Navigating the Challenges of Fundraising for Founders

This chapter explores the difficulties founders face in fundraising amidst a challenging investment environment. It highlights the growing pressures from investors and offers strategies for resilience and maintaining a positive mindset during the fundraising journey.

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Cristina Nuñez didn’t just break into the beauty industry—she’s redefining who gets to shape it. She started her career in traditional finance and private equity, but craved something more personal and creative. So she rolled up her sleeves and jumped into roles that strategically built beauty brands, including Laura Geller and Clark’s Botanicals.

Now, as co-founder and General Partner of True Beauty Ventures, Cristina is rewriting the VC playbook for the industry—one founder, one investment at a time. She’s not just writing checks for beauty startups; she’s building trust, offering strategy, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with brands like K18, Crown Affair, and Moon Juice. In a fundraising climate where doubt often outweighs belief, Cristina is proof that clarity, conviction, and heart still win.

In this episode, she opens up about dealing with loss, pivoting with purpose, and what it really takes to be investment-ready in today’s beauty and wellness space. Whether you're a founder looking for funds right now or still in the visioning stage, this conversation will change how you think about scaling, pitching, and the power of leading with empathy.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[00:57] Cristina’s path from finance to beauty

[02:56] Why she left investing to build brands

[04:00] Personal turning point: her father's diagnosis

[06:54] Launching True Beauty Ventures

[08:49] Doubts from male investors and pushing through

[10:54] The case for more diverse funders

[11:47] What is venture capital?

[12:56] How True Beauty Ventures is different

[15:45] The five P’s of investment readiness

[17:45] What do investors look for in founders?