The Diligent Observer Podcast Episode 54: Women at the Table | Golden Seeds' Loretta McCarthy & Angela Allen on Building America's Largest Women-Focused Angel Network, The 3% to 30% Transformation, and Why Angel Education is so Critical
Today's episode explores three ideas that caught my attention:
- The math of representation – Loretta shared that having just one woman in a VC decision room doubles or triples funding odds for women-led companies.
- The promotional pivot – Loretta & Angela often coach female entrepreneurs to treat negative questions (which are more commonly asked of women due to unintentional bias) as promotional opportunities. It's advice that can flip defensive energy into offensive positioning.
- Relevance as retention driver – Members of Golden Seeds stick around because the work keeps them intellectually current. The group’s 84% renewal rate suggests that learning, not just returns, is a powerful motivator for angel engagement.
Loretta McCarthy is the Co-CEO and Managing Partner of Golden Seeds, the largest angel network in the United States investing exclusively in women-led companies - having deployed nearly $200 million across 260+ companies since 2004. Angela Allen is a Managing Director and Founding Member of Golden Seeds' newly launched Chicago Chapter, bringing 30+ years of operating experience including a 10x exit from an all-female executive team. Together, they bring both the macro perspective of building a national movement and the ground-level insight of launching a new local chapter.
During our Conversation, Loretta and Angela share:
- The specific bias patterns that disadvantages women founders
- Why sector-specific training matters for angel confidence
- How a chapter-based geographic model enables national deal flow while maintaining local relationships
Connect with Loretta McCarthy & Angela Allen
Golden Seeds' LinkedIn | Loretta's LinkedIn | Angela's LinkedIn
Stuff We Reference
- Golden Seeds
- OppenheimerFunds
- NanoPattern
- Every Body Eat
- Loyola University
- DePaul University
- mHUB
- ACA’s Angel Funders Report
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All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.