Funding and Investing in Women of Color with Arian Simone of Fearless Fund

Arian Simone is the Co-founder and CEO of Fearless Fund, the first venture capital firm built by women of color for women of color. She served as the CEO of AR PR Marketing until the firm’s acquisition in 2016, while in 2010—driven by a mission of inspiring millennial women entrepreneurs—Arian founded Fearless Magazine and the Fearless Platform. A philanthropist, serial entrepreneur, and angel investor with over 17 years of experience, Arian received her Master of Business Administration degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. She is also the author of several books including The Fearless Money Mindset and My Fabulous & Fearless Journey.

Arian joins us today to describe how she co-founded Fearless Fund. She shares how her childhood experiences shaped her work ethic and describe how her optimism helped her overcome challenging times. She enumerates the different factors and indicators investors consider when choosing a business or entrepreneur to invest in. She outlines how Entreprenistas can take their first steps in the venture capital world and start investing in other businesses. Arian also underscores the role of patience in entrepreneurship and highlights the value of building a team from the top.

“We need more women and people of color on the investor side to make capital more diversified.” – Arian Simone

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, 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!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

• Arian’s background and Entreprenista origin story
• Her experience in product placement and how optimism kept her going through challenging times
• How Arian started networking with people in venture capital
• Why entrepreneurs need to think about their ideal investor
• Building a business for acquisition and Arian’s experience running a PR agency
• How Entreprenistas can start in the venture capital world
• What it means to build your team from the top down
• Working with an advisory board while being on a budget
• The types of companies Arian and the Fearless Fund invest in
• The different indicators investors look for in entrepreneurs
• The role of patience in the life of an Entreprenista
• How Arian learned about the importance of well-being and self-care

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: The Self-Aware Leader: Play to Your Strengths, Unleash Your Team by John Maxwell
• Book: Happy Days by Gabrielle Bernstein

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “Hone in on what your ideal investor looks like. Don’t waste time speaking to people who won’t buy what you’re selling.” – Arian Simone
• “There are some acquisition offers that should be accepted, and some declined. Know where your sweet spot is.” – Arian Simone
• “Investing in women of color is the right move for business, not the right move for social impact—it just happens to be a social impact.” – Arian Simone

Connect with Arian Simone:

• Arian Simone
• The Fearless Fund
• Book: The Fearless Money Mindset: Broke Doesn’t Scare Me
• Book: My Fabulous & Fearless Journey
• Book: Fearless Faith + Hustle: 21-Day Devotional Journey
• Fearless Fund on LinkedIn
• Fearless Fund on Instagram
• Fearless Fund on Facebook
• Fearless Fund on Twitter
• Arian Simone on LinkedIn
• Arian Simone on Instagram
• Arian Simone on Facebook
• Arian Simone on Twitter
• Email: [email protected]

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

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, and 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 your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

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!

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Become An Entreprenista!

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