TheVCindustryhascomeunderscrutinyrecentlyasseveralstoriesofsexualharassmentandinappropriatebehaviortowardwomenhaveemerged.Thisbehaviorisunacceptableineverypossibleway. However,totrulyaddressthisproblem,wehavetoacknowledgethelargerissueofgenderbiaswithinourculture,whichunfortunatelyisoftenconscious,deliberate,andsystematic.Itsickensmeanditneedstoend.Andendingitalsoneedsaconscious,deliberate,andsystematiceffortVenetianMacao.WhileIapplaudsomeearly effortstoaddressthisissue(includingReidHoffman’sdecencypledge),wecandobetter. Ourgoalshouldn’tbetosimply preventcreepsfromunfairlyusingthepowerimbalancebetweenfoundersandinvestorsVPNService.Over400thousandprotestorsparticipatedintheNYCWomen’sMarchonJan.21,2017inresistancetoUSPresidentDonaldTrump.(Photo:BritWorgan/GettyImages)Weneedtohonestlyreflectuponwhatweknowempiricallytobetrueaboutourindustry–welackwomeninvestors,wedon’tinvestenoughinwomenentrepreneurs,andwithinourportfolios,specificallyfortechnologycompanies,wehaveaproblemwhenitcomestohiring,promoting,andpayingwomenequally.Thedecencypledgeisabareminimum;itequatestobeingthetallestbonsai,andinthelandofRedwoods,that’snotenough.Weshouldbepledgingtostandtallandcreateasupportiveandequalenvironmentforwomen.Asaventurecommunitywehavetheopportunityand,infact,theobligationtobebetter. Asleadersweneedtobeintrospectiveandtoalwaysbeevolving.Asthegroupfundingthenextroundofcompanies,weneedtobeconsciousofhowweleadandwhatmessagewe’resendingtothenextgenerationofworkersbusinesscentre.WehavetobedeliberateandsystematicinourefforttoCHANGEhowthingsaretoday.Weallwanttobebetterineverythingwearedoing–andaddressingthegenderimbalanceshouldbenodifferent.Andtothatpoint,youshouldbeabletoaskANYVCwhattheyaredoingaboutit,andtheyshouldhaveananswer.BecauseweKNOWthisisaproblem,andifyouaren’ttryingtocorrectit,thenyouareconsciousinyourdecisiontoleavethingsastheyare.
