#131: Olivia Owens, Creator and General Manager of IFundWomen of Color and Head of Partnerships at IFundWomen, a Platform for Female Entrepreneurs to Raise Capital Through Crowdfunding

Aug 3, 2020

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Olivia Owens is the Creator & General Manager of IFundWomen of Color, the platform for women of color to raise capital through crowdfunding, grants, coaching, and the connections needed to launch and grow successful businesses. This funding ecosystem is designed to empower early-stage, women entrepreneurs and bridge the funding gap for women of color.

Olivia was a founding team member of IFundWomen and managed Business Development and Partnerships. IFundWomen launched in 2016 and continues to help women raise millions of dollars in capital.

Before launching IFundWomen of Color, Olivia’s leadership brokered critical partnerships to help scale the business (GirlBoss, adidas, Visa). She supported the creation of IFundWomen’s proprietary coaching program and helped build-out one of the nation’s largest connected communities of women business owners through the platform.

Olivia previously held positions at Under Armour in People & culture. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland.

Connect with Olivia Owens

Some of the Topics Covered by Olivia Owens in this Episode

What is IFundWomen
Why Olivia launched IFundWomen of Color
The variety of companies and projects IFundWomen supports
The first steps IFundWomen uses to coach its entrepreneurs
The funding gap for women founders, particularly women of color, and why crowdfunding is an essential tool
The services IFundWomen provides
Launching IFundWomen of Color and the particular challenges women entrepreneurs of color face
How they are spreading the word about IFundWomen
The ultimate vision and business model of IFundWomen of Color
What lessons Olivia has learned since launching IFundWomen of Color in January 2020, and particularly navigating the COVID-19 pandemic
What's next for IFund Women and IFundWomen of Color
Who IFundWomen serves
Getting entrepreneurs to understand the value of crowdfunding
How crowdfunding can be used at different stages of a business
What entrepreneurs should be thinking about as they launch their business
Books and resources Olivia recommends
How Olivia manages her time day to day
How Olivia recharges away from work
Olivia's advice for entrepreneurs

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