5 Lessons From 5 Years of Building the Financial Feminist Economy

2024 is a milestone year for The51.

We celebrated our fifth birthday: five years of being in the market, five years of uplifting more women investors, five years of investing in women-led ventures, and five years of building the Financial Feminist™ economy with our community.

Throughout those years, some of the standout lessons include:

Any action is better than inaction

If you are committed to a vision and feel that you can make a difference, get started with what you have, with where you are, and leverage the community and brilliant minds around you. You don’t have to have all the skills or knowledge on your own, and timing will never be perfect.

If you haven’t heard the origin story of The51… It all started with 75 women gathered in Shelley’s kitchen in March 2019.

How did they get there? Our co-founders, Shelley Kuipers, Judy Fairburn, and Alice Reimer, noticed they came across the same challenges during their separate careers as entrepreneurs and investors: existing venture capital systems were rarely investing in women entrepreneurs or, if they were, it was largely being looked at as a bit of charitable exercise; there was no real intention that women could drive a return on investment. And on the other side, they saw very few women being invited to the table as investors.

So they thought, “Wouldn’t it be an extraordinary opportunity to have a fund just for women?” and 75 women in a kitchen have become a community of 25,000+ strong today.

Stay curious and protect your values

To stay inspired and keep on top of the ever-evolving capital landscape, actively listen to other points of views and don't just stay in your bubble of a narrative that may not represent the bigger picture. Be prepared to unlearn and relearn, but also be sure you're debating your perspective and protecting what’s important to you.

Know who you’re working with

Always ask: “Who am I investing in? Who is the individual behind or in front of that investment?" Investing is truly a business of relationships, so do your homework to go, "Do I know this person? If we're in a spiraling situation, what will the experience be like with this entrepreneur?"

Peeling back the layers of a founder, their value set, and how aligned those are with yours is crucial when thinking about who you will partner with.

Invite yourself to participate

In most instances, it’s not that women don’t want to be involved in conversations as founders or investors, but rather, we aren’t being explicitly invited to participate and contribute our capital and decision-making. To that, everyone should know that the feminist wealth transfer is coming: by 2028, Canadian women will control over $4 trillion in assets (almost doubling the $2.2 trillion they control today), and by 2035, women’s share of global wealth is expected to be 35%.

We have the power to make investment decisions based on what we want to see in the world and ask ourselves how our capital can shape that. Now is the time for women to embrace this enormous opportunity, take our seat at the table, and activate our capital.

Surround yourself with people who can help bring your vision to life

When you’re challenging the status quo, you’re going to draw attention. Don’t always worry about what people think of you and what you are doing. Try to find your direction, stick with it, and surround yourself with people who want to go that way with you.

We know we’ve tapped into something significant at The51 because our movement, community, and impact continue to grow, and the passion burns brighter and brighter to advance Financial Feminism. We couldn’t do it without all of you!

Join our community today by signing up for our mailing list, becoming a Financial Feminist or Investor Member, or following us on LinkedIn and Instagram.