Recommend Global Round Table Leadership

Empower Her Fund II

Empower Her Fund II is the next bold chapter in a growing movement to reshape who gets funded—and what gets built.Our mission is clear: catalyze capital for women-led ventures solving real problems, unlocking new markets, and delivering lasting impact. We believe some of the most promising returns—financial and social—come from backing overlooked founders with deep insight and grit.In 2023, Lily Kanter and Beth Stelluto launched the Empower Her Founders Fund as a proof of concept as a group on the Cata Cap platform. With 42 investors and more than 30 voting members (contributing more than $10,000), we backed seven high-social or environmental impact, women-led companies across health, fintech, climate, and consumer innovation. That early portfolio is already showing traction and proved the demand for a values-aligned investor community with real capital to deploy.Fund II is what’s next.This second fund expands our ambition—a broader network of leaders bringing new members to create a larger community of investors and more capital – all to deliver larger checks, deeper founder support, and a more diversified portfolio. We will continue to be laser-focused on women-led social and environmental impact ventures at early, catalytic stages. It’s a direct response to an urgent truth: only ~2% of angel and venture dollars go to women-led startups. We’re here to change that—with intentional capital and a growing coalition.Our aim is to be patient capital giving founders the breathing room they need to scale these important companies focused on making the world better. As with many early-stage companies, the investment horizon can be long – 10 years or more. Of course some may be acquired earlier than 10 years.A Catalytic Matching OpportunityOnce, $265,000 is raised for Fund II, Lily Kanter has committed to match with $265,000 raised for Fund II—doubling every dollar invested and unlocking $530,000 in catalytic capital for women-led ventures. This is a moment to accelerate momentum and expand our impact together.A Community with a Real VoiceWe encourage commitments of $10,000 and above. At this level, members become voting participants—joining founder pitch sessions, sitting in on investment conversations, and helping shape how capital is allocated. Voting members can also recommend ventures for the community to consider.This isn’t passive investing. It’s participatory capital.See the Empower Her Fund II: Kickoff Video

Sylvatex

Sylvatex is unlocking a cleaner, more resilient future by transforming how the world’s batteries are made. Our manufacturing platform enables sustainable, domestic production of cathode active materials (CAM)—the largest driver of cost, carbon footprint, and supply risk in lithium-ion batteries. Here is a recent publication in Forbes.By reducing environmental harm, localizing supply chains, and driving cost efficiencies, Sylvatex delivers outsized impact for climate, equity, and resilience. Our work advances decarbonization, energy equity, and industrial onshoring—critical to clean energy, electric vehicles, and emerging technologies like AI.For more on our legacy, see this article from Series Green.Why it mattersToday, over 90% of the battery supply chain is concentrated in China, creating high cost, high carbon, and geopolitical vulnerability. Domestic, scalable CAM production is a cornerstone of energy security, reduced emissions, and equitable access to clean technologies.What sets Sylvatex apartWomen-led, diverse team committed to scaling climate impactProprietary low-cost process enabled by trade-secret inputsScalable, closed-loop, zero-waste system eliminating water use and toxic wasteFlexible inputs that support regional production and domestic feedstocksMeasured benefitsGigaton-level carbon reductions at scale; third-party verified 60–70% lower CO₂e footprintOne step process allowing for more efficient recycling of critical minerals20% reduction in CAM costs and >40% lower capital costs for scalingMassive reductions in energy with zero water use & no sodium sulfate wasteImpactSylvatex creates skilled jobs in local and disadvantaged communities, strengthens U.S. energy security, and democratizes access to clean energy. Our progress is validated by strong customer traction and funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and California Energy Commission. We are positioned to scale solutions that deliver measurable climate, social, and economic benefits for generations to come.

Salmon Returns

Salmon Returns is building the financial infrastructure for a regenerative economy. This investment moves patient, catalytic capital into Indigenous- and community-led enterprises, shared assets, and place-based financial vehicles that restore ecosystems, strengthen regional economies, and keep wealth rooted in place. Our bioregional approach recognizes that lands, waters, communities, and economies are interconnected—and invests accordingly, turning isolated opportunities into a powerful connected portfolio where healthy ecosystems and resilient economies become the foundation for lasting community prosperity.We invest across the systems that make a regional economy work—from restoration and stewardship enterprises to regenerative food and fisheries businesses, community-owned infrastructure, and the financial vehicles that help them grow. Each investment strengthens the others: healthier ecosystems support local livelihoods, shared infrastructure helps enterprises scale, and locally rooted businesses generate jobs, revenue, and resources for continued stewardship. Together, they create a reinforcing cycle of ecological renewal, economic resilience, and community wealth.