Gerry Poirier is its CEO and Founder AngelLinkthe leading women’s crowdfunding platform, the 2024 Best New Marketplace.
Economic inequality remains a significant challenge for many Americans, particularly women. With 78% of US households living paycheck to paycheck, most can’t afford a windfall $500 medical bill. Furthermore, women bear the brunt of this financial pressure, with the majority of households living paycheck to paycheck led by women. High interest rates, skyrocketing rents and inflation have further exacerbated the financial strain, especially for single mothers, 80% of single parent households.
Moreover, almost 60% of adults in the United States feel uncomfortable about their emergency savings. Combined with years of records billion dollar weather disasters and rising inflation, female-headed households are falling further behind than ever.
Despite their critical role, the fintech space has largely failed to address the unique needs of women. The crowdfunding market, currently worth $166.95 billiondriven by the growing local, national and global demand for online fundraising. As more people discover how peer-to-peer crowdfunding can be a quick and effective way to raise money in emergencies or times of need, the market will continue to grow.
Why your story and mission matter
I made my career in the financial world, working for over two decades on Wall Street. But my passion for creating change stems from my childhood. My grandmother, Annie, dedicated her life to helping orphans in her small farming community. Annie’s tradition of handing out gifts to underprivileged children during the holidays left a lasting mark on me, sparking my lifelong mission to pay it forward. It was this drive that ultimately led me to found AngeLink.
My vision extends beyond simply offering a crowdfunding platform. Our core mission is to provide women and underserved communities with a safe, secure and reliable way to raise money quickly and easily with an empathetic and caring community.
To business leaders, I encourage you to look within your own history to find what drives you. By reflecting on the values and experiences that have shaped you, you can discover powerful motivations to fuel your company’s mission. Perhaps you have a family tradition of service, or maybe you faced challenges early in your career that taught you the importance of resilience or empathy. These personal experiences can guide you in creating a brand that resonates with both your team and your customers.
To deliver customer-centric value, you need to start with a commitment to inclusion. In my case, I noticed that women and marginalized communities face disproportionate barriers to financial support, so I built a platform focused on their needs.
This approach is about more than adding useful features – it’s about truly understanding your customers’ struggles and aspirations. By keeping people at the center of your decisions, you build not just a product but a community that resonates with your vision and mission.
Changing the narrative about women in Fintech
My experience in financial services was instrumental in securing investment, allowing the company to grow rapidly and attract attention from prominent partners. However, the representation of women in fintech still needs improvement.
Women in fintech are making significant strides, but gender disparities persist. As of 2023, women make up only 30% of fintech positions, in stark contrast to their male counterparts.
Additionally, female-led fintech companies face funding challenges. According to PitchBook, female founders received just 2.4% venture capital funding in 2024, although women-owned businesses have been shown to generate higher returns on investment in some studies.
For any founder—especially female founders or leaders of women-focused businesses—building partnerships and securing funding requires strategic approaches and adaptability. Here’s what I’ve learned:
• Cultivate a clear vision. Investors and partners respond to an authentic mission. Articulating how your product or service uniquely addresses a market need is valuable, especially when that vision elevates underrepresented groups.
• Leverage mentoring and networking. Look for organizations dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs and founders. These networks are not only supportive, but can open doors to funding and partnership opportunities. Organizations focused on women’s empowerment, for example, offer unique insights into navigating challenges and balancing growth with mission alignment.
• Prioritize strategic listening. Often, it’s about tuning into comments and recognizing patterns that others might miss. I’ve found that listening carefully to consultants, advisors, and even critics has enabled me to optimize our pitch and strengthen our platform’s core value propositions.
• Create an inclusive culture. For other fintech leaders who want to support female representation, it starts with an internal commitment. Promote an inclusive work environment, elevate diverse voices, and ensure your mission resonates internally before expanding outward.
Many overlook that investing in women-led tech companies isn’t just about promoting equality – it’s a smart strategy that offers higher returns and lower risks, especially with women 43% of entrepreneurs worldwide and 85% of all consumer purchases.
My ultimate goal is to change the narrative around gender equality and financial access. Bridging the gender gap in leadership roles, funding and career opportunities will be critical to creating a more diverse and inclusive fintech ecosystem.
If women’s financial access is improved, women’s lives and downstream outcomes for families and society as a whole can be better affected. Investing in women is, and continues to be, the way forward.
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