Melinda Gates has Sharp Words for the VC Industry

Women are grossly under-represented in the male-dominated venture finance industry, making up a mere 8% of partnerships among the top 100 funds as of 2017. Melinda Gates has a plan to address this problem in two important ways; first by investing in female or minority led start-ups, and second by investing as a limited partner (LP) in funds that are run by female venture capitalists (VCs). Gates believes that LPs are well-placed to incite change in the VC industry by pressuring them to invest in more diverse startups, and end workplace practices that negatively affect women.