On January 14, Canaan General Partner Nina Kjellson hosted our annual WoVen (Women Who Venture) gathering during the JP Morgan Healthcare conference in San Francisco. What initially began as a small dinner for Nina and four friends working in biotech VC grew to ten and then 50 and now 125 women in VC come together every year for camaraderie, conversation and networking. And 125 is only because it is the capacity cap at the venue. The list is twice as long – an amazing change to the ranks of venture capital's traditional "boy's club."
This year, three pioneers – Pam Kostka (founding CEO of All Raise), Roxanne Christophe (Founder and Executive Director of Girls Crushing It) and Diana Kapp (author of the recent book: Girls Who Run the World: 31 CEOs Who Mean Business) – joined us for a panel discussion about the progress women have made in business, the chasms left to cross, how to support young girls’ entrepreneurial instincts and bringing moxie to all that we do. Increasing diversity in our industry: whether investing, innovating or executing – takes all sorts of efforts and these three women who venture are committed to expanding the pipeline and celebrating achievements.
Tune in to hear the panel on iTunes and Spotify. And, here are a few photos from the special evening.
