On Thursday, November 21st, Mercury Fund, in partnership with J.P. Morgan and Impact Hub Houston, hosted the Female Founders Breakfast at the Mercury office. Recent research reports have made us acutely aware that less funding and support makes its way to women-led startups. The causes are varied and complex but ultimately point to a need for greater alliedship to ensure women get equal access to startup capital.
We wanted to explore ways that Houston’s startup ecosystem can address these disparities and be better allies for women entrepreneurs, so we organized an event that encouraged female founders to share their startups with the Mercury team and get to know other female founders and active investors in a casual setting. Over 70 female founders and startup supporters joined us for a discussion on how women can expand their networks to find the right mentors and the right investors. We highlighted the important work done by The Artemis Fund to fund women-led startups as well as HX Venture Fund to bring VCs from around the country to Houston and help local entrepreneurs bridge the gap of warm introductions. Most importantly, we proved that there is a growing density of female-driven innovation in Houston and that our potential to nurture even more talent is exponential.
Thanks to all the attendees for making this a successful event. Special thanks to Kristen Habich and her team at J.P. Morgan for sponsoring, and Grace Rodriguez and her team at Impact Hub Houston for curating this event as part of THIS19: The Houston Innovation Summit. Mercury Fund is proud to work alongside these organizations to build, promote, and invest in Houston’s inclusive entrepreneurial community
