# Global Women in VC: High-Level Overview
Global Women in VC is not a traditional investment firm, but rather a community platform and directory that connects and empowers women venture capitalists worldwide.[1][5] Founded in 2015 in New York City, the organization operates as a networking and collaboration hub rather than a fund that deploys capital.[1] Its core mission is to amplify the voices of women investors, enable them to share insights and opportunities, and drive systemic change in the venture capital industry by increasing female representation.[1]
The platform addresses a fundamental challenge in venture capital: women investors historically maintained informal networks—local lists, Google spreadsheets, and WhatsApp groups—to find each other and share deals in a male-dominated industry.[2] Global Women in VC formalized and scaled this need into a global directory and community infrastructure, providing women around the world with tools to connect, collaborate, and support one another.[2]
Origin Story
Global Women in VC was created by Anu Duggal and Jessica Peltz-Zatulove, with Peltz-Zatulove serving as a Partner at MDC Ventures.[1][2] The platform emerged from a practical recognition that female investors lacked accessible mechanisms to find peers across geographies. Rather than building a traditional venture fund, the co-founders identified that creating a community-based support system was necessary to both recruit more women into venture capital and retain those already in the industry by elevating their voices within local communities.[2]
The organization has since grown into the world's largest global community for women in venture capital, operating since 2015 with expanding reach across multiple continents.[5]
Core Differentiators
- Global Directory Infrastructure: A searchable, curated database enabling women investors to locate peers from London to Singapore, Chicago to LA, and beyond.[2]
- Multi-Channel Community Engagement: Operates through Slack communities, LinkedIn networks, and in-person events across key hubs including New York, Los Angeles, London, Singapore, Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle, Boston, Denver/Boulder, Berlin, and Austin.[2]
- Strategic Partnerships: Collaborates with accelerators like Techstars to create tangible opportunities—including a Techstars Affiliate Program that allows Global Women in VC members to fast-track founder referrals.[2]
- Complementary Ecosystem Role: Works alongside initiatives like the Female Venture 50 (Decile Group's program targeting equal representation across VC levels) and VC Lab's accelerator programs, which integrate Global Women in VC's community infrastructure.[3]
- Focus on Retention and Elevation: Emphasizes not just recruiting women into venture capital but keeping them in the industry through peer support, deal-sharing opportunities, and amplified visibility.[2]
Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
Global Women in VC operates at the intersection of two powerful trends: the documented underrepresentation of women in venture capital leadership and the growing recognition that manager diversity correlates with better fund performance and the identification of outlier opportunities.[3]
The platform rides a wave of institutional accountability. Limited Partners increasingly recognize that diverse GP (general partner) teams drive innovation and unlock previously undiscovered opportunities, creating pressure for systemic change.[3] Recent data shows measurable progress: 42% of graduating firms from VC Lab's 2024 cohort have at least one woman on the leadership team, demonstrating the effectiveness of targeted communities and support systems.[3]
By formalizing what was once an informal gatekeeping mechanism—the ability to access peer networks—Global Women in VC democratizes access to venture capital's social infrastructure. This directly addresses how exclusivity in the industry was historically "bad for business," as diverse perspectives identify opportunities homogeneous groups miss.[3]
Quick Take & Future Outlook
Global Women in VC has successfully transformed from addressing a niche problem (women finding each other) into a foundational infrastructure layer for the industry's diversity transformation. As the venture capital industry targets 45% female representation by 2026—a goal backed by proven methodology in training, community building, and systematic support—platforms like Global Women in VC become increasingly central to achieving this shift.[3]
The organization's future influence will likely deepen as it continues to bridge the gap between aspiration and execution. By maintaining its focus on community-based support rather than competing as a traditional fund, Global Women in VC positions itself as a neutral, trusted infrastructure that benefits the entire ecosystem. The real test ahead is whether the community can evolve from connection and collaboration into measurable outcomes: whether members successfully co-invest together, whether their deal flow improves, and whether the platform becomes the default mechanism through which women in venture capital access opportunity and support.
