EP 182 LatinX and Woman Owned VC Firm Addressing Pre-Seed Funding Gap in Tech Startups

Until we change who writes the check, we can’t change who receives the check.

In 2016 our guest, Senofer Mendoza, Founder and General Partner of Mendoza Ventures, launched her purpose-driven venture capital firm to address the funding gap in pre-seed investment.

Mendoza Ventures is an early and growth stage Fintech, AI, and Cybersecurity venture investing in areas where they have deep domain expertise, using a proven due diligence model.

The firm focuses on diversity as playing an important role in its investment decisions, and roughly 75% of their portfolio consists of startups led by immigrants, people of color, and women.

With a strong background in enterprise sales and hospitality design, Senofer is a published author, innovator, and thought leader in the technology, startup, and VC space with a passion for equity and diversity.

We covered a lot of ground during this delicious conversation, so be ready to take notes!

To learn more about Mendoza Ventures, please visit: https://mendoza-ventures.com/

Connect with Senofer and follow Mendoza Ventures via these social platforms:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/senofermendoza/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/mendoza-ventures/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senofermendoza/ and https://www.instagram.com/mendozaventures/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MendozaVentures

The Capital Network provides Fundraising Education for ALL Founders: https://thecapitalnetwork.org/

Heartfelt thanks to Marie Meslin, President of The Capital Network for these helpful links:
Accredited Investor Requirements: https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/general-resources/news-alerts/alerts-bulletins/investor-bulletins/updated-3
VC University: https://nvca.org/education/vc-university/

00:00 - meet Senofer Mendoza!
09:00 - Senofer's origin story
17:00 - how Mendoza Ventures walks their talk about investing in diverse founders
25:00 - investor education is key
29:30 - what Mendoza Ventures learned from their first fund
31:20 - help or get out of the way - STITCH THAT ON A PILLOW
36:40 - Mendoza sees the VC landscape as collaborative, not competitive
40:21 - best advice for diverse founders raising capital
43:00 - Mendoza Venture's due diligence process
45:30 - the number 1 character trait a founder must have to succeed
48:00 - how Senofer dissolved the mindset block that was preventing her from succeeding with her fund.
50:10 - Senofer's favorite quote: When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less important whether or not I am afraid. ~ Audre Lorde


Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your business will do better - cheers!

Ande ♥
https://andelyons.com
#femalefunder #fundingdiversefounders #fundingdiversetechstartups

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