Legendary

Cokie Roberts. Photo by Lionel Delavigne.

Last week 17 women founders raised over $1 billion dollars for their companies. Precisely, $1,165,715,000. 

Also notable, four companies raised $100 million and above:

• Reshma Shetty at Gingko Bioworks

• Eva Shang at Legalist

• Jennifer Parke at Fair

• J. Jean Cui at Turning Point Therapeutics

Deal flow is following growth opportunities in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, software as a service, and consumer food, health and beauty. The past two weeks have also seen investments in value-based health care technology. View the week’s funding update. And be sure to sign up for Underwire’s weekly newsletter to get deeper insights into the funding founders and companies.

Last week also brought news of the death of Cokie Roberts, journalist, author, political correspondent and commentator. Her deep, raspy voice comforted me for as long as I've been paying attention to news and politics. Her commentary was always objective, no-nonsense and illuminating. 

I first heard it in a blip on NPR. Cokie Roberts had died from breast cancer. I was in my car, driving to catch an early train. My chest and sinuses tightened. Tears welled in my eyes. Done in by the boobs. 

Cokie Roberts was among my circle of Baba Yagas, wise women who've seen shit and know the way the world works. Women like Nina Totenberg, Terry Gross and Krista Tippett. These are a few of the high-profile women who help me process events and better understand humans. 

In reading quotes from The Washington Post and The New York Times obituaries, I saw how Cokie's journey through politics and media paralleled that of other professional women, myself included. 

Cokie was a lifelong mentor to female journalists. "Duck and file," she advised aspiring female reporters. "Just do your work and get it on the air." 

Cokie worked for competing new organizations ABC News and NPR at the same time. She was a true professional, avoiding stories where there might be a conflict of interest. When The Post asked her about this in 1993 she said, "I think it's a woman's talent. Being able to do two things at once." 

In 1992, on record for The Los Angeles Times, Cokie talked about the impact of sexism in the workplace: 

"We had people tell us all along the way that we weren't qualified to deliver the news, that we weren't authoritative enough. We would have meetings with men in high positions and find their hands on our knees. We would have invitations from those people to hotel rooms. All kinds of propositions. Insults they didn't consider insults."

She added, and this is what's still true today, "Those assaults make a difference in terms of how you think about yourself. Maybe they're right, you begin to think. Maybe I'm not authoritative. Maybe I'm not smart enough. And then you say to yourself, 'God, I went to the same schools as those guys. I have the same education as they do. What's the problem? Why am I asked how many words a minute I can type when the guy next to me can't type at all?'" 

That was 27 years ago. At that time, I was a young woman in advertising. My boss used to come into my cubicle without asking and massage my shoulders while I worked at my desk. On more than one occasion he asked if I'd like to go camping with him. Or would I like for him to teach me how to fly-fish? Another male superior, my creative director, once mentioned in a hallway conversation that I should wear a tight turtleneck to the next creative review so my ideas would be taken more seriously. 

I never reported those incidents. Like Cokie said, you begin to think. My ideas aren't good enough. I don't deserve to ask for more. Or for improvements to the way we work. 

Fortunately, I didn't let these bastards grind me down. I found a better job in a new city. But that early experience did contribute to an ongoing battle with anxiety. 

So, legends. Rest in peace, Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs Roberts. What a glorious name. What an epic role model. 

Duck and keep doing the work.

Shoulders open, firm grip on the microphone. Cokie Roberts owns the room.

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Also legendary...

If you're in the Seattle area, block out the evening of October 17.

Onstage at Seattle Center's PACCAR IMAX Theater, you can witness a beautiful thing: an entire accelerator cohort of women-led companies. Brought to you by the Female Founders Alliance and their Ready Set Raise national startup accelerator. 

This is a fun event where you get to see eight women or non-binary founders pitch their business models to a sold out crowd. How often does that happen?!? Don't be shy, last year's event featured an open, friendly crowd and great food. 

RSVP & tickets

Here's the 2019 lineup:

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It's time

You see that stick figure yogini above? She's doing a balance pose. I don't know the name of it. I just know that it rattles my confidence unless I'm totally grounded and in the moment. It's not easy to stand on one leg, hold the other leg up in the air, out to the side, and keep your balance. Kinda like how I feel right now about the Fall yoga retreat. 

I'll be real, I'm wobbly. We're one month out. Sign ups so far are making me go hmmmm. It could be that I suck at event promotion. Which I do. I'm not on Facebook and barely on Instagram.

So I'm asking for help. Use this link to share the event on your socials. If you're planning to come, please sign up now. 

This is the real deal. Awesome yoga teacher, food, location. All women, so you can skip the makeup. Throw you hair in a ponytail and pull on your rattiest yoga pants. Just come and be the real you. Let's make this happen. Hugs and love. 

Fall Female Founders Yoga Retreat
Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019
8:30 am - 5 pm

Book your place

Aug Ifs: Heart at Work

If Megan Rapinoe were CEO

No imposter syndrome here.

