Where are all the woman-founded biotech companies?
If the women of MIT’s science and engineering departments founded startups at the same rate as their male peers, the past decade would have produced about 40 more biotech companies than it actually did. In an effort to figure out what’s behind that gender disparity, three prominent MIT scientists spent a year collecting data and grilling stakeholders, and they’ve come up with a first step toward making things more equitable.
As STAT’s Sharon Begley reports, that means starting at the board level. The trio has convinced five major venture firms “to do all in [their] power” to make sure the boards of their portfolio companies are 25% female by the end of 2022. The working theory is this: Women can’t start companies if they can’t get funding, and VC tends to be a who-you-know business, so putting more women on boards should help create a virtuous cycle of entrepreneurship.
“Service on a board creates access to a network of investors, leading academic scientists, and other key leaders,” said Amy Schulman, a partner at Polaris Ventures who serves on several biotech boards. “It’s a door opener and a credentialer.”
Read more.
As STAT’s Sharon Begley reports, that means starting at the board level. The trio has convinced five major venture firms “to do all in [their] power” to make sure the boards of their portfolio companies are 25% female by the end of 2022. The working theory is this: Women can’t start companies if they can’t get funding, and VC tends to be a who-you-know business, so putting more women on boards should help create a virtuous cycle of entrepreneurship.
“Service on a board creates access to a network of investors, leading academic scientists, and other key leaders,” said Amy Schulman, a partner at Polaris Ventures who serves on several biotech boards. “It’s a door opener and a credentialer.”
Read more.
.png)
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario