Allison Byers’ Post

Many of you know my entrepreneurial journey started when I joined scientific co-founders to launch a medical device company. I've stayed connected to the life sciences and digital health startup space through our Scroobious community and as Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) for Merck Digital Sciences Studio. 🗽 For my NYC network - MDS Studio is hosting a Preview Showcase & Reception on May 9 in NYC to connect our fantastic 2nd cohort of startups to investors, advisors, pharma, biotech, and pharma services leaders. Come meet our 12 incredible teams!   👉 Join us for the Preview Showcase from 2:00-5:00 PM (startup flash pitches + VC panel discussion): https://lu.ma/mdss-ps2024 👉 Join us for the Reception from 5:00-8:00 PM (refreshments + networking with incredible entrepreneurs & industry leaders): https://lu.ma/mdss-ps2024r Alexa Goldman Ahmet Hamdi Cavusoglu Geof Hannigan, PhD

Quick stats on this post: ♂ Of the 190 reactions, 17% are from men. ♂ Of the 16 reposts, 1 is from a man. Here's an EASY way to be an ally. React and/or repost this content to amplify its reach. This is an important initiative that deserves awareness. When you repost you help: ✅ Female founders see the opportunity. ✅ Ecosystem partners learn about the exhibit so they can engage. ✅ Inspire advocates in other regions who might want to explore a similar initiative. My friend Samantha Katz and many others have shown how the algorithm here buries posts by women. Use your platform to walk your talk. Allyship means active participation. Reposting women's content is about as easy and fast as it gets. SHOW UP.

Scroobious has proudly partnered with At the Table,HQ and Mass Cultural Council on a new initiative called Above 2%. This photography exhibit will celebrate the achievements of female entrepreneurs in New England to inspire and foster inclusivity. In 2023, 1.8% of venture capital dollars went to female founding teams. In MA that number is 0.9%. Yes, those are real numbers. A common and unfounded refrain from venture fund managers is that there just aren't as many women seeking investment. Hey #Boston VC - we're going to showcase 200 of them for you. Each woman who participates gets a free professional headshot and will be featured in an exhibit that will travel around New England. Pictured here are the first batch of founders, who come from our Scroobious community, with incredible photos courtesy of my friend and amazing photographer Doug Levy. Absolutely thrilled to celebrate the stories of Dianne Austin Pamela Shaddock Karen Kelly 🌈 Bobbi Wegner, Psy.D. Alicia Tulsee Grace Tiao Ibi Opuiyo M.Ed. Andee Wallace, PhD Catherine Smart Keeana S. Saxon, Esq. Shana Wang Roya Khosravi-Far, Ph.D., PLD Adjoa Edzie, MBA MARIA MCKNIGHT, Cheryl Shao Calls to action: 👉 If you're a female founder in New England and want to participate, nominate yourself (or others) here: https://lnkd.in/egVpvP9Z 👉 If you're interested in hosting the traveling exhibit in the coming year, reach out to At The Table: atthetablehq@gmail.com #femalefounders #riseabove2% #venturecapital #investing #entrepreneurship #investinwomen #newengland #startups #fundraising #investors

We are SO excited to announce JPMorgan Chase & Co. Commercial Banking has joined Scroobious as a sponsor! 🎉 They are granting 20 New England-based entrepreneurs memberships to our platform to help them create compelling pitch material and fundraise. Apply here for a *free* 1-year Scroobious membership: https://lnkd.in/gtghAf4F Criteria: ✅ New England-based startup ✅ Currently fundraising or preparing to fundraise ✅ Pre-seed - Series A ✅ Actively working on a fundraising pitch Please share with founders in your network! If this isn't a fit for your startup, apply here in case you qualify for a different sponsor opportunity: https://bit.ly/49qnUvf