Before the memory of the awesomeness of Megan Rapinoe fades into the next up-with-women surge in the news cycle, take 60 minutes and listen to Kara Swisher's interview with her on Recode Decode.

In this podcast, Megan says this:

“I deserve this. I want everything.”

...which has me considering which font to use if I tattoo that statement on the inside of my forearm. To go with with my Melody Ehsani power ring.

In the podcast, Megan also talks about:

• Where her confidence comes from

• How she markets herself

• The importance of celebrating wins

• The need for equal investment of a revenue-positive market segment that wants, and will buy, more of the "product" (WTF...why the patriarchy can't go where the money is just continues to baffle me...women buy all the shit, dudes!)

• How the only option is to be LOUD to get more money

Listen to Recode Decode episode here, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And I have to say how much I love Megan's "pose" pictured above. I know it's a meme, and for damn good reason. She owns her power on the biggest stage of them all.

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If push comes to product-market fit

If you've got an idea for a business or a new revenue stream, the Female Founders Alliance and Pioneer Square Labs are giving you the perfect challenge to test it. Huzzah for the FFA Female Founder Challenge.

With the accountability of your friends and some hefty brainpower, you can sprint test a business idea with real customers. Put in the work and you'll know in 30 days if your idea is viable enough to go all-in. This could save you YEARS of your life flailing on a bunk business model.

All you gotta do is give FFA your email address and they'll give you content, workshops and office hours with the team at Pioneer Square Labs, a startup studio that's launched 15 companies from the Lab in 4 years.

This challenge is open to all entrepreneurs. Sign up here. It starts on September 1.

P.S. This is a sweet marketing tactic to get more email newsletter subscribers for both FFA and Pioneer Square Labs.

P.P.S. I'm in on the challenge. I'm curious to see how valuable the support is, and to test an idea for the Female Founder Funding Update. I'll share what I learn.

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If soul works

I'm fascinated by founders who fold moments of grace into their companies. I'll never forget how Alyssa Leinonen, CEO of Gourmondo, creates flexible work schedules so that her employees can drop off and pick up school-age children.

That's compassion in action. It takes a strong will for a founder to say, "We're going to do things differently for our people."

For Seattle area readers, the upcoming Compassionate Leadership Summit is an opportunity to learn from some of the most enlightened thinkers and teachers on workplace compassion. It runs November 8-9, 2019 at The Hub at the University of Washington.

What you can expect:

• The summit's vision is a world in which awareness, justice, inclusivity and compassion guide our actions as a society (yes, please)

• Bringing together leaders from various sectors, including corporations, non-profits, government, healthcare, education and communities of faith (good intersectional networking)

• Presenters are visionaries, teachers, cultural trailblazers and creators who represent diverse applications of compassion and mindfulness (notables include Karen Guzak, the owner of our Fall Yoga Retreat facility, and Joel and Michelle Levey, powerful teachers on how to be more mindful in your workday)

• The event is designed to share tools, best practices and methods with interactive learning sessions (a cost-effective way to learn for small businesses)

• Co-hosted by UW Undergraduate Women in Business

Plus, I have discount codes:

Sign up for the summit here. First come, first served on the discounts, so act fast:

• 2D15 15% off the 2-day admission (save $60)

• 1D15 15% off the 1-day admission (save $30 )

If your company wants to sponsor this event, please email Ryan Crowther.

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If underutilizing your email sig

Above is the email signature for Karly Siroky of Karma Design. This is the best email signature I've seen. Ever.

Smiling face — nice typography — warm color palette — hmmm, this looks like person who goes above and beyond — just what I want in a business partner — yes, I'll click on those social buttons to learn more about you, Karly Siroky.

Damn that's good.

Karly showcases why this is a genius brand touchpoint. If you want an email signature like this, Karly has offered to give you instructions. Email Karly.

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If Fall feels anxious

I grapple with anxiety. On the order of the 3 a.m. wake up, the to-do list multiplying, can't go back to sleep. The Sunday evening curtain of impending doom. The Instagram poison pill, my family-marriage-kid-house-vacation-style aren't good enough, and why do I just want to buy everything in my feed?

Then comes September. Every year it happens, the intensity ratchets up as the light and warmth of the summer fade. The school bell rings again and the routine tightens. So do the shoulders and neck, and maybe the heart, just a little, as if the Universe knows annual goals need to be met, or else. Or else, what?

I've been reading The Wisdom of Anxiety by Sheryl Paul of Conscious Transitions. This passage from her books is why I'm hosting the Fall yoga retreat:

“...When you walk through a transition consciously, you’re given a potent opportunity to shed a layer of mindsets, beliefs, patterns, and habits that are contributing to your anxiety.”

Let's walk through the Fall transition together. What are your intrusive thoughts? How are they holding you back in business? I'm learning to let go. Join me. Learn more about the October 20, 2019 retreat.