In this episode, Becky Mollenkamp sits down with Erika Lucas, a trailblazing entrepreneur and advocate for women-led businesses and entrepreneurs of color. Erika shares her journey from growing up in a family of bootstrap entrepreneurs in Mexico to navigating traditional corporate environments in the U.S. before breaking free to co-found Stitch Crew and Vest. Erika candidly discusses the systemic barriers for women in business, including challenges in raising venture capital, and how these obstacles disproportionately affect women of color. She also highlights the realities of venture capital inequality, the lack of women in private equity, and the importance of inclusive workspaces for women. Together, they dive into how entrepreneurship for women of color is essential to breaking the cycle of inequality and creating real, lasting change in business. This conversation touches on funding for women-owned businesses, addressing microaggressions in corporate America, and finding non-dilutive funding for startups.
