Anne RavanonaCEO & Founder, Global Invest Her · On a mission to get 1M women entrepreneurs funded by 2030 through access to Capital, Customers and Community. Founder & Ceo Global Invest Her, global Advocate and Keynote Speaker

Investor Interview with Sharon Vosmek - CEO of Astia - the global angel community and fund.

24 Jun 2019 · 2 min

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2:09

In this interview, Sharon Vosmek, CEO of Astia, shares personal and professional insights. She reveals a light‑hearted personal fact—she and her husband dance in their living room. She emphasizes that she invests in women‑led companies because she believes in and values women as leaders. When advising women entrepreneurs seeking funding, she stresses the importance of getting to know her, noting that if they approach her they are already 90% of the way there. Her key dos and don’ts focus on remembering that she is a human being and that investing is a personal relationship; the main don’t is to forget her humanity. She also encourages more women to become investors, urging women involved in philanthropy or social‑justice work to consider early‑stage investing, especially in areas like cancer medical‑device innovation. She concludes with a supportive message to entrepreneurs, expressing admiration for them.

Chapters

Sharon, tell us one cool fact about you, something that we don't know already.
My husband and I dance in our living room when we feel like it.
Ooh, I like it! And so Sharon, what would be your key tips to those women entrepreneurs looking for funding? I would say they should get to know me.
I invest in companies that are led by women. I believe in women and I value women as leaders.
So what are the key dos and don'ts, the things that they should do and should absolutely not do if they do approach you? If you approach me, you've already—
you're 90% of the way there. The don't is forgetting that I'm human and that for me investing is very personal. Remember that I'm a person and that I'm investing in you as a person.
That's solid advice because it's true, we tend to not forget that, but people can be very cold. The entrepreneurs can be super fixed on just seeing you as a checkbook on legs. So that's the way I kind of tend to say it. Yeah, sure. So what would you say to encourage other women to become investors?
Because we need more women investors. Absolutely need more women investors. I would be encouraging any woman who is currently involved in philanthropy or other endeavors to support social justice causes or their change the world, whatever they're doing, to think about early-stage investing. For those cancer charities that you're donating to, there are 200 cancer medical device companies who are coming up with new treatments, new methods, new therapies for cancer, and it's a great way to be connected to that innovation that needs to, to get to market.
And what would be your parting message, the last key thing you'd like people to, to know, to be inspired? You know, my parting message is this: for entrepreneurs, I adore you.
For investors, come join me. This is change-the-world stuff, and it feels great.