September 2020 Update

Hello! 

Isn't it amazing how time can be flying by and dragging on simultaneously? September is upon us and the fall chill is bringing a whole lot of uncertainty and anxiety along with it. From the return to school, to vaccination concerns, to profound racial injustice, to the upcoming election, everyone is coping with existential challenges.

I spend hours each day speaking with a diverse range of founders and investors, which gives me the benefit of insight into both sides of the fundraising marketplace. What comes through loud and clear is that everyone has a new appreciation for the human aspect of persisting through this historical period. Investors and founders alike are dealing with the same every day struggles of balancing work and remote learning, trying to protect and care for high-risk loved ones, coping with the deep pain of our societal inequality, and just managing through each day. But we're all connected. We're all human. We all want to support each other through this new lens of understanding.

One thing I can say for certain is that I remain committed to Scroobious' mission to address the funding gap for undernetworked founders with a human-first approach. Initial beta users have provided me with fantastic feedback; I am so grateful for all of you. In addition to encouraging community feedback, some things that are personally motivating me right now:

• Our subscriber list is already over 300!!
• I was asked to do some podcasts and articles recently, which will be released over the coming few weeks.
• More investors are proactively talking about breaking homogeneous network bubbles for sourcing as seen in this tweet thread.
• Initiatives like All Raise's Visionary Voices (I was selected for the bureau!) are pushing for diversity in tech & VC conversations so we don't keep missing out on access to opportunities, networks, and capital.
• The motherhood penalty is a real thing and this pandemic is hitting working moms HARD. The gender pay gap is amplified right now as many women must defer to men's higher wages and absorb the majority of childcare and household duties. I want my kids to see that women and moms are determined, gritty, passionate, capable, and can achieve great things professionally.

Thank you for reading this. Thank you for helping me. I appreciate you.

Allison Byers, Founder & CEO