<p>On today’s show we welcome <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lakshmi-balachandra-5014b9/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Lakshmi Balachandra</a>, a Professor of Entrepreneurship at Babson College and an International Diana Institute Research Fellow at <a href="http://www.babson.edu/Academics/centers/cwel/Pages/home.aspx">Babson’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Topics include:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lakshmi’s early days as an associate VC and why she dedicated her career to studying the impact of trust, gender and other entrepreneurial characteristics in acquiring early-stage funding.</li> <li>Exploring Lakshmi’s research that suggests “it’s not women who have a harder time raising money from investors, it’s anyone who fits certain feminine stereotypes.”</li> <li>The Theranos scandal: how Elizabeth Holmes altered her behaviors to be more appealing to male investors.</li> <li>How women founders can benefit from having a clearer understanding of what the expectations are when they step into the pitch room and how they can present themselves most effectively.</li> <li>Are women founded venture capital firms a viable solution to Silicon Valley’s gender bias?</li> <li>The books Lakshmi is currently reading and more.</li> </ul>