Naseem SayaniInvestor | Innovator | Ecosystem Builder | Board Director

Bias Isn't Personal #femalefounders #podcast #venturecapital #startupfunding #thecapitalflex

Name: Bias Isn't Personal #femalefounders #podcast #venturecapital #startupfunding #thecapitalflex
Uploaded: 2026-03-04T16:30:16+00:00
Duration: 1 min 24 s
Channel: Naseem Sayani
Description: In this podcast excerpt, a female founder and CEO recounts her experience with a women’s startup group that promised investment connections in exchange…

4 Mar 2026 · 1 min

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1:24

In this podcast excerpt, a female founder and CEO recounts her experience with a women’s startup group that promised investment connections in exchange for equity. She admits she handed over equity without proper vetting, only to discover the group’s leader had falsified credentials and failed to deliver any funding, leaving members exploited. The founder uses the story to raise awareness, expressing embarrassment for trusting the group but noting that many women have faced similar scams. She emphasizes that promises of easy or guaranteed fundraising are red flags, advising listeners to be skeptical of anyone claiming they can secure money quickly or effortlessly, as such claims often indicate a lack of industry understanding or dishonesty.

Chapters

When I started in venture capital, like I don't come from a wealthy family or even like deep business connections. There was actually a women's startup group that I joined and the person running it promised a lot, investment connections. Basically what happened was in order to be a part of that, you had to give some equity of your company up. And so without vetting, I gave some equity of the company, but then it turned out that person had falsified some of their credentials. And weren't doing things the appropriate way, weren't raising appropriately, wasn't talking about raising appropriately, and everyone in the group did not get what was promised and were taken advantage of. And part of me being on this podcast and talking about this is raising awareness about it, 'cause I think part of me as a CEO is a little embarrassed that I trusted somebody that I probably shouldn't have. But talking with more and more women, it's like, it happens to a lot. Everyone's been through something like this. It, It happens all the time. How, how does someone spot the red flag? People who promise a lot. Building a business is hard. Raising money is hard. Anybody who tells you, I'm gonna get you the money in 6 months, or, you know, this is gonna be easy, no problem, either doesn't understand the industry or is lying. Anytime anyone tells me it's easy or it's going to be easy, that is a red flag.