Waverly Deutsch

You can't use AI to screen for names that indicate being a member of the LGBTQ community the way you do for gender research or even BIPOC research where you can triangulate and create a data set that is likely to be made up of people with non-Caucasian heritage. You can't do that. This is a community that has to self-identify.

You can't use AI to screen for names that indicate being a member of the LGBTQ community the way you do for gender research or even BIPOC research where you can triangulate and create a data set that is likely to be made up of people with non-Caucasian heritage. You can't do that. This is a community that has to self-identify.

So you can't say to venture capitalists, how many LGBTQ entrepreneurs do you have in among your portfolio companies? Because they say, how would we know? Unless that entrepreneur has had a direct conversation with them, unless they have self-identified with their investor. It's very difficult to get data.

So you can't say to venture capitalists, how many LGBTQ entrepreneurs do you have in among your portfolio companies? Because they say, how would we know? Unless that entrepreneur has had a direct conversation with them, unless they have self-identified with their investor. It's very difficult to get data.

There's a wonderful group out of Chicago called Blend that is working on diversity in the venture capital community in Chicago. And when they were doing their research, I said, why aren't you asking about LGBTQ entrepreneurs? They said, isn't that intrusive? So we think it's not intrusive to ask about gender.

There's a wonderful group out of Chicago called Blend that is working on diversity in the venture capital community in Chicago. And when they were doing their research, I said, why aren't you asking about LGBTQ entrepreneurs? They said, isn't that intrusive? So we think it's not intrusive to ask about gender.

We think it's not intrusive to ask someone about their marital status or if they have kids, but we think it's intrusive to ask if they identify as LGBTQ. Why? Because there's still a risk in identifying that way. So I said, rather than asking, are you an LGBTQ plus founder? You can ask, Do you choose to publicly identify as an LGBTQ plus founder, right?

We think it's not intrusive to ask someone about their marital status or if they have kids, but we think it's intrusive to ask if they identify as LGBTQ. Why? Because there's still a risk in identifying that way. So I said, rather than asking, are you an LGBTQ plus founder? You can ask, Do you choose to publicly identify as an LGBTQ plus founder, right?

You can ask your venture capitalists, how many self-identified LGBTQ capital entrepreneurs have you funded in your portfolio? We have to rely on self-identification to even collect data in that space. that makes it much harder to know what's happening with their access to resources, with their support, with their outcomes.

You can ask your venture capitalists, how many self-identified LGBTQ capital entrepreneurs have you funded in your portfolio? We have to rely on self-identification to even collect data in that space. that makes it much harder to know what's happening with their access to resources, with their support, with their outcomes.

It's just a very difficult community to support for that reason, because in the US and in many cultures around the world, it's still a risk to come out as LGBTQ. We've seen a huge rise of anti-LGBTQ backlash in this country. Cargit, which has annually done a beautiful collection of products for Pride,

It's just a very difficult community to support for that reason, because in the US and in many cultures around the world, it's still a risk to come out as LGBTQ. We've seen a huge rise of anti-LGBTQ backlash in this country. Cargit, which has annually done a beautiful collection of products for Pride,

gave in to the protests about recognizing pride month and pulled that line of products so there are ramifications in this country to being lgbtq and in many places around the world so it's a difficult group of of entrepreneurs to support so you're right in pride month we should acknowledge that's an area of my personal passion and interest that i hope that wiseheart can make a tiny difference with some of the individuals in that community

gave in to the protests about recognizing pride month and pulled that line of products so there are ramifications in this country to being lgbtq and in many places around the world so it's a difficult group of of entrepreneurs to support so you're right in pride month we should acknowledge that's an area of my personal passion and interest that i hope that wiseheart can make a tiny difference with some of the individuals in that community

That's a great question, and you're 100% right. I'm seeing that in the market right now. Right now in this country, we're going through a very strange time when the markets are at an all-time high. The public markets are at an all-time high, and yet the tech companies are announcing layoffs constantly. Yeah. Valuations for privately held tech companies have fallen off tremendously.

That's a great question, and you're 100% right. I'm seeing that in the market right now. Right now in this country, we're going through a very strange time when the markets are at an all-time high. The public markets are at an all-time high, and yet the tech companies are announcing layoffs constantly. Yeah. Valuations for privately held tech companies have fallen off tremendously.

It's a very strange economy, and you're 100% right that economic situations make a huge difference in the landscape for entrepreneurs of all kinds. And I think I can't answer this question without questioning. acknowledging the incredible privilege that I've had in my life. People hear about the struggles I've gone through and the hard work I've put in, and I honor that. But I was born white,

It's a very strange economy, and you're 100% right that economic situations make a huge difference in the landscape for entrepreneurs of all kinds. And I think I can't answer this question without questioning. acknowledging the incredible privilege that I've had in my life. People hear about the struggles I've gone through and the hard work I've put in, and I honor that. But I was born white,

to a middle class household where I got excellent education and excellent opportunities. And I've been very fortunate to have the kind of career 22 years at a university where I've been able to accumulate a retirement nest egg. I am still able to get health insurance through the university. Albeit I have to pay for it. I am incredibly fortunate and incredible.

to a middle class household where I got excellent education and excellent opportunities. And I've been very fortunate to have the kind of career 22 years at a university where I've been able to accumulate a retirement nest egg. I am still able to get health insurance through the university. Albeit I have to pay for it. I am incredibly fortunate and incredible.