "no" and setting boundaries on this episode of SheVentures.

What is pro-poor financial technology, and how is Mae Watson Grote's company at the forefront of making a difference?

Mae Watson Grote is dedicated to improving the lives of the under-served and under-banked in the United States. As founder and CEO of the Change Machine — a nonprofit dedicated to building financial security through technology — she is doing just that.

The platform is available to all kinds of practitioners who work with women (financial advisors, social workers, coaches) and want to help their clients escape the poverty cycle. Focused on both short- and long-term outcomes rather than just outputs, the Change Machine recently launched a recommendation engine on its platform that suggests vetted products and services to practitioners that line up with their clients financial journeys.

Listen as Grote describes the pitfalls in "the system" that keep people (particularly people of color) poor, how Americans and financial institutions can combat systemic poverty, and the importance of alignment and a shared vision within your team on this episode of SheVentures.

Five languages. Three continents. Three kids. Two careers. One foundation. Zankhna Parekh is a trailblazer.

Born in India but raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Parekh always knew she would venture into medicine. With a 20-year successful career as a physical therapist under her belt, Parekh was keen to return to her career after having two children.

But, Parekh noticed (as do many women who become mothers) that her pre-baby clothes didn't fit the same way anymore. So she decided to make her own — and then start selling them. Through her education in Kenya, Parekh had the skills she needed to found Zankhna Designs.

With a focus on the coined term Zaftan, a new generation of kaftan (a long, loose dress or shirt), Parekh seeks to revolutionize luxury clothing by making it elegant yet affordable, with an international flair influenced by Parekh's background (India, Kenya, and the United States).

On this episode of SheVentures, listen as Parekh discusses the difficulties of running a business while raising three children under age 4, the foundation she and her husband started to help and educate people in developing nations, and her (surprising) tips for managing a career and a hectic family life.

From an early age, Kristi Data knew she wanted to make an impact, and she used sports as her gateway. In the fourth grade, Data petitioned her school to allow girls to play basketball — and got it done the very next season.

Data went on to receive a full athletic scholarship for volleyball — the pressures of which caused her to spiral into an eating disorder that lasted throughout college. Data discusses the reality of this situation that so many women and girls in sports face today.

After a stint in medical sales, Data is now a certified values determination coach, passionate about fitness, nutrition, and above all, community. She founded Girl Gang Evolution, an event company focused on female empowerment that she hopes to see take off internationally in the years to come.

Listen as Data discusses what goes into clinching an athletic scholarship, how to find your perfect coach, and the impact that one singular woman had on her life in this episode of SheVentures.

If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, help is available. Contact the National Eating Disorders Association's helpline for support, resources, and treatment options.

What maximizes your chances of receiving funds from a venture capitalist? Shelly Kapoor Collins knows firsthand. She's a tech entrepreneur and public servant–turned– founder/CEO of Shatter Fund, a venture capital fund that invests almost exclusively in female entrepreneurs whose businesses stand to disrupt the tech landscape.

With more than 20 years in the tech sector advocating for innovation and policy reform, Kapoor Collins was appointed to the National Women's Business Council in the second Obama Administration, served as vice chair of the Women in Public Service Project started by Secretary Hillary Clinton, and was part of the transition team for then California Attorney General (now Vice President) Kamala Harris.

Because of her experience, grit, and commitment, Kapoor Collins has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the top 20 global influential Indian women by the Economic Times of India as well as one of Forbes 40 women to watch over 40.

Shatter Fund also launched The Shatter Foundation, a nonprofit organization that connects girls in under-served communities with access to capital, networks, and markets, in an effort to foster an inclusive economy and equitable entrepreneurship.

Listen as Kapoor Collins discusses what drew her to the tech sector in the 90s, how the tech landscape has evolved, why she started a venture capital fund, and what female entrepreneurs can do to improve their chances of securing funding on this episode of SheVentures.

Did you know female founders face bias in how venture capitalists ask questions and are often negatively impacted when their products fall in a male-dominated industry?

These are two separate findings of Dana Kanze, Ph.D., that add to a growing body of research that quantify gender discrimination in attracting investors. After all, women receive a paltry 2.3 percent of venture capital — women of color even less, according to the Harvard Business Review.

A little-known fact about Kanze: She started her career as an entrepreneur before pivoting to academia where she earned a doctorate at Columbia Business School. Kanze experienced firsthand what it meant to be equally qualified but sometimes sidelined. This experience contributed to her interest in researching why this common phenomenon happens.

Now a professor at London Business School, her groundbreaking research focuses on the unconscious gender biases that many women experience daily. Kanze provides actionable tips for female entrepreneurs on how to beat these often subconscious but harmful biases on this episode of SheVentures.

Sometimes, the best business ideas are right in front of you. That was the case for Ashley Clark, who pivoted from being a banker to an entrepreneur and creator of old-school board games and flashcards that teach financial literacy — going against the current trend of online gaming with six-figure success during a pandemic.

A decade as a banker underscored that too many people didn't understand their own finances. Clark began to write down common customer questions — using this as her initial "market research." Next was her tough focus group: her children. Her passion for teaching people about money flourished, and today Clark is CEO and founder of Sense 2 Cents, a financial literacy–based game company.

Sense 2 Cents aims to take the chore out of learning and foster a solid financial foundation by making the flashcards and board games a family activity, in which parents can learn alongside their children. Clark has also developed active communities on Instagram and Facebook.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing: Three months into starting this venture, Clark was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and, being so ill, she understandably wanted to quit. Advice from her entrepreneurial mom helped her stay focused, and now she has tips for those starting their own business.

On this episode of SheVentures, discover why financial literacy is so important in establishing generational wealth in under-served communities, what financial institutions can do to help, and Clark's top tips for success.

To begin Financial Literacy Month on SheVentures, who better than Leslie Tayne to discuss one of America's biggest financial problems: debt, a $14.6T reality for American households.

Leslie Tayne always knew she wanted to be a lawyer despite her father warning her when she started 20 years ago that it truly was a boys club.

She tried many facets of the law before she pivoted to what became her passion — as in-house counsel to a debt company.

Today, The Tayne Law Group is changing the face of debt resolution law. Her mission is to create a more constructive way of handling debt resolution. Tayne is well respected as someone who focuses on the solution and how to educate and engage her clients.

Tayne's "open door" policy encourages her clients to consult with her team before taking a financial action they may regret later — such as student loan and credit card debt, decisions on major purchases like buying a new car, or taking out a mortgage. With a focus on financial wellness and working with their clients as a team, Tayne's group points clients in the right direction, even if it's outside their practice. She wants to do what is in their best financial interest.

Listen to find out what actionable steps you should take if you find yourself in seemingly insurmountable debt — facing unemployment, the unexpected positives of COVID-19, and the truth behind debt consolidation myths on this episode of SheVentures.

With more than 25 years in the life sciences, lawyer Diane Lifton is a huge proponent of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and communities.

Witnessing how incredibly hard her mother worked to balance raising children with returning to law school, Lifton credits this experience to her own genesis of hard work and advocating for others.

Lifton spent two decades as a partner in two top-tier East Coast law firms. She pivoted from partner to in-house counsel and today is senior vice president, legal, at Sumitovant Biopharma in New York City, where she continues to champion diversity in the life sciences and in the workplace. With a seat on the board of World Connect, and as a volunteer at Goddard Riverside Community Center in Manhattan, she is putting her beliefs into practice to help eradicate food insecurity and support women and girls worldwide.

On this episode of SheVentures, discover tips for getting vaccinated from someone in the field, what it takes to become a partner in a law firm while balancing competing demands, and how women and girls can advocate for themselves and others.