Getting Investors to Fall in Love with Your Business with Katie Shea

October 16, 2023

““You’re not trying to convert the skeptics, you’re looking for the believers.” – Katie Shea

Raising capital can feel like the ultimate courtship process and Katie Shea has all the tea on making your business the belle of the ball every fundraising season. Before having an investment portfolio valued at over 6 Billion USD, Katie started her career by co-founding a manufacturing company from her NYU dorm room, that went on to have best-selling brands at Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, and even more global retail locations. Now Katie is the Founder and General Partner of Divergent Capital, a $30 Million early-stage venture fund. If you ask Katie, she feels like the entrepreneurial impulse has to be in her blood because trusting her instincts while building these ecosystems through VC and angel investing has been one of her greatest assets. In today’s episode, we sit down with Katie Shea to discuss her incredible Founder’s journey and what she believes every Entreprenista looking to raise capital or build a more scalable business should know. She shares what VCs are currently looking for founders, the importance of effective communication, the benefits of co-founding from an investor’s perspective, hitting profitability faster, keeping your circle of champion investors excited about your business, and more!

Members of our Entreprenista League get access to live Office Hours with top founders that have been on our show!, Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

We talk about:

Business plan competitions
Factoring + receivable financing
Underwriting
Angel Investing + Venture Capital
Starting your own venture fund
Early stage vs. last stage investing
Portfolio must-haves
Diversion Capital
Investment areas + strategies for a generalist fund
Startup fundraising strategies + communication tips
Knowing who + what offers are worth your time

Connect with Katie:

Are you ready to make meaningful business connections that lead to real business results?

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate and support you every step of the way.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Become An Entreprenista!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast – the most fun business meeting for women founders and leaders. . If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, and LinkedIn and for more exclusive content, tips, and insight, join our community of founders right here.

Share it!

Posted in Entreprenista

Entreprenista Julia DeNey on Elavating Sensory-Friendly Clothing through Sense-ational You

Hi Julia! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: I attended Cornell University, where I majored in Fashion Design. In my junior year, I began an independent study on clothing for autistic children after volunteering at a local special education preschool led to many parents and therapists asking if I knew the…

5 Reasons to Apply for the E100 Awards

As a founder, you know the late nights, early mornings, and countless sacrifices it takes to make your vision a reality. Through it all, you’ve persisted — and now you have an incredible company to show for it. But sometimes, recognition can be hard to find as a founder. Awards and “top entrepreneur” lists are…

Find Your Passion and Make it Profitable with Kara Venus

“Just just do it, get your LLC created, get your website created, do all the pieces.” – Kara Venus In today’s episode of Startups in Stilettos, Carlyn flies solo while sitting down with Kara Venus, an author and the owner of Stella’s Way Marketing, a full-service small business consulting firm that helps small travel businesses launch…

Build A Reputation and Watch Your Business Grow with Whitney Lee

“ You don’t just step out into the business world and say, I’m the best. I’m the smartest, I’m the nicest, I’m a good person, and everyone believes you overnight. No, you have to prove yourself, you have to consistently put in the work to show your true colors. And over time you build that…

Finding Solutions for Diversity and Inclusion in the Beauty Industry with Maude Okrah

“We’re terrified of making a mistake, because of public reputation. And what we recognized is that, with all these conversations happening in silos, we had to bring everyone together. We had to break down the silos and try and figure out a solution that worked.” – Maude Okrah If you or someone you know has ever…

Founder of La Pausa Consulting, Adair Vilella, on Building a Business Tailored to Your Unique Needs

Hi Adair! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: I am a business sales consultant that helps women owned businesses double their revenue through sales and data visualization! I will work with you to dive into the foundation of your business and develop customized consulting solutions tailored to your unique needs, enabling…

Co-Founder of The Fertility Resort, Bryant Liggett, on The Career She’s Always Dreamed Of

Hi Bryant! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: Hello, friends! My name is Bryant Liggett and I’m the Co-Founder of The Fertility Resort. Born from the ashes of years of infertility and loss, I created The Fertility Resort in hopes of eliminating “I didn’t know what I didn’t know” from the…

It’s All About the Lens with Dionne Ellison: Founder of Vuliwear

Hello Dionne! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: My name is Dionne Ellison, and I am the Founder/Creator of Vuliwear. Vuliwear is an exclusive line of luxury eyewear inspired by nature that exposes hidden beauty unseen with the naked eye; specifically the awesome colors and patterns of insect eyes. Each custom…

Creative Problems Require Creative Solutions with Libra Riley

“If you’ve created something, get it out there, get it prototyped. Get it patented if it makes sense to patent because not every product needs to have a patent, but just get going on something.” – Libra Riley In today’s episode, we are joined by Libra Riley, the Founder and CEO of SWOOP™ Hanger, a patented…

Building a Bad Bitch Empire with Lisa Carmen Wang

“A woman steps into HER FULL POWER not when she is finally given permission to do so, but when she realizes she never needed it in the first place.” – Lisa Carmen Wang If the world is going to label you a bitch, you might as well be a bad bitch according to Lisa Carmen Wang. …

Sonia Narvaez on Launching Operation QQL to Provide Exceptional Support to Her Clients

Hi Sonia! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: Hello! I am the owner and Operations Strategist at Operation QOL, a BIPOC- and women-owned and operated business that supports altruistic entrepreneurs on their path to greater impact and a higher quality of life. My approach is to assimilate with an organization as…

Grants You Need to Apply to For Your Business!

The FedEx® Entrepreneur Fund Who can apply? Entrepreneurs who have a connection to the military and/or entrepreneurs with disabilities. What you could receive: $10,000 Deadline: October 6, 2023 15th Anniversary Entrepreneurship Who can apply? Any entrepreneur who submits an engaging pitch of up to 1,000 words highlighting your business and how it would benefit from…

How to Plan for the Unpredictable with Emily Cisek

“You want to do everything you want to be everything to everyone. You want to be the perfect founder, but the perfect founder doesn’t exist you need to be authentic and true to yourself and the type of leader you are.” – Emily Cisek Named the 2021 Women Who Mean Business Honoree by the Houston Business…

Courtney Boyer on Starting a Biz of Her Own to Elevate the Dialogue Around Women’s Health and Sexuality

Hi Courtney! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: Hello! I am a relationship and sexuality expert. I was trained as a mental health and sex therapist, life coach, and Reiki Practitioner. Recently, I published the book, “Not Tonight, Honey: Why Women Actually Don’t Want Sex and What We Can Do About…

The Scoop on Building a Business from Scratch with Kim Malek

“Money is always available, you will find it believe it or not, it really is, but finding the right money. It could not be more important.” – Kim Malek Kim Malek is the Co-Founder and CEO of Salt & Straw, an ice cream company that produces and serves boldly unique flavors made by hand, where customers…