Women in business statistics are sliding.

Hello {{first name | Friend}},

Women are building businesses faster than ever, outperforming expectations, and leading in ways that measurably improve organizations. So why do the same obstacles keep showing up in research?

Leadership numbers are trending in the wrong direction.
Women now hold just 31% of senior leadership roles at U.S. companies, down from 35% just two years ago. That's not a plateau, that's a slide. And according to Grant Thornton's 2026 Women in Business report, it's happening at exactly the moment investors are starting to ask about it, 36% of U.S. companies have already fielded investor questions about gender balance in leadership.

The deeper issue? Women tend to hold functional roles (HR, Marketing) but are far less represented in enterprise decision-making roles like CEO (28%), partner (7%), or chairperson (6%). Being in the room isn't the same as being at the head of the table.

What to do: Sponsor. Mentoring is not enough. Advocate for high-potential women in the rooms where promotion decisions happen. If you’re asked to give a talk, presentation, or join a panel, use that moment to open the door wider--recommend a woman to co-present, pass along the opportunity, or make sure she’s in the room where visibility turns into advancement. Sponsorship is about leverage, not just guidance. Use yours.

The funding gap isn't a confidence problem.
Women own 15.7 million businesses, 40.6% of all U.S. businesses, and Wells Fargo's 2026 Impact Report shows they grew at 12.1% between 2022 and 2025, nearly twice the rate of men-owned businesses. The ambition and results are there. The capital isn't.

FemFounded's data shows women-founded startups receive just 1–2% of all U.S. venture capital, despite generating 78 cents in revenue per dollar of funding versus 31 cents for male-founded startups. VCs are leaving money on the table by ignoring female founders.

What to do: Treat access to capital like a network, not a solo effort. Bring another woman into investor rooms--co-founder, advisor, operator. It shifts perception and expands who gets seen as fundable.

Start writing checks, even small ones. Angel investing isn’t just for the wealthy, $1K-$5K into other women-led businesses builds power and changes who gets funded.

Build relationships before you need money. Warm rooms close deals. Get your financials tight early, separate credit, clean books, clear growth story. Think beyond VC. Explore SBA loans, grants, and remember, bootstrapping is leverage, not a fallback.

And most importantly: move access. Make introductions, share opportunities, and say women’s names in rooms where money is moving.

Wins aren't getting enough airtime.
Companies with gender-balanced leadership report stronger financial performance. And 82% of U.S. job seekers say a company's commitment to inclusion factors into whether they accept an offer. The business case is well documented. The problem is it's not being told loudly enough.

What to do: Share your growth story--loudly and often--revenue milestones, team wins, retention rates. Treat gender equity like a business metric, not a values poster. And invest in peer networks:

The obstacles are structural. So are the solutions. The data is already making the case, we just have to act on it.

Onwards,
Raven