It's that time of year when bells are ringing, bringing joy, celebration and gratitude as the wedding season kicks off in the US. But the bell I had the honor of ringing last Friday didn't signal a wedding - it signified reaching a momentous milestone as visionary leaders and Limited Partners of the How Women Invest venture capital fund and its sister non-profit, How Women Lead, rang the Closing Bell at NASDAQ. The excitement was electric, energy intense, and photographers everywhere capturing special moments. It was a whirlwind of well-wishers and incessant directions on where to go and what to do.
Ringing the bell at NASDAQ was an experience unlike any other - I was brimming with a mix of emotions and though it wasn't a wedding, it certainly felt like one! I was grinning ear-to-ear like the proud Mom of the Bride-to-Be. You've invested decades of time, energy and influence in raising your child, and now you're hoping (praying, pleading & begging) that everything goes smoothly. You may not be the center of her universe anymore, but you're still an important part of the celebration. You're told where to stand, sit, walk and wait, and feel like a kid trying to sneak away to take pics & selfies, caught in a constant flow of congratulations and (air) hugs with everyone you encounter.
To back up to the week prior to the bell ringing, I was trekking the NW Tasmanian wilderness chasing the most adorable Koala's & 'Roos when NASDAQ gave the green Iight for this once in a lifetime opportunity - what could I do but immediately jump on several long-haul flights, starting from Hobart…
…to Sydney, proudly sporting my How Women Lead hoodie at its famed Opera House.
And of course at their renowned Harbor Bridge shimmering in sunset splendor …
Racing through Hong Kong before sunrise the next day…
Finally reached NYC’s JFK, after a 40+ hour train, plane, ferry & auto journey, phew!
Leading up to this magical day, we wanted to ensure that our biggest supporters and LPs who have been instrumental in driving our vision, were included in the festivities. The Wednesday before the bell ringing, we launched our "The New Table (TNT) Campaign” to mobilize 10,000 women to unlock their economic power and commit to investing in Venture by 2025, which doubles the venture capital female founders receive.
I'm thrilled to launch our TNT campaign “across the pond” in Paris at the first female Venture Capital investor gathering in Europe - InvestHer's Summit, where we are laser-focused on mobilizing 1 Million Female Founders funded by 2030, and building a global coalition to make it happen. You can find more info about the summit here: https://www.investhersummit.com/about, led by the fierce & fearless Anna Ravanona.
Now back to the pre-Bell celebration, we hosted an intimate dinner for those who have been with us from the beginning, including new folks who jumped on board with full enthusiasm. It was a heartwarming opportunity to connect with our champions outside of Zoomatopia and reflect on our journey so far. We felt incredibly fortunate to be together at this momentous occasion as we launched into "The New Table" Campaign.
The Night Before…
My visit to NYC was made even more poignant when I strolled by my former law firm located in the heart of Rockefeller Center as I had fantasized about working at this law firm ever since I entered law school. I was honored to practice for over a decade as a Trial Attorney in Patent Litigation at the oldest, most renowned patent law firm in the world (which patented flight for the Wright Bros., electricity for Ben Franklin, telephone for Graham Bell, etc.)
I vividly remember like it was yesterday taking the elevator down from our penthouse offices on the 49th floor, leaving behind its breathtaking vistas, after deciding to quit my job at the most prestigious "white shoe" patent law firm in the world, to have more flexibility to spend meaningful time raising my toddler son. This firm prided itself on hiring exclusively from The Ivies, not a female South Asian law graduate on a merit scholarship at The University of Iowa like me. It was a high-risk, very bold move – yes, heart-thumpingly scary for a gal raised in traditional South Asian cultural mores to be a doctor, engineer, or math professor, and also marry one for "safekeeping" – to cofound my first LegalTech startup. Now being back in NYC to rally female investors to support the journeys of other female founders, including women of color, felt like a complete full-circle moment. From a Patent Litigator to a Serial Entrepreneur to a Venture Capitalist, my own journey had reached a pinnacle at NASDAQ.
Oddly quirky to see ice skating in the middle of sizzling NYC summer heat:
The Big Day!
The BIG Day was finally here! None of us slept much the night before – way too excited, waiting for Friday to arrive like kids waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve!
