Creating Change by Writing Cheques with Dama Sathianathan

Money, the root of all evil or a powerful force for good? Join me in this insightful conversation with Dama Sathianathan who is setting an incredible example of the positive change that can be achieved by writing cheques in the world of venture capital.

Dama is a Senior Partner at Bethnal Green Ventures, Europe’s leading early-stage tech for good Venture Capital Firm that backs ambitious founders using tech to tackle pressing social and environmental challenges. She is also a committee member for Venture ESG, a community-based non-profit organisation focused on the meaningful integration of ESG and responsible investing in venture capital.

I was extremely excited to introduce you to Dama for several reasons. The first is to spotlight an extremely successful female role model in the male dominated investment landscape. If you are close to me, then you know I am obsessed with getting more women into investing and getting more money invested into women. The other reason is the fact that Dama’s journey is not the usual route we see into venture capital. She started in the not-for-profit industry before going into venture capital and she has continued to commit to high-impact investing, focusing on tackling important issues.

Topics covered include:

• What is venture capital 
• Differences between the charity sector and ‘for-profit’ sector
• Attitudes towards money when you haven’t grown up with an abundance of it
• The power of money and why we need diversity amongst the cheque writers
• Advice on entering the venture capital industry
• What Bethnal Green Ventures look for when scouting for their next startups
• The importance of recuperating and enjoying the rewards of your hard work
• Having conversations about your career progression

Dama’s book recommendation: Blockchain Chicken Farm by Xiaowei Wang.