Mira Murati, former CTO of OpenAI, raised a record-breaking $2 billion seed round for her new AI company, Thinking Machines Lab, marking a significant milestone for female entrepreneurs in tech and highlighting the potential for diverse leadership to impact humanity and innovation.
Melinda French Gates, despite her $30.8 billion net worth, refuses to fund her daughter's startup, emphasizing the importance of self-reliance and resilience for women entrepreneurs, and advocating for women to develop grit in a challenging funding environment.
Meghan Markle is expanding her investment portfolio by investing in Highbrow Hippie, a hair and wellness company founded by her colorist Kadi Lee and Myka Harris. This adds to her growing list of investments, which includes Cesta Collective and Clevr Blends. Markle describes her investment approach as a "dolphin tank," focusing on supportive and friendly ventures. Her own company, American Riviera Orchid, is also set to launch soon.
CNBC has released its annual Disruptor 50 list, featuring private companies that are growing despite a tough capital markets environment and slowing economy. At least 35 are unicorns, with valuations of $1 billion or more, and many have a social or environmental purpose that is core to their business model. 13 of this year's Disruptors have a female founder, and 14 feature CEOs from racial and ethnic minorities. The 50 companies selected have raised over $54 billion in venture capital, at an implied Disruptor 50 valuation of more than $362 billion.