Noon - “Game DAY”
Get up, Get TV-Ready & Suit Up! We were gathering for lunch near Times Square, and the energy was electrifying as the room buzzed with palpable anticipation. Cindy Worthington, our Head of Investor Relations, inspired us with her wisdom and wit – very much needed as we were all too excited (and afraid of smearing our lipstick;)) to eat.
The whole gang was there including our incomparable COO, Nicole Stiles, who led the charge in gathering all of us effortlessly (though more like herding cats) while virtually choreographing her marriage in less than ten days (won't she make a radiant bride?). Go Nicole Go!
And the eternally-organized, charming Liz Mabey from Knoxville, also from Investor Relations, keeping us all on track.
Some more pictures of this spectacular gathering!
2:00 pm – It's a Manhattan Monsoon!
After lunch, with the torrential downpour and the elusive sun still hiding, we dashed through Times Square as fast as our heels and dress suits allowed (sans umbrellas), skillfully maneuvering through the bustling traffic and tourists. Amidst the chaos, one thing was clear: we needed to make our way to the NASDAQ building. But once we arrived, we found ourselves wondering, "What do we do now?"
So there we stood, soaked hair going from TV-perfect to the dreaded drowned-rat look, as we approached the front door. We confidently greeted the security guard, "Hi, we're from How Women Invest & How Women Lead, and we're here to ring the bell." I mean, what else could we say? The response came as no surprise, a placid "Photo IDs, please." With IDs in hand, we were granted access and through the door we went.
Inside the lobby, we mingled with a sense of anticipation, each of us trying our best to dry off and look presentable. Despite not having clear direction, we relied on one another for support, lending a helping hand to dry off, laughing joyfully (nervously?).
15 minutes later, a woman with a headset came to escort us upstairs.
2:30 PM – Always time for freshening up!
We were escorted to a TV studio space encircled by a reception area and platform. As some of us went on stage to capture the moment with photos, others calmed their nerves with refreshments. Gradually, small groups began to gather, and a photographer started taking pictures. The energy was palpable when the incomparable Julie Castro Abrams, GP of How Women Invest & CEO of How Women Lead, took center stage and received a thunderous standing ovation!
3 PM – “Game TIME”!
As we look around in awe & wonder, video cameras are constantly moving, whirring, capturing our every move.
Then Jill Blackford, Program Manager for Purpose and the Nasdaq Foundation joins us, cheers us on, and highlights how NASDAQ champions game-changing, trailblazing companies like How Women Invest & How Women Lead.
Then our very own living legend, the unstoppable Julie Castro Abrams, takes the grand stage. With a spirited, adrenaline-pumping, hair-raising, air-bumping call to action, she vehemently declares that we will NO longer wait for a seat at the table. It's time to claim our seat at "The New Table" we are building at How Women Invest. This movement is empowered by the 20,000 executive women who drive How Women Lead!
Then the Founding LPs who were with us from the launch of HWI Fund 1 three+ years ago take the stage with JCA, including the brilliantly elegant and unabashedly visible Nicole White, who along with me, serves on our 3 person Limited Partner Advisory Committee ("LPAC") at How Women Invest.
Christine Bui, our 3rd LPAC member, was leading the charge at her Vietnamese-centric Venture Capital firm – Kylan Ventures – can you guess where? In Saigon, of course!
Then Heather Jerrehian, the visionary CEO of our Future of Work portfolio company, Hitch Works (acquired by ServiceNow in ‘22), shared the stage with Julie.
Next, the eternally joyous powerhouse, Nancy Sheppard, sheds her bright light as she “sheppards” female executives on how to launch their corporate board director journeys at How Women Lead. Check out the next 5-workshop series starting July 14th, if you are ready to learn how to become a corporate board director here.
Don’t you think that Nancy could be a TV news anchor at the drop of a hat? :)
Then the brilliant & bodacious award-winning Forbes journalist, cheerleader extraordinaire of underrepresented entrepreneurs, Founder & President of Ventureneer, Geri Stengel, rocked the main stage with Julie.
3:30 PM Move into the Studio
Downstairs, we are ushered into a TV studio with floor to ceiling glass walls facing Times Square. It feels like anyone out there can peek right in to watch the bell ringing. The room is round, filled with cameras, and the back wall displays TV screens rotating famous brands and their stocks on Nasdaq.
