Caretakers, Venture Capitalists, Must Address Ageism and Overlooked Topics

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a single person, think about their work and unpack the rest.

Table of Contents

Guest Interview: Elana Berkowitz, Founding Partner at Springbank Collective

This week, Natasha interviewed Elana Berkowitz, founding partner at Springbank Collective and an early-stage investor working to close the gender gap. Following with our theme of covering the silent changemakers in tech, Berkowitz has done much more than invest: she’s an advisor at Eric Schmidt’s office, a social entrepreneur who was a former innovator in residence at CARE, and a former Obama administration technology policy official across the Obama-Biden Transition Team.

Building a Venture Firm that Wants to Disrupt the Way the World Thinks About Care

We spoke with Elana about building a venture firm that wants to disrupt the way the world thinks about care. She shared her insights on:

The importance of addressing the intersection of healthcare and technology
The need for more diverse perspectives in the tech industry
The potential for innovation in areas such as aging and ageism

What People Are Missing When They Talk About Women’s Health

Elana also discussed what people are missing when they talk about women’s health. She highlighted the importance of considering the social determinants of health, including education, employment, and economic security. She emphasized that addressing these factors can have a significant impact on reducing healthcare disparities.

The Big Opportunities Out There to Keep Women in the Workforce

We also talked about the big opportunities out there to keep women in the workforce. Elana highlighted the importance of providing flexible work arrangements, paid family leave, and affordable childcare as key strategies for retaining female talent. She emphasized that these initiatives not only benefit women but also have a positive impact on businesses and society as a whole.

The Low-Hanging Fruit We Should All Be Thinking About

Finally, Elana shared her thoughts on the low-hanging fruit we should all be thinking about when it comes to supporting caregivers and promoting ageism. She emphasized the importance of:

Addressing the lack of diversity in the tech industry
Providing more opportunities for women and underrepresented groups to access education and training
Encouraging companies to adopt policies that support caregiving, such as flexible work arrangements and paid family leave

Conclusion

In conclusion, our conversation with Elana Berkowitz was thought-provoking and informative. We learned about the importance of addressing ageism and promoting diversity in the tech industry, as well as the need for more innovative solutions to address healthcare disparities. We also gained insights on the potential for innovation in areas such as aging and caregiving.

About Natasha Mascarenhas

Natasha Mascarenhas was a senior reporter at TechCrunch covering early-stage startups and venture capital trends. She is an expert in the field of venture capital and has written extensively on topics related to startup funding, investor trends, and innovation.