I created the Scroobious 10-section core framework before incorporating the company in 2020. It's based on hundreds of investor interviews, a comprehensive review of secondary research, and my own experience raising nearly $10M for my last startup. Pitching to investors is about telling the story of how they will make a return on the money they invest in your company because you have de-risked each element of the business plan. The operative word there is RISK. Every section of your pitch should mitigate risk. When I first posted this framework, it was picked up by Business Insider [https://lnkd.in/efjrsWD thanks Mary Weinheimer Kearl!], and we've helped thousands since then understand how to tell an investment story through the lens of risk mitigation. The graphics in this post are effective because they're simple, comprehensive, and explain the investor mindset. You might notice some sections missing, such as financial projections, the ask, and others. That's because they aren't part of the core 10. They're important, but they belong in the appendix. Move them into the deck depending on the situation. My calls to action: 👉 Please share this post so it can reach as many founders as possible. Understanding that investors assess a pitch based on risk tolerance is not intuitive and it can be a game-changer for founders. 👉 Founders: apply for a sponsored (free!) account. Our platform is chock-full of mini-lessons that deep dive into each of the core 10 sections along with tons of others about all things fundraising and pitching. Apply: https://bit.ly/49qnUvf #pitching #fundraising #entrepreneurship #founders #investing #storytelling #pitchdeck #startups #venturecapital #angelinvesting

24 hours ago, roughly 200 people came together, braving an intense nor'easter, to discuss how we can be agents of change for women building and funding companies. About 40% were founders, 40% investors, and 20% allies.   This was our 3rd annual All Raise #Boston half-day summit and my first time at the helm of planning along with my Co-Chair Meeta Kapadia and the incredible Jenni Goodman from our steering committee. To say I'm proud of this gathering would be an understatement. We were intentional about every detail to maximize our goal of inspiring attendees to see themselves as changemakers.   This started with our panel. We delved into the theme by highlighting those who have initiated real change by sharing personal stories, including actionable steps that led to bigger things. I was proud to share my story of entrepreneurship and policy advocacy alongside: ⭐ All Raise CEO, Paige Hendrix Buckner ⭐ Chief of Staff to Mayor Michelle Wu, Tiffany Chu ⭐ Founding Co-Chair of BLCK VC Boston, Javier Grevely ⭐ SEC Advisor and Angel Capital Association Chair Emeritus, Marcia Dawood ⭐ Expertly moderated by Meeta Kapadia, a change agent herself   Following the panel everyone chose a breakout room for meaningful, and again, actionable discussions with topics including:   🏢 Reframing your Career 🤷♀️ Difficult Decisions 📢 Speaking Out 📜 Flipping the Script ✅ Actioning Changemaking   HUGE thank you to our passionate discussion leaders Sarah Fay, Christian Williams, C.A. Webb, Benjamin Hron, Ann E. Metzger, Emily Green, Senofer Mendoza, Modjossorica (Rica) Elysee, Lakshmi Balachandra, Winston Daley, Aisling Carlson, and Georgina A..   The larger-than-life Paige Hendrix Buckner capped off the event with an interactive exercise that got us mentally and physically moving (teaching vibes still STRONG) and shared All Raise's phased path toward realizing our vision of propelling the success of women and non-binary investors, founders, and operators by changing the culture and composition of the venture capital ecosystem.   More thanks: ❤️ Thank you to the Boston steering committee for all the work to make yesterday such a valuable and impactful event. Abigail Risse, Kate Castle, Kiki Mills Johnston, Kleida Martiro, Heather Widman, Lily Lyman, Louide Xavier, Yasmin Cruz Ferrine, Jenni Goodman, Meeta Kapadia. ❤️ Thank you to MassChallenge and Caitlin Reimers Brumme for hosting. ❤️ Thank you to EVERYONE who came out during that ridiculous storm and for showing up as your authentic selves. The day was positive, energizing, supportive, collaborative, and exactly what Boston needs to bring us together for collective understanding and change. None of it happens without all of you being in the community and showing up for yourselves and each other. #venturecapital #investing #founders #femalefounders #femaleinvestors #startups #changeagents #community #angelinvesting #fundraising #investors #entrepreneurship #policy

