EP57 Yvonne Bajela on Venture Capital, Diversity in Startups and Raising Money from Home Raise The Bar

My guest today is Yvonne Bajela, a founding member and principal at Impact X, an investment fund that unlocks capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs across Europe.

Recognised by Forbes 30 under 30 in 2020, Yvonne was the youngest investment manager at Mitsui & Co. and led over $200 million in investments.

In this episode, Yvonne tells us how she began her career in venture capital, networking consistently for two years to land a senior position, and how she managed imposter syndrome to work to her advantage. We talk about the systemic bias within the venture capital ecosystem and how Impact X challenges that by bridging the gap between capital and diverse talent.

Yvonne tells us the differences between raising venture capital and angel investment and shares her advice on how to find an angel investor that suits your business through online networking. Despite the pandemic, there is still an opportunity for your business to get invested.

And finally, Yvonne shares her 2020 mantra – to feel the fear and do it anyway.

This conversation was recorded on 22nd October 2020. I hope you enjoy listening.

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Connect with Yvonne Bajela & Impact X:
https://twitter.com/yvonnebajela
https://www.instagram.com/yvonnebajela/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonnebajela/
https://www.impactxcapital.com/
https://twitter.com/impactxcapital
https://www.instagram.com/impactxcapital/

Connect with your host Frankie Cotton:
https://frankiecotton.com
https://twitter.com/FrankieCotton_
https://www.instagram.com/frankiecotton_/

This episode was sound edited by Beth Davison https://www.bethdavison.com/.

Women On Top is a Let’s Be Frank production. https://letsbefrank.co