In 2016 we created the Fellowship For Female Founders, a 6 month+ program to support women from the New England area looking for their 1st outside capital to get the support they deserve. This fellowship helps them Own Their Story, Own Their Numbers and Own Their Network so they can confidently OWN THEIR RAISE.

1. We Know Fundraising Is Hard - Don’t Do It Alone!

2. The Capital Network (TCN)
Marie Meslin
Executive Director
& FFF Creator
Jingjing Li
Program &
Marketing
Manager
Lisa Frusztajer
Investor in
Residence
Justin Mott
Researcher in
Residence
Delia Wada-Gill
Marketing
Associate
Julia Palomba
Special Projects
Associate
TCN provides practical, hands-on in-person & online education with personalized
mentoring from our network of investors & experts to help demystify the funding
process to thousands of early stage entrepreneurs.
Meet our team:

3. The Fellowship For Female Founders (FFF)
We know the statistics are terrible when it comes to Female Founders accessing
funding. So we created this fellowship to help YOU get access to your first capital and
OWN YOUR RAISE. We’ll help you:
-Refine YOUR story and how you
choose to tell it.
-Access supportive sessions to
practice pitching and sharing
your business story
-Build confidence & leadership
skills in public speaking & pitch
presentation
-Understand your financials
inside & out, the story they tell
and how to communicate it.
-Understand IF & WHAT outside
capital could support your
growth vision
-Get the insider’s perspective on
what investors look for
-Create your own network of
entrepreneurs, mentors,
investors and allies
-Be part of a cohort of
supportive female founders
who’ll have your back
-Get access to experts who can
answer your questions
OWN YOUR STORY OWN YOUR NUMBERS OWN YOUR NETWORK

4. What Our Fellows Have To Say...
“As a founder, I was trying my best to avoid fundraising as much as possible. However,
there is no way to build a healthcare startup with grant money alone, and I had to find a
way to conquer my biggest fear -- an inexplicable fear of fundraising and speaking to
investors. After going through the TCN Fellowship, I now embrace the fundraising
process and the many "NOs" from investors. Those NOs were crucial and valuable lessons
to getting to YES.”
- Mai Le, Haystack Diagnostics, Inc.
“Being a founder is a lonely job. Being a female founder is even more isolating as there
are fewer of us around to connect with. TCN brought a group of female founders at
similar stages of business together and helped us connect in a meaningful and
supportive way. Having this network of peers has been crucial for me on both
professional and personal levels.” - Allison Byers, Scroobious

5. Some Of Our Impact!
60+
Womxn* have gone
through our
fellowship program
since 2016
50%
of these founders
have been womxn of
color
$20M+
Of 1st outside capital
has been secured by
these fellows
We would not be able to have this impact without the help of our sponsors!
Please note: *Womxn is inclusive of & welcome trans women, nonbinary folks, and anyone who identifies with womxnhood in any way that