The First 200 Edit

Building a venture-backed company doesn't always begin with a pitch deck. Sometimes it begins with an experience that makes you realize the system isn't working the way it should. For Ashlee Wisdom, Co-Founder and CEO of Health In Her HUE, that experience came after years working inside the healthcare system. While attending NYU to pursue a Master's in Public Health and working at leading healthcare institutions, she witnessed firsthand how Black women were treated differentl

Building a venture-backed company doesn't always start with fundraising. Sometimes it starts with solving a problem you've personally experienced. For Crystal Etienne, founder and CEO of Ruby Love, that problem was something millions of women deal with every month: feeling comfortable while on their periods. Frustrated by traditional menstrual products and the lack of innovation in the space, she sketched an idea for underwear that could securely hold a pad without discomfort

Building a venture-backed startup often begins with solving a problem you've experienced firsthand. For Vanessa Rissetto, that problem wasn't a lack of nutrition expertise, it was realizing that quality nutrition care had become a luxury reserved for wealthy patients while millions of Americans with insurance couldn't access registered dietitians. While working as a clinical dietitian at Mount Sinai, Rissetto watched high-end nutrition practices charge thousands of dollars fo

Building a venture-backed startup often begins with solving a problem you've experienced firsthand. For Tanya Van Court, that problem was realizing that even after graduating from Stanford University with two engineering degrees, no one had taught her how to manage money. After beginning her career in Silicon Valley during the dot-com boom, Van Court watched nearly $1 million in company stock disappear almost overnight when the tech bubble burst. The experience became a turni

Building a venture-backed startup often begins with solving a problem you've experienced firsthand. For Cheraé Robinson, that problem was the way Africa was marketed to the world. After years working in global health with organizations like the CDC and CARE, Robinson traveled extensively across the African continent. She quickly realized that the travel experiences she was having—through local artists, chefs, entrepreneurs, and creatives—were nearly impossible for others to d

For Tiffany Dufu, becoming one of the first Black women founders in the United States to raise more than $1 million in venture capital wasn't the result of one pitch meeting or one breakthrough. It was built over years of non-profit fundraising experience, an unwavering commitment to advancing women, and a deep belief that success is never achieved alone. Before founding The Crew, a peer coaching platform that matched ambitious women into accountability groups, Dufu had alrea