Pivotal Ventures

When Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte was a child growing up on the Omaha reservation in Nebraska, she saw a sick Native American woman die because a white doctor refused to give her medical care. That’s the moment she decided to become a doctor. At a time when it was rare for a woman, let alone a Native American woman, to receive formal medical training, La Flesche Picotte graduated with her degree at just twenty-four years old—and at the top of her class. Fueled by her desire to help Native Americans get medical care in a country that didn’t recognize them as citizens, La Flesche Picotte returned home to the reservation to become a doctor everyone could count on. She traversed over 1,350 square miles of prairie on her horse, Pie, to provide medical care to nearly 1,300 patients. She became known not only as a doctor, but a fierce advocate for better hygiene and sanitation practices and Indigenous land rights. Her legacy continues to this day: The reservation’s first hospital, which she opened in 1913, will be reopened this summer as The Picotte Center, a community space dedicated to health, education, and cultural preservation. Learn more about Dr. La Flesche Picotte and the Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte Center: https://lnkd.in/gvQQzWQt #WomensHistoryMonth

Proud is an understatement ✨ We’re thrilled to see Erin Harkless Moore, CFA, who leads Pivotal’s investments portfolio, included on Barron's list of the 100 most influential women in finance in the United States! Check out the full list of inspiring women.

Last year, we surveyed 4,500 Americans to understand how much progress has been made on increasing women’s power and influence at work—and what barriers are still holding women back. While there’s been remarkable progress for women in the workplace, survey respondents made clear that there’s more we could be doing to better support women’s career advancement and wellbeing. Here’s a glimpse of what we heard ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/g4cgsa-2

💭 Health and financial security are the two issues most Americans are worried about right now. That’s according to BBG Ventures, who set out to understand what people’s biggest concerns are—and how entrepreneurs and investors can better meet their needs. If you're an entrepreneur or investor, here are three areas BBG Ventures suggests prioritizing: 1) Prioritize mental health in product development. 2) Address financial security with accessible solutions. 3) Innovate for workplace flexibility and career shifts. Check out the full Fast Company article to learn more:

Our partner, Young Futures Org, recently announced their new cohort of grantees, and to say we’re inspired is an understatement ✨ These ten leaders are doing remarkable work to improve youth mental health and address the “always on” pressures teens face growing up in a hyper-digital world. Learn more about how they’re making a difference:

🎙️ Check out this conversation between Mira Bharatiya and our very own Renata Aráuz-DeStefano, who talks about her role as an investor at Pivotal Ventures, what drew her to a career in social impact, and how her upbringing informs her worldview.

Once again, Amanda Nguyen has blown us away. She’s a survivor of sexual assault. She’s the founder of Rise, a bipartisan organization that advocates for survivors and teaches people how to change laws in their communities. She’s set to become the first Vietnamese woman to go into space. And now, she’s an author sharing her remarkable story in, “Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope.” Not only does she beautifully explore her personal path to healing, but she offers us all a collective way forward for broader societal change. “Saving Five” comes out tomorrow, and we can’t recommend it enough. Order your copy now.

How can we increase women’s representation in tech? What can we do to better support caregivers, most of whom are women? What will it take to adapt and improve our workplaces? Renee Kuriyan Wittemyer, Pivotal’s Vice President of Program Strategy, unpacks all of this and more in a new episode of William (Toby) Usnik's The Caring Economy Podcast. 🔊 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gR6DVBbK

Extraordinary. Powerful. Inspiring. These are just a few of the words that come to mind when thinking about the lives and legacies of Oseola McCarty and Madam C.J. Walker. In honor of #BlackHistoryMonth, we’re shining a spotlight on the lasting impact of their philanthropic giving. Read the full article ⬇️

Love this new miniseries from Young Futures Org, which spotlights how teens are navigating the challenges of growing up in a tech-filled world. In their heartfelt first episode, mother and daughter duo Deanna and D’Angelia get candid about social media, maintaining a positive self-image, and the powerful impact that the Hip Hop Based Education program, Hip Hop N2 Learning, had on D’Angelia's life. Check it out: