Stefanie Diaz With She Conquers Capital Podcast

Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome back to the Startup Showdown podcast, where we discuss pitching, funding and scaling startups. Join us as we interview winners, mentors and judges of the monthly 120,000 pitch competition powered by Panoramic Ventures. We also discuss the latest updates in software web3, health care, tech, fintech and more. Now sit tight as we interview this week’s guest and their journey through entrepreneurship.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:39] Lee Kantor here another episode of Startup Showdown podcast, and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, Panoramic Ventures. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on Startup Showdown, we have Stefanie Diaz with She Conquers Capital Podcast. Welcome, Stefanie.

Stefanie Diaz: [00:01:01] Thank you so much for having me. Lee.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:03] I am so excited to learn what you’re up to first. Tell us a little bit about the podcast. Who do you talk to and how are you serving folks?

Stefanie Diaz: [00:01:11] Yeah, so she conquers capital has been around since 2020. It is all about featuring the women who are impacting the flow of venture capital. And it’s currently on season three, which is dedicated to exclusively featuring Latinas in venture capital. So primarily interviewing Latina investors, which there are plenty. But we also have featured some Latina founders who have raised significant amounts of capital as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:43] So what’s been the most rewarding part of the podcast so far?

Stefanie Diaz: [00:01:47] The most rewarding part is when I get to talk to founders or investors who say, I listen to your show and it gives me so much inspiration and I’m learning so much. You know, the the premise of the podcast is really to be of service to all in the venture space who desire to learn more. And then the subtle, oh, by the way, it’s the voices of women who are imparting this wisdom. So it’s really the space for anyone to learn, but to kind of like subliminally share that women have a strong voice in this industry and are a great resource for information around this industry.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:28] Now, the podcast is just one of the many things you do. Can you talk about other aspects of your work?

Stefanie Diaz: [00:02:34] Yes. Well, I’m thrilled to be with Catalyst by well, Star. Well, Star is the largest health care system in the state of Georgia. And Catalyst by well, Star is a newly formed corporate innovation and venture fund focused on digital health and many solutions involving the health care, the health care industry. My role there is industry discovery and research and our deal flow process for our venture funds. So it’s my role to keep an external lens on all things innovation, tech, venture and health care so that our team can can create and invest in the best technology around health care today.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:18] Now, what’s your back story? How did you get involved in venture? How did you get involved in and have this passion for helping entrepreneurs and and female entrepreneurs?

Stefanie Diaz: [00:03:29] It’s a winding journey, but the short story is coming out of my MBA. I ended up landing within a pharmaceutical startup and we grew that company to over 100 million in annual revenue in four years. I was reporting right into the owner and while my title was National Accounts Manager, I was I had a hand in a little bit of everything, as you can imagine, true startup style. We had less than 24 team members. You see a lot and I learned a lot in that, in that experience. And I was determined to take that experience and do something big with it. At the time, I did not know exactly what. The only thing I knew is that I didn’t see myself forever in the pharma industry. And so I wanted to figure out how do why switch industries but not start at the bottom somewhere else. And so it was back in the early. And you will you will appreciate this leave the early podcasting days in 20 1415. I, I was listening to a lot of podcasts around entrepreneurship getting really inspired and I started to get this idea that maybe a podcast could be the platform that would launch something new, something else in a new industry. I had helped by that point.

Stefanie Diaz: [00:04:46] I had helped a few family and friends launch a business, and so I felt something in that area. Helping new entrepreneurs was the thing. And I was ready to to figure that out. And I thought podcasting would be a part of it. So I launched a show mastermind your launch. And as I was interviewing business owners and networking, someone said, Hey, you should go down to this Atlanta Tech village. They have a lot of really cool founders there. I bet you could find some fun people to interview and that’s kind of the rest is history. I loved the world of tech and startup and venture. I loved meeting these founders that had big ideas. I was fascinated by the fact that they could raise, you know, six and seven figures in just a few months and be off to the races. And I said, this is where I belong. As you know, that podcasts ended up joining the Business RadioX platform. I started hosting events for entrepreneurs and just I became very visible in the Atlanta ecosystem. Doors started to open for me, and one of them being an invitation to join a fintech company as their chief of staff and head of Investor Relations. And that was really exciting because having seen so many startup pitches and then seeing so many announcements, so-and-so just closed one $2 million.

Stefanie Diaz: [00:06:08] I still didn’t have a lot of visibility about the in between. But how does all of this capital change hands? And I’ve finance has been a passion of mine whether it’s personal finance or business finance. So I was excited and intrigued to dive in. So for that fintech company, I started negotiating deals with investors, engaging our investor network, planning our investor strategy via that same network. I was invited to run the screening and due diligence for a local angel investor group, and that was really exciting because it gave me a seat on both sides of the table, raising capital for the fintech company, screening and deploying capital on the angel investor side. And within that, often seeing that I would be the only woman in the room, the only Latina in the room, and feeling like I wanted to do something, use this experience in my platform, in my voice, to start to shape that. I ended up going back out on my own, a journey that quickly led me to a venture fund focused on investing in underrepresented founders, and then shortly thereafter found my way to Catalyst.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:19] Now, in your work, you’ve talked to a lot of I’m sure you’ve seen kind of both sides of the desk. Right. You’ve you’ve talked to a lot of entrepreneurs and you’ve had conversations with a lot of people with capital. Do you mind sharing some advice about the, you know, probably both sides to give maybe a glimpse for that startup founder and idea of what is it that this VC is saying behind my back, you know, before I pitch or after I pitch it, it can’t always be just strictly about the math and the numbers. There has to be more kind of art to this as well.

