Entrepreneurship is a capital allocation story as much as a talent story, because female founders often outperform on revenue and value creation while still receiving a tiny share of venture funding.

The data shows that only one in three businesses globally is owned by women, and in 2019, only 20% of startups had at least one female founding member. The formal and informal standing of women in a given society—legal rights, social norms, and institutional support—points out critical clues to the true hurdles.

Closing the entrepreneurship gender gap is about both equity and a $5 trillion opportunity for the global economy. For first-gen women, our experience as navigators and problem-solvers offers a unique foundation for building transformative businesses.

Kathryn Bigelow’s 2010 Oscar win for The Hurt Locker was both a personal triumph and a systemic breach. Her career offers a masterclass in how to excel in a male-dominated field not by asking for permission, but by mastering the craft and redefining the rules of the game.