Can Venture Capital be saved?

VC is one of the cornerstones of tech innovation. Without the funding to bring great ideas to fruition we would not have the amazing products and services we have come to rely on today. I do agree that an overhaul is required and that founders should be interested in the diversity of portfolios of the VC's they pitch. If you as a founder believe that men and women of any ethnicity and of any age who have a great idea/project should be afforded eaual opportunities to attend Y Combinator or any of the accelerator programs then you should care about the diversity of the VC's you work with. You should care because it is easy to say SV needs to address sexism, ageism, etc but if you only say it rather than act on it, then let's get real....you don't really mean it.

As an angel, make decisions based on the idea, the team, etc. If you would fund the project with a male founder rather than a female one, or with a 25 year old founder rather than a 50 year old founder, then you are contributing to the culture that exists today. I realize that ideas and projects do not stand apart from the founders, but a great idea or project is still a great idea or project but accelerators are accustomed to teaching, developing and growing teams and projects.

I am pleased to see that change is coming and it is in part to the courage of some very brave women. To any individual who has been harassed, groped, threatened, or bullied, you deserve to be treated better. To the men who abused their power as VC's, those actions are your shame not the shame of the women who were subjected to those actions.