“Inclusion investing is investing either in companies that are led by diverse entrepreneurs, or have products and services that cater to those markets.”
As Indra Nooyi ends her 12-year run in the top job at PepsiCo Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), the number of women CEOs in the S&P 500 drops to 24. But in the middle market, a growing movement is nurturing women-led companies. In July, a new group called Exponent brought together 200 women from private equity funds, investment banks, startups and M&A advisory firms for the Exponent Exchange, an event that featured Sallie Krawcheck as the keynote speaker. Krawcheck, who previously served as the CEO of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and Citi Private Bank, today is the founder and CEO of Ellevest, an online investing platform for women. Exponent was founded in 2017 by a wide range of dealmakers, including Nanette Heide of Duane Morris LLP and Michelle Van Hellemont from Accordion. Mergers & Acquisitions participated in the event as an in-kind sponsor, and I moderated a panel.
Many of the speakers at Exponent Exchange were women who lead companies, including: Meghan Asha, founder and CEO of FounderMade, which connects entrepreneurs with distributors, influencers and investors, and helps people discover new wellness, beauty and food brands; Rica Elysee, founder and CEO of BeautyLynk, which provides on-demand beauty services; and Nancy McKay, CEO of Nest Fragrances, a maker of home fragrances founded by entrepreneur Laura Slatkin in 2005.
www.themiddlemarket.com
Read More
0 comments:
Join the Conversation