Replay - Sarah Dusek; Investing In Women Led Businesses with host Catherine Gray Ep. 362

·24 min·2 clips

Sarah Dusek vowed to invest in other women after selling her company for $100 million.

Catherine Gray introduces the episode by highlighting that women receive less than 2% of venture capital funding, a statistic unchanged for 25 years. Guest Sarah Dusek joins from Cape Town, discussing her background in nonprofit work and transition to business as a vehicle for change. Sarah shares her experience selling Under Canvas, a glamping company, for $100 million after bootstrapping it to $7-8 million in revenue. She explains how this led her to found Enigma Ventures, a fund investing in women-led businesses in Africa. Sarah details the difficulties she faced raising capital as a female founder, including encountering all-male venture teams and years of rejection. She describes Enigma's focus on sophisticated women entrepreneurs in Africa, citing a FinTech company that already has more EBITDA than Under Canvas did at sale. The conversation contrasts investment levels, with $5 billion invested in Africa versus $234 billion in the US last year. Sarah emphasizes that women are four times more likely to repay debt and build profitable businesses, making them a smart investment. Catherine promotes her documentary 'Show Her the Money', which aims to educate women about venture capital through a 50-city tour. They discuss the accredited investor rule and various entry points for investing in women-led businesses. Sarah encourages women to take control of their financial decisions and follow their passions. The episode concludes with contact information for Enigma Ventures and resources for further learning.

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