Sisters with Ventures

Black Women in VC: Breaking Barriers and Driving Change in the Industry with Qiana Patterson

In the expanding world of venture capital, there are still many hurdles to overcome when it comes to diversity and inclusivity. Our guest, a trailblazing black female Venture Capitalist, shares her experiences navigating the industry and provides valuable insights on how to succeed as a single black female VC. But it's not just about personal success - our guest also believes in creating a more inclusive industry by increasing the number of black women on cap tables. Through her work and experiences, she sheds light on how we can work towards empowering black women founders and creating a more diverse and inclusive space. 

Join the conversation with Qiana Patterson as she shares more about the world of venture capitalists and her journey and transition from teaching to being a venture capitalist. Qiana was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, and is currently living in LA and is an angel investor and venture capitalist. Her first love and joy were being a middle school teacher, which profoundly impacts how she invests and helps founders build world-changing companies.

Tune in!

Key Highlights from the Show

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guests; Qiana Patterson

[02:59] How Lisha and Qiana in Southern California 

[05:04] A bit about Qiana's origin story and how she got to where she’s today 

[07:34] Qiana’s journey from teaching to becoming a venture capitalist 

[10:12] Qiana’s experience as a venture capitalist in the tech space  

[12:34] Angel investment: Qiana’s first Angel investment  

[16:00] Qiana's first cheque and her two-venture capital exist 

[26:20] Qiana’s transition from Tech and angel space to SPV investing

[22:04] What a family office is and Kiana’s partnership in investing in founders of color 

[24:08] How to operate as a single black female VC

[30:00] Qiana’s message to her younger self 

[31:53] How to connect with Qiana and join The Cap Table Coalition 

[34:01] Wrap-up and end of the show

• Invest in what you know, what you are an expert in, and what you feel most confident in writing a cheque for.

• Go in the direction of your dream, even if that dream is not there yet. 

• Black women, we’re less than 1%, but we’re the most innovative and starting more businesses. It’s difficult because of the numbers, but it’s exciting because we forge ahead regardless; we’ve no limit.  

Qiana Patterson

The Cap Table Coalition: https://www.captablecoalition.com/investor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qianapatterson/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/q_i_a_n_a?lang=en

Website: https://www.lishabell.com/

Angel Syndicate Website: www.blxvc.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootedcali/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/belllism

Notable Quotes Let’s ConnectLisha Bell
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