Let Her Speak Presents: The Women's Capital Series 2026

Women’s Capital Series: Bridging the Funding Gap

Presented by Let Her Speak

Women are launching businesses at a faster rate than ever before, making up the majority of new business owners in recent years. Yet, they still receive a disproportionately small slice of the funding pie. To make matters more urgent, the very funds designed to support women are currently coming under attack.

It’s time to change the narrative. The Women’s Capital Series is a dedicated three-month program designed to empower the next generation of female founders and investors. Whether you are an entrepreneur seeking funding or a woman wanting to lift up other women-owned businesses as an investor, this series provides the tools, the network, and the "real talk" needed to navigate the capital landscape.

The Program Schedule

This series is structured to build your knowledge and network over three months. Each session at 121 Tech Hub provides the "what" and the "how," while our Happy Hour Working Sessions at women-owned bars provide the space for honest "money talk" - the intimate, deeper dives into the numbers and strategies that often happen behind closed doors.

March 2026: Everything You Need to Know About Capital

• Session 1: Entrepreneur & Investor Panels
  • Date: March 3rd | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
  • Location: 121 Tech Hub
  • The Details: We kick off the series with back-to-back perspective shifts
    • 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Our Entrepreneur Panel will include John Billings - Business Attorney, Jen West - Commercial Lending Strategist, Deahna Joi - Business Financial Strategist, and Dennis Corley - CDFI Director
    • 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Our Investor Panel will include John Bruck - Angel Investor & VC, Jaime Conry - Wealth Manager, Liz Mabey - Venture Capital Associate, and Deidra Harper - Community Fund Director
      
• Session 1 Happy Hour: "Money Talk" Working Session
  • Date: March 5th | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
  • Location: Mother Bar
  • The Details: Decompress from the panels and bring your specific questions. This is an informal but focused evening of networking and diving deeper into the specific funding topics discussed in Session 1.

April 2026: The Lived Experience of Entrepreneurship & Investing

• Session 2: Entrepreneur & Investor Fireside Chats
  • Date: April 7th | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
  • Location: 121 Tech Hub
  • The Details: We move from broad panels to real-life entrepreneur and investor stories from those who have lived it.
    • 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: A deep-dive Entrepreneur Fireside Chat with Kay Baker, Co-Founder of Green Llama
    • 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: An Investor Fireside Chat with Carol Seamons, Expert in Residence at Spark Innovation Center & Investor
      
• Session 2 Happy Hour: "Money Talk" Working Session
  • Date: April 9th | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
  • Location: Zero/Zero Wine Bar
  • The Details: Join us for a glass of wine and tactical conversation. We’ll be discussing how to translate the strategies from our fireside chats into actionable plans for your own business or investment portfolio.

May 2026: Pitch Day | Presented by First Horizon Bank

• Session 3: Business Pitch Event
  • Date: May 5th | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
  • Location: 121 Tech Hub
  • The Details: Experience the heat of the pitch room. Our cohort of 9 women founders will present their decks to a room of peers and pros. This live simulation is designed to give both entrepreneurs and potential investors a real-time taste of the decision-making process, the questions asked, and the feedback given.
    
• Session 3 Closing Happy Hour: Series Wrap-Up
  • Date: May 5th | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
  • Location: Monkey's Bar
• The Details: We close out the series by celebrating our pitch participants and solidifying the connections made over the last three months. This final working session is all about "what's next."

THANK YOU TO OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR