We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rasya Ramakrishnan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rasya below.

Rasya, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

Many people may believe that one of our biggest weaknesses as humans is our ability to quickly and easily spot the differences that divide us. In reality, our biggest weakness is that we do not understand those differences. It is very normal to have differences; without them, innovation is impossible. However, in the context of gender equity in the finance space, it’s extremely important to understand that these natural biological differences are the key to discovering our full potential as a society driven by finance.

For example, research shows that men appear more competent than women because they make decisions faster. However, they make decisions quicker because women biologically have 360-degree thinking, forcing them to take time when making decisions. Women aren’t actually slower, however; they just take time to analyze every scenario. The business field requires both of these traits: quick decisions and thorough analysis, which is why the synergy of femininity and masculinity is extremely beneficial.

In big startup ecosystems such as San Francisco or New York, it is common to see businesswomen that unwillingly adopt traits traditionally viewed as masculine, believing that conforming is the only way to be heard. However, masking femininity leads to the homogenization of the business industry. To combat this, we need to understand gender psychology.

Gender psychology is one of the most important ways we can understand each other. Instead of making assumptions, understanding our biological makeup and natural tendencies can not only help create gender equity in the workplace, but also decrease the polarization created by gender.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

From a young age, the idea of entrepreneurship has always fascinated me. As a middle schooler, however, volunteering at nonprofits was the closest thing. While volunteering at a nonprofit that I now manage, Frisco Ignite, in 2020, I was tasked with forming partnerships with local companies; however, response rates hovered around 1-5% for cold emails and calls, which made it very difficult.

To improve these rates, I launched Flaer: a matchmaking platform for nonprofits, allowing them to connect with partners with common missions. This idea that stemmed from my young 13-year-old mind led me to secure 1,000+ users across 30 states and 10 countries within 12 months and receive $1,500 in funding from startup accelerators. The challenges I faced as a young entrepreneur is what really led to my interest in helping startups get their ideas off the ground through venture capital.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

I was 12 years old when I read an article titled “Now, 6.6% of Fortune 500 companies have women CEOs!”

Reading this newspaper on the breakfast table, I was too young to understand corporate hierarchies. However, even I knew 6.6% was not something to celebrate.

For this reason, instead of the usual gifts, I asked my parents to help me open a custodial account on my 13th birthday. With $500 from my parents, I invested in the stock market, focusing on women-led companies. Through independent research, I created an investment thesis integrating financial statements with psychological qualities that often make women effective leaders.

Excited by my stock returns, I was motivated to share my thesis, offering consultations and charging fees based on portfolio sizes. I eventually raised $10K, attracting more clients than expected. Using this profit, I decided to create Girls Fund the World, the first student-run fund dedicated to women founders, by utilizing my revenue to write checks for over 20 founders today!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I started becoming fascinated by gender psychology in finance when I read the book Gender and Finance: Addressing Inequality in the Financial Services Industry by Dr. Ylva Baeckström. It provides input on gender equity in an objective manner that does not discriminate against men or women, discussing how there is no data to back gender inequality because there is no research that confirms men outperform women in finance. This book helped me understand how I can apply the research conducted by Dr. Baeckström in the context of venture capital to help amplify the voices of women across the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://girlsfundtheworld.com
• Instagram: @girls.fund.the.world
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/girls-fund-the-world
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@girlsfundtheworld