Founders First Capital Partners Inc

03/31/2026 | Press release | Archived content

Women Who Fund America Launches Groundbreaking Multi-Platfor...

Women Who Fund America Launches Groundbreaking Multi-Platform Series Spotlighting Women Fund Managers Shaping the U.S. Economy

A press release announcing Women Who Fund America, a documentary and podcast series premiering on the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network. The initiative spotlights women fund managers driving economic impact, while addressing systemic gaps in capital access and representation in the U.S. financial ecosystem.

Press Release
Women Who Fund America

Groundbreaking Multi-Platform Series Spotlights Women Fund Managers Shaping the U.S. Economy

New documentary and podcast series to premiere on ImpactAlpha Podcast Network this October, culminating with final episodes at the UN Women's Entrepreneurship Summit in November

San Diego, CA · March 31, 2026

A powerful new content initiative, Women Who Fund America (WWFA), is set to redefine the narrative around capital, leadership, and economic influence with the launch of a multi-platform documentary and podcast series highlighting the stories and impact of women fund managers across the United States.

At a time when women remain significantly underrepresented in capital allocation, Women Who Fund America arrives with urgency and purpose.

11%
of U.S. portfolio managers are women
1.4%
of the nation's $82 trillion in assets overseen by women
<15%
of decision-makers at VC firms are women
~2%
of venture funding goes to all-women founding teams

These disparities underscore a critical gap in who shapes innovation, economic growth, and access to opportunity.

Co-produced by ImpactAlpha and Founders First Capital Partners, and executive produced by Barbara Clarke, Founder of The Impact Seat Foundation, and Tahira White, Founder of 1Park9, Women Who Fund America is designed to elevate the visibility, influence, and systemic contributions of women deploying capital across venture, private and public equity, debt and impact investing.

The series will premiere its first episode in October 2026 on the ImpactAlpha Podcast Nnetwork, with additional episodes released in November in alignment with the UN Women's Entrepreneurship Summit.

The initiative brings together an influential ensemble of fund managers serving as co-hosts, alongside contributors and ecosystem leaders, to explore the journeys, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of capital allocation.

Executive Perspectives

"Women that deploy capital are reshaping the U.S. economy and unlocking both impact and alpha. This series brings visibility to those leaders and the opportunity they are creating."

Dennis Price, CEO - Impact-Alpha

"This project brings forward the voices and investment leadership that have too often been overlooked. By centering women fund managers, we are not only documenting change - we are accelerating it."

Barbara Clarke, Founder - The Impact Seat Foundation & Executive Producer

At its core, the series seeks to drive four key outcomes: increased awareness of women as capital allocators, educated audiences on the fund formation journey, inspired founders and emerging investors, and a lasting legacy for future generations.

Co-Host Perspectives

The series features leading women fund managers as co-hosts, each bringing a unique lens across capital types, sectors, and geographies:

"This platform is about visibility and access - ensuring that women fund managers are seen not as exceptions, but as essential drivers of innovation and economic growth."

Zeynep Ilgaz, Founder - Ocean Fund

"We are telling the real stories behind building funds - the resilience, the strategy, and the impact - so the next generation doesn't have to navigate it alone."

Amy Nelson, Founder - Rethink Education

"Capital shapes outcomes. When more women are deploying capital, we see broader, more inclusive economic opportunity emerge."

Betsy Fore, Founder - Velveteen Ventures

"Capital takes many forms - from debt and revenue-based financing to structured equity. At Boston Impact Initiative (BII), we've seen firsthand how using the full spectrum of capital for community-centered investing transforms local economies. This series amplifies those integrated capital models to build a more inclusive economy at a national scale."

Betty Francisco, CEO - Boston Impact Initiative (BII)

"Women Who Fund America reflects the mission we've been building at Founders First - democratizing access to capital while elevating the leaders who are driving economic mobility across underserved markets."

Kim Folsom, Founder & CEO - Founders First Capital Partners
Contributor Voices

"Representation in fund management isn't just symbolic - it directly impacts which companies are funded, scaled, and sustained."

Michele Courton Brown, Chief Business Inclusion & Belonging Officer - Blue Cross Blue Shield

"We are in the early stages of redefining capitalism itself - toward a system that is more inclusive, more participatory, and more responsive to community needs. Elevating women fund managers is essential to building that future."

Frank Altman, Founder & former CEO - Community Reinvestment Fund; Author, The New Capitalism
A Multi-Platform Content Ecosystem

Women Who Fund America is designed as a full-scale content ecosystem spanning video, podcast, and social media distribution across Impact-Alpha and Founders First platforms. The series will include:

Documentary-style episodes and roundtable discussions Direct-to-camera interviews and "day-in-the-life" storytelling
Contributor segments featuring founders, allocators, and portfolio companies Short-form "hot takes" and social-first content

Production begins at the Mission Investors Exchange (MIE) conference in April 2026, followed by additional filming in San Diego in August.

Episode 1 will premiere at SOCAP in October 2026, with subsequent episodes released in November alongside the UN Women's Entrepreneurship Summit - positioning the series at the center of global conversations on capital, equity, and entrepreneurship.

About the Partners

A documentary and digital media initiative spotlighting women fund managers and their systemic impact on innovation, capital access, and economic growth.

A leading digital media platform covering the intersection of finance, business, and social and environmental impact. The ImpactAlpha Podcast Network brings together smart, independent voices shaping the future of impact investing. With 10+ shows and growing, the podcast network aplifies ideas, cross-pollinates audiences, and elevates the conversations driving the field forward.

A national, mission-driven investment platform providing non-dilutive growth capital to service-based small businesses generating $500K-$10M in annual revenue. Through its $50M Change Catalyst Fund II, the firm delivers structured private credit to growth-stage companies.

A platform dedicated to elevating diverse leadership across impact investing and social innovation through storytelling, advisory, and ecosystem-building.

A vertically integrated global content and experiential production studio headquartered in New York City. A women- and minority-owned company at the intersection of culture, commerce, and impact.

© 2026 Women Who Fund America · thewomenwhofundamerica.com · All Rights Reserved

Press Contact

Name: Arrey Phillips

Title: Media Contact

Email: [email protected]

Founders First Capital Partners Inc published this content on March 31, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 26, 2026 at 05:44 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]