In this inaugural episode of Returns on Resilience, host Dr. Dawn Sizemore sits down with two Atlanta powerhouses, serial tech founder and ecosystem builder Jen Bonnett, and investor and Zane Venture Fund founder Shila Nieves Burney, for an honest conversation about what it really takes to build and fund successful women-led businesses.

On Money & Confidence (08:30)

Why asking for money is a learnable skill

The importance of financial literacy for founders

How to handle rejection and build confidence through practice

Why women founders need to own their CEO title

On Resilience & Vulnerability (13:46)

The difference between a marathon and a series of sprints

Why celebrating wins matters for long-term success

The critical importance of communicating both good and bad news to investors

How self-care and pauses fuel better decision-making

On Atlanta's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (23:26)

Why Atlanta is positioned to become a top-five tech hub

The city's commitment to equitable growth

How to retain the incredible talent coming from Atlanta's universities

The power of community in raising successful entrepreneurs

On Why Invest in Women (30:29)

Women-led companies return 30-33% more capital to investors

The social impact component of women-founded ventures

How women founders create cyclical investment in other women

The importance of not backing off on investments in female founders

You are the CEO: Only you can lead your company at this stage, own that role!

Practice asking for money: It's a learnable skill that gets easier with repetition

Communicate the bad news too: Regular transparency builds trust with investors

It takes a city: Success requires an entire ecosystem of support organizations

Women don't walk away: Female founders honor their commitments and make things happen

Jen Bonnett is a serial tech founder turned entrepreneurship ecosystem builder with nine startups under her belt. After spending ten years in corporate tech and taking a company public, she founded Startup Chicks in 2008 to support women entrepreneurs in Atlanta. Today, she works to make the entrepreneurial journey easier for all founders in metro Atlanta.

Shila Nieves Burney is the founder and managing partner of Zane Venture Fund, which has invested in nine portfolio companies and graduated over 100 companies from its programming. After a personal tragedy involving her daughter in 2019, Shila pivoted to venture capital to solve the access-to-capital problem facing entrepreneurs, particularly women and underrepresented founders.

Invest Atlanta

Zane Venture Fund

Visit weiatlanta.com for more stories, resources, and ways to connect with the Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative community.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Invest Atlanta or the City of Atlanta. The program is committed to fostering inclusive entrepreneurship regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, ability, or background.

Produced by the Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative, Empowered by Invest Atlanta & Could Be Pretty Cool

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