Founder of SheEO empowers women business leaders to thrive through radical generosity
She witnessed a “troubling lack of generosity” that creates a very isolating experience for female entrepreneurs and SheEO is trying to change that
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Vicki Saunders , founder of SheEO describes herself as the “original millennial.” Unlike many other business leaders of her generation, she’s always believed it’s possible to “do good” and be successful at the same time.
“I had that special gift of looking at things differently, as a lot of entrepreneurs do,” she says. “Why would you just go out to make as much money as you can, greedily, and hold on to it? That just never made sense to me. I’ve always been obsessed with how you can create a better world.”
Saunders’ spirit of generosity is a natural extension of her upbringing. Her parents created Saunders Farms near Ottawa, ON, Canada, an enterprise she calls a “rethinking of agriculture,” which was rooted in a sense of community, where people “would do almost anything for you, and you would do the same for them.” She realized at an early age that a society based on these types of relationships, instead of a more transactional mindset, would enable everyone to succeed while making the world a better place.
However, as a serial entrepreneur who spent years in the technology space, she witnessed firsthand what she describes as a “troubling lack of generosity” that creates a very isolating experience for female entrepreneurs.
“This is something in particular that I notice with women,” Saunders says. “We are just so cultured, from the moment we are born, to be good, be quiet, be perfect, not ask questions, put your head down and do it yourself. Although I think all entrepreneurs feel alone sometimes, it’s especially prevalent for female entrepreneurs.”
She knew something had to change – that’s when the idea for SheEO began to take shape.
“As I tried to get underneath what is missing in the business world, it was really the sense of: if we were generous with each other, if you imagined that people would support you if you asked, how might you dream differently?”
Founded in 2015, SheEO redefines the venture capital model for female entrepreneurs, creating a worldwide support network of like-minded professionals who empower each other to dream big and achieve success through “radical generosity.”
Here’s how the SheEO website describes it:
The model brings together 500 women (called Activators) in each year’s cohort, who contribute $1100 each as an Act of Radical Generosity. The money is pooled together and loaned out at zero percent interest to five women-led Ventures selected by the Activators. All Ventures are revenue generating with export potential and are creating a better world through their business model or their product and service. The loans are paid back over five years and then loaned out again, creating a perpetual fund which can be passed on to daughters, nieces and granddaughters. The 500 women Activators in each cohort become the de-facto ‘team’ of the five selected Ventures bringing their buying power as early customers, their expertise and advice and their vast networks to help grow the businesses.