Money is a crucial ingredient for starting and growing companies. Debt is by far the dominant form of outside funding. “We hear a lot about the gap in venture capital funding for women, but the vast majority of women who need capital are not forming hyper-growth startups. They are starting small businesses to pursue economic freedom, flexibility, and independence. The financial system is not serving them well, and we’re very much failing women of color in particular,” said Catherine Berman, CEO and co-founder of CNote, an impact investing platform whose mission is to close the wealth gap in the US. CNote is part of Mastercard Start Path, a program that supports high-potential startups around the world.