Stefanie Diaz: [00:07:58] Right? Well, I mean, that’s definitely where my mind goes first and foremost. Obviously, there’s so much advice on so many different things that we could talk about. But I you know, people love doing business with people that they enjoy. And so to your point, it’s got to be more about the numbers. And for as far as advice, what I would share with founders that are raising capital is to be aware that while you’re talking about what you are planning to do, what you have done, what you have created, what people are also reading into between the lines is how? How do you show up? How do you lead and communicate and compel others, whether they are team members? How do you galvanize an investor network? How do you really communicate your vision and create buy in and create connection? I think all of those elements of of leadership and just connecting with people, building relationships, establishing rapport also go a long way. And when we talk to talk about underrepresented founders and there’s a level of confidence and feeling as though you belong that allows you to better establish that rapport and build those relationships. And so to know that alongside telling the story of what you have, you’re also communicating how. So be really mindful of that.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:26] And then when you are kind of demonstrating, how are there things that you recommend person do to kind of put off that? It’s almost an aura of somebody that, okay, this person is an authority. This person, I might not believe what they are saying, but I believe that they believe, you know, they’re they’re all in on this. And they they seem very committed. And and, you know, those kind of subtle cues that are helping a person determine, hey, am I going to bet on this person or not?

Stefanie Diaz: [00:10:01] Right. So something that I have coached a lot of founders and mentored a lot of founders in this area, and I have some free resources about this on on my website as well, if anyone wants to explore. But I as a public speaker, you know, that level of communication and having that presence is a way that I really love to empower founders. And so what I try to help them avoid is that moment in the presentation, whether it’s a pitch or a speaking engagement or an interview where they are searching for the answer, you know, that you get blindsided, you’re a deer in headlights and you’re trying to search for the answer in your head. And it takes you ten times as long to spit it out as you as you wanted it to. No one wants to be in that place, and it can be really hard to recover sometimes when you find yourself in that kind of a moment. And so proactively developing what I call power statements, which is just having language at the ready that you have committed to memory, you deliver it powerfully because you believe in it with such conviction, really allows you to feel like you’re a master of communication when you’re out there. And so I encourage founders to practice to not just bullet point what you’re going to say, but can you have a phrase, you know, like the quotables, if you see people writing down a quote from a speaking engagement or something, then, you know, you’ve landed on some powerful language. You don’t have to create the wheel. Make sure you remember that. Keep using it again and again. And some of your favorite founders and public speakers do exactly that. So look at how they leverage that thought leadership for yourself.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:44] Right. That’s an important part point, because so many leaders that are kind of well-known right now, they have a handful of catch phrases that they’ll repeat over and over that we just take for granted. So why not? You also have them as well that, you know, have some kind of taglines or phrases or quotes that can really stand out and help people remember who you are and what you believe in.

Stefanie Diaz: [00:12:12] Exactly. And then every time you pitch or go to speak or go to tell your story, you get to build upon what you have already created. And that’s what you should be doing.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:24] Now, when you’re talking specifically to women in venture capital, I’m sure hopefully today there’s a lot more than there were when you started first. Is that true? That’s an assumption I’m making. But is that is that true?

Stefanie Diaz: [00:12:40] Absolutely. And growing. I’ll tell a quick story. When I first had the idea to launch this podcast, the She Conquers Capital Podcast in early 2020 pre-pandemic, I remember sharing it, sharing the concept with someone, local investor here in the ecosystem. And I mentioned that I wanted to feature women investors and women who have closed significant rounds of capital. And he said that I would quickly run out of women to interview. And for me, I heard that and I was surprised at his advice. And I was also challenged, you know, like, all right, I’m going to prove him wrong. And here we are more than two years later, just the Latina edition. This third season has just hit 31 episodes. And so there is there is not a shortage of women who have had significant success in the world of capital, whether on the founders side or the investor side. I know I have only scratched the surface. I continue to meet women that I’m like, how do I not already know who you are? And it’s a blessing to be able to amplify them so that people really do know we are plentiful. Could there be more? Absolutely. Always. We do have a ways to go, but we’re here and I’m thrilled to be a part of telling that story.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:03] Now, is the pipeline being filled by women who have had start ups that have had successful exits and then are moving into venture capital? Is that a place where, you know, the pipeline is getting filled?

