Sittercity Founder Starts Investment Fund For Fellow Female Entrepreneurs
By Danette Chavez in News on Apr 12, 2015 7:00PM
For Genevieve Thiers, giving as good as she gets means giving back to other female entrepreneurs. The Sittercity founder and accomplished opera singer has been inspired by her success to launch an investment fund that will help women-run companies. Think Shark Tank, but with a focus on tech companies.
Thiers launched High Note Enterprises herself, and is currently overseeing its operations. It's not her first foray into venture capital; she'd previously teamed up with husband, Sittercity co-founder and "serial entrepreneur" Dan Ratner, on investments. But Thiers felt that something like High Note was long overdue for her, as she had been approached for years by other women in business who felt she had a lot to share with the community.
The Boston native agreed with them, and started High Note with her own $150,000. In time she wants to bring more venture capitalists into the fold knowing there are other successful women like herself who are "kind of clutching onto their winnings wondering what to do with it." Thiers has a few ideas for them. She's already invested $25,000 in Chicago-based MoxieJean, an online resale shop for baby, kid and maternity clothing and accessories. As well she's planted a little seed money in other Chicago and New York fledgling companies.
Thiers knows she isn't alone in her efforts, observing "that there's a wonderful push right now in Chicago to do things for women in tech." That includes WiSTEM, a vertical started by Chicago entrepreneurial hub 1871 that's gone from incubator to a more general "program." Thiers sits on the board for 1871's parent company, the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, and she provided valuable insight on how to help this initiative gain momentum.
It's pretty clear she doesn't want helping women in tech to end on a High Note.