I got home at midnight last night. WAY past my bedtime. Only something really special could keep me out that late, and the Show Her The Money experience lived up to the hype. Scroobious and All Raise proudly joined the host committee along with 360 Venture Collective, Wells Fargo, Simmons University, Archer Roose Wines, Girls Into VC, StartOut, and more to bring a screening to #Boston. This documentary uses storytelling to both demonstrate how the funding gap manifests in real life and teach women how and why to become investors. People couldn't help themselves from clapping, shouting, and, sometimes, crying throughout the film. I was delighted to join a panel discussion following the film to foster productive conversation and continued learning. Catherine Gray, Wendy Ryan, Marcia Dawood, Marian Leitner-Waldman (she/her), Judith Goldkrand, Kelly O’Connell, Ann E. Metzger, Dawn Lafreeda, Pocket Sun, and other stars, producers, and sponsors of the film are on an international tour bringing screenings into communities for events like we had last night. If you haven't been to a screening yet, I strongly encourage you to find out when it's coming to your city, and if it isn't, be the one who does! #fundwomen #fundraising #entrepreneurship #investing #angelinvesting #venturecapital #femalefounders

This is not an April Fool's joke. Our Scroobious March newsletter went out to 3,500+ subscribers last week. 🙂 I encourage you to read the whole thing, but here are just a few highlights: ✱ Shedding light on a concerning trend of feeling inadequate after investor meetings when the data says otherwise. ✱ Screening: 4/2 (tomorrow), 7 pm ET at Simmons University. Winner of 7 Awards including "Best Feature Documentary" Show Her The Money reminds us that money is power and women need it to achieve true equality. Tickets: https://lnkd.in/dYb3bvvW ✱ Event: 4/4 (Thursday), 9 am - 1 pm ET at MassChallenge. 3rd annual All Raise "Agents of Change" half-day summit where female and non-binary founders, investors, and allies network, learn from some of Boston's biggest mentors and influencers, and dive into how we can be agents of change toward gender equity. Register: https://lnkd.in/eQXxy4Fa ✱ Virtual event: Pitch Studio features five-minute founder pitches from Scroobious members followed by 10 min of feedback from select investors. It is NOT a live pitch for investment; the purpose is to receive authentic, helpful feedback in a safe space. INVESTORS register: https://lnkd.in/eXWDACPe

"There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women." Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's legendary statement has been quoted so much it's part of common nomenclature. This statement efficiently addresses multiple societal phenomena in one punchy package: • Historical oppression: Women have historically faced systemic barriers and discrimination in all aspects of life, including capital, education, employment, politics, and more. Women have limited access to resources and opportunities compared to men. This perpetuates the feeling that there's only room for a few women at the top or that women must compete with each other for recognition and success. • Solidarity: Women must support and uplift each other. There are societal expectations placed on women to support each other in the face of systemic challenges such as gender inequality. As a marginalized group, we should actively work to counter these inequalities by supporting one another. • Zero-sum mentality: Individuals believe that one person's gain must come at the expense of another's loss. Women who subscribe to this mindset might perceive helping other women as a threat to their success, rather than recognizing the potential for collective advancement through mutual support. • Scarcity mindset: Women who operate from this viewpoint may be less likely to trust one another or collaborate on initiatives that could benefit the broader community of women. • Intersectional Experiences: Women from marginalized or underrepresented groups, such as women of color, LGBTQ+ women, or women with disabilities, may experience compounded forms of discrimination and marginalization. These intersectional experiences can exacerbate feelings of scarcity by further limiting access to resources and opportunities. • Internalized Misogyny: Women may overtly or unwittingly uphold patriarchal norms and hinder the progress of other women. Here's how I've personally seen and experienced it manifest: 🙅♀️ Women in power making decisions that limit the upward mobility of other women, particularly those who are high performers. At the extreme, demoting or firing women perceived to be a "threat" to their standing. 🙅♀️ Using maternity leave as a weapon against other women to interrupt their careers. 🙅♀️ Stealing other women's content without attribution. 🙅♀️ Speaking negatively about another woman behind her back. 🙅♀️ Assuming bad intentions without having an open conversation. My calls to action: 👍 Comment with more examples. When we name it, we help others recognize when it's happening to them or if they are doing it. This isn't a call to air grievances or bash women. It's to arm us with knowledge. 👍 If you see any of this happening, call it out, especially if it's behind someone's back and she isn't able to call it out herself.