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  • #131: Olivia Owens, Creator and General Manager of IFundWomen of Color and Head of Partnerships at IFundWomen, a Platform for Female Entrepreneurs to Raise Capital Through Crowdfunding

#131: Olivia Owens, Creator and General Manager of IFundWomen of Color and Head of Partnerships at IFundWomen, a Platform for Female Entrepreneurs to Raise Capital Through Crowdfunding

August 03, 2020

Olivia Owens is the Creator & General Manager of IFundWomen of Color, the platform for women of color to raise capital through crowdfunding, grants, coaching, and the connections needed to launch and grow successful businesses. This funding ecosystem is designed to empower early-stage, women entrepreneurs and bridge the funding gap for women of color.

Olivia was a founding team member of IFundWomen and managed Business Development and Partnerships. IFundWomen launched in 2016 and continues to help women raise millions of dollars in capital.

Before launching IFundWomen of Color, Olivia’s leadership brokered critical partnerships to help scale the business (GirlBoss, adidas, Visa). She supported the creation of IFundWomen’s proprietary coaching program and helped build-out one of the nation’s largest connected communities of women business owners through the platform.

Olivia previously held positions at Under Armour in People & culture. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland.

Connect with Olivia Owens

Some of the Topics Covered by Olivia Owens in this Episode

  • What is IFundWomen

  • Why Olivia launched IFundWomen of Color

  • The variety of companies and projects IFundWomen supports

  • The first steps IFundWomen uses to coach its entrepreneurs

  • The funding gap for women founders, particularly women of color, and why crowdfunding is an essential tool

  • The services IFundWomen provides

  • Launching IFundWomen of Color and the particular challenges women entrepreneurs of color face

  • How they are spreading the word about IFundWomen

  • The ultimate vision and business model of IFundWomen of Color

  • What lessons Olivia has learned since launching IFundWomen of Color in January 2020, and particularly navigating the COVID-19 pandemic

  • What's next for IFund Women and IFundWomen of Color

  • Who IFundWomen serves

  • Getting entrepreneurs to understand the value of crowdfunding

  • How crowdfunding can be used at different stages of a business

  • What entrepreneurs should be thinking about as they launch their business

  • Books and resources Olivia recommends

  • How Olivia manages her time day to day

  • How Olivia recharges away from work

  • Olivia's advice for entrepreneurs

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