Stefanie Diaz: [00:14:16] You know, it’s interesting that you say that. I have had so many women on the podcast who are early in their careers and went almost straight into venture shortly after college. They may have had other jobs in the finance industry that were venture capital adjacent and made their way there. And those are some of my favorite episodes to feature because I feel like it really does start to break down the stigma that you have to have this huge check check list of things that you accomplish before you have a significant role in venture. There are many women who are early in their career who have, you know, and I’m not the first podcast that they’ve been on. They are out there. They have a strong voice, they have a strong following. And I think that we’ll see a lot more of that now.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:08] How did you get involved with Startup Showdown? What was your role with them?

Stefanie Diaz: [00:15:13] Yes. So I you know, having been in the ecosystem for a long time, I used to be a part of Atlanta Startup Battle with Paul Judge back in the day and have known Tammy McQueen for a very long time. And then it was Tammy who reached out to me to invite me to be a judge at, I believe it was the October showdown that they had.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:35] Now having taken part in a startup showdown, what do you think that the participants how do you think they benefit the most? By going through the process.

Stefanie Diaz: [00:15:47] Oh, well, Startup Showdown does a really great job of supporting these founders in a holistic way. So there’s the mentorship that they provide, which allows a startup to just get access to all of these thought leaders and really flesh out their ideas before they take the main stage. Something that I really do enjoy about the vibe with Panoramic as a whole and the Startup Showdown events is that I feel like founders are really encouraged to be themselves and have fun while they’re doing this. And so it takes something the investor pitch, which in some cases could feel stuffy and a bit dry and it just brings so much life to it. And so if I was to give advice to founders in that respect too, it’s like really lean in to being yourself, having fun, enjoying the process and dialing up the volume in ways maybe you haven’t before.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:47] Now in your career, have you had the opportunity to be mentored by anybody?

Stefanie Diaz: [00:16:53] I feel, yeah. I mean, I feel like I’ve built an amazing network and I don’t know that every every mentor might say that they are my mentor, but have been able to glean lots of wisdom from people well ahead of me and and have felt a lot of generosity when it comes to people who are willing to sit down over coffee, open doors, make introductions, invite me to the table, stay in touch, nurture my journey. I definitely have benefited from people who are mentors.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:35] Well, it sounds like throughout your career you’ve really leaned into building community and see the value in having a robust network and really doing your part to be an active participant in it, not just somebody along for the ride.

Stefanie Diaz: [00:17:51] True. I yes. Community has been one of those things that interestingly enough, you know, and I talk about this not all the time, but sometimes but a little bit about me is I and my family is originally from Puerto Rico. I grew up in a suburb outside of Atlanta and felt very out of place for a long time and struggled to find where I belonged. And I think for me, that’s why community means so much, is because I know what it’s like to not know where you belong, not know if you have a community. And so I do look at community with a lot of intention. And and for that reason, I take a lot of pride in being that sense of community and home for others.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:40] Yeah. And I think that it can be a competitive advantage. The person who is able to kind of create a community or be a catalyst to start a community is somebody that I think that other people are drawn to and then want to work with and are going to be creative in ways to make that happen. So even if you’re a startup founder, to think about community, the community that you’re building, whether it’s with your people and your team and or your customers and or the industry you serve, I think that that’s competitive can be a competitive advantage.

Stefanie Diaz: [00:19:15] Absolutely. And I something that I appreciate when I see a founder doing that, especially early in their career, especially, you know, I love when they feel like they don’t have to check all of the boxes. You don’t have to reach a certain level of success or level of traction in your business to start bringing others alongside you. And that’s something that we can all do at any time. And so I really enjoy when I see a startup founder doing that within for themselves and within their industry.

Lee Kantor: [00:19:48] So right now, what can we be doing to help you? What do you need more of and how can we help?

Stefanie Diaz: [00:19:55] Oh, my goodness. Well, I guess, you know, letting women know that she conquers capital exists and that they can use it as a resource. I’ve also launched a she conquers capital circle community where women can join for free and just keep the conversation going. Connect with each other, connect with me. I have a lot of free resources within there. Lots of training videos on mastering your pitch, mastering public speaking and mastering your personal confidence amid this journey that can leave us questioning ourselves and our path from time to time. And so I would love to see more women in there, both female founders and investors. And depending on when this episode airs, there may be some live events happening in the Atlanta area. So definitely be sure to follow on social or sign up for my newsletter for all of the info around that.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:49] And if they wanted to do that, what’s a website?

Stefanie Diaz: [00:20:52] Oh, thank you. These Stephanie Diaz, Stephanie with an F.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:56] Good stuff. Well, Stephanie, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Stefanie Diaz: [00:21:03] Thank you, Lee, for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:05] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you next time on Startup Showdown.

Intro: [00:21:11] As always, thanks for joining us. And don’t forget to follow and subscribe to the Startup Showdown podcast. So you get the latest episode as it drops wherever you listen to podcasts to learn more and apply to our next startup Showdown Pitch Competition Visit Showdown VC. That’s Showdown Dot VC. All right. That’s all for this week. Goodbye for now.