Resources mentioned:
- Marcia Dawood Website
- Unapologetic Wealth: Rewrite Your Money Story from Any Beginning
- Do Good While Doing Well: Invest for Change, Reap Financial Rewards, and Increase Your Happiness
- The Angel Next Door
“At the beginning, you can offer entrepreneurs a lot of things…making one phone call could actually help an entrepreneur get ahead”
In this episode of The Entreprenista Podcast, Stephanie sits down with angel investor, author, and SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee Chair Marcia Dawood to demystify startup investing and fundraising—and explore why women continue to face major barriers to capital.
Marcia shares her journey into angel investing, the biggest mistakes she’s made along the way, and what founders need to know before pursuing funding. She breaks down the difference between angel investors and venture capitalists, explains who qualifies as an accredited investor, and makes the case for education as a better path to investment readiness than income or net-worth requirements alone.
What We Talked About:
Marcia’s Journey into Angel Investing [3:04]
Who Qualifies as an Accredited Investor? [9:09]
Exploring Alternative Funding Paths [15:03]
What Investors Look for in Pitch Decks [27:13]
Balancing Yes and No in Business Decisions [36:10]
Connect with Marcia:
@marciadawood on Instagram
Marcia Dawood on LinkedIn
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Hosts
Stephanie Cartin is the co-founder and CEO of Entreprenista, an all-in-one platform – which includes a private community & business membership called The Entreprenista League that's made up of over 2,000 women founders at all stages of business, a weekly newsletter received by 60,000 readers, two podcasts, in-person educational & networking events, and an award program – that women founders at all stages can turn to for everything they need to grow.
Stephanie is also the co-founder of Socialfly (acquired by Truform Media Group in 2024), Markid, and Pearl Influential Capital. She has won countless awards, including the SmartCEO Brava award, which recognizes the top women CEOs in New York, and a Stevie Award for Women-Run Workplace of the Year. She has also appeared in Bloomberg, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Refinery29, and more.
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Highlights
Marcia’s Journey into Angel Investing [3:04]
Who Qualifies as an Accredited Investor? [9:09]
Exploring Alternative Funding Paths [15:03]
What Investors Look for in Pitch Decks [27:13]
Balancing Yes and No in Business Decisions [36:10]
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