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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

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.

People Planet Purpose Fund

Investors Circle is activating a new way for our growing community — DAF holders, foundations, and donor-investors — to move charitable capital directly into the startups and initiatives we believe in, without needing to be an accredited investor or write a large check alone. At its core, this is a way to move DAF dollars and other philanthropic capital into impactful, mission-driven entities rather than let it sit unallocated. Every dollar contributed is 100% tax-deductible immediately, and as underlying investments generate returns, those returns flow back pro-rata to support further giving by the donor.This is about activating capital that would otherwise sit idle — the trillions of dollars parked in donor-advised funds nationwide, often invested in generic, non-impactful holdings while donors decide where to grant it. Through this fund on CataCap's platform, donors can convert that sitting capital into impactful, mission-aligned investments instead — the same dollars can do real work in the world while still fully honoring the donor's original charitable intent. It's a complement to giving, not a substitute for it.That kind of breadth is possible because of IC's three-decade legacy. Since 1992, IC has championed more than $275 million into over 350 early-stage companies, creating more than 10,000 jobs — spanning climate and clean energy, health and healthcare access, circular economy and waste reduction, ocean and water stewardship, racial and economic justice, animal welfare, and education. This fund is built to reflect that same breadth, not a narrower slice of it.Consistent with IC's “big tent” approach — where People, Planet, Profit, and Purpose all count — this fund is not limited to a single theme. We expect to support opportunities across Climate & Clean Energy, Health & Wellbeing, Circular Economy & Sustainability, Ocean & Water, Racial & Economic Justice, and Education, with room for other themes as our community's interests grow. We expect the opportunities we support to further one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reflecting that same breadth rather than a narrow checklist.100% goes to the FundCataCap cannot currently route any part of your PPPF donation to IC, so your full contribution reaches the Fund. IC is a Vermont 501(c)(3) supported by separate gifts — if you'd like to help cover the cost of running the Fund and IC's broader impact work, you can give at investors-circle.org/donate. Giving to IC is entirely optional and has no bearing on your voting rights or standing in the Fund.