We're given instructions on the order of speakers: CEO/LPs first, followed by the board, then the executive team, and the rest fill in from there. We have a practice run with plenty of cheering, which is recorded for social media. Meanwhile, our group is packed tightly together, having a great time and marveling at the whole experience.
After a couple more speeches, we're brought back on stage. We're instructed to cheer... then cheer louder... and cheer longer, for several minutes. The louder we are, the better chance we have of getting picked up by news stations for broadcasting. We glimpse the TVs showing various channels and eventually, all 4 news stations feature us. Before we know it, the countdown begins: 7... 6... 5... (what happened to 10, 9 and 8?) 4... 3... 2... 1…! Then it's all just a blur!
4:15 PM – Outside we go!
We are swiftly ushered outside into Times Square, where the skyscrapers surrounding us proudly display our bright red "The New Table" campaign across multiple stories. We quickly move to the designated area for professional group photos in front of the NASDAQ and Times Square screens.
As our pictures begin to appear on the big screen, we stand there mesmerized, cheering and marveling at this miraculous sight. I try to capture as many photos as I can while the pictures rapidly flip through.
Phenomenal Founders of our portfolio companies also came to cheer us on– Winsome Kirton, CEO & Founder at Heard.io enabling corporates to “Discover, Support And Track Spend with ESG-Aligned Business Communities” (right) & Lauren Foundos, Founder & CEO at FORTË “building end-to-end branded digital solution for gyms and studios” (left). After all, aren't these entrepreneurs the raison d’etre that makes this ALL worthwhile?
4:30 pm – It's Celebration Time!
With the ceremonies behind us, our friends, family and team members can join us as we gather inside and admire the mesmerizing flashing images on the 5-story screens in Times Square. As we wait for what comes next, we easily get distracted by the enormous jumbotron-like screens showcasing pictures of us. We can even touch the screens and email the images to ourselves. Cameras are everywhere, and to my surprise, I discover that we're being live-streamed when friends start texting me hilarious screenshots of me – this one appears to be a crowd-fave, a definite “keeper”;) LOL!
Could a gal ask for a more “strategically” placed window emblazoned across her forehead several stories high, and in Times Square nevertheless?
My most memorable moment came when my son, Deven Ramachandran (indulge me in a Momma brag – recent Mathematical Finance & Econ Grad, and as Team Captain led his Seton Hall University’s D1 Golf Team to victory, winning the Big East Conference Title in 2022), walked through the NASDAQ door completely surprising me!
Now a 1st year analyst at JPMorgan working the requisite long-hours, was granted permission at the last minute by his thoughtful MD in their Greenwich, CT office to leave early on Friday, with the caveat he would handle a client meeting virtually. He grabbed an Uber all the way down from Connecticut while on client call the entire way sitting in Friday traffic for 2+hours to applaud us on the NASDAQ platform.
And Hats Off to my sweetest friend, Arti Dua at NASDAQ, who helped secure a spot for him at the last minute to make this magical, “once-in-a-lifetime” moment happen – now and forever tattooed on my brain.
Now my son thinks his Mom is kinda cool – even earned a special posting on the sacred grounds of his Instagram (here with Julie). Yes, definitely a Proud Mama moment!
As we rang the closing bell at NASDAQ with investors & board members who traveled from across the globe to come together, there was an abundance of joy, laughter and pride, with tears streaming as we hugged each other in pure ecstasy! “It was a dream of a lifetime” was a common refrain. I was bursting with hope for our future, and for our children and grandchildren—we are the proverbial tipping point. And as Julie so aptly summarized, “Together we have enough and we can build our own table. Together, we have stayed determined and unabashedly visible and we were on the world stage”!
In conclusion, for a young venture firm like How Women Invest and it’s non-profit, How Women Lead, it was a thrilling experience to ring the closing bell. Most of all, we thank each of you for reading the evolution of our journey from launching our first venture fund to the NASDAQ floor, and for joining hands to influence gender parity, equality and women’s financial empowerment.
After our The New Table launch last week, the world was watching. Momentum is building and it is powerful! 500 women have taken the pledge in the last week to start their venture investing journey. Our goal is 10,000 women and it is a viral campaign.
Just like getting on corporate boards is now a common conversation (it took ten years and we wrote the play book), we want everyone to start talking about how investing in venture is a power play for women across the globe. YOU are CRITICAL!!
Won’t you join me in accelerating building The New Table? Email me at Lata@howwomeninvest.com for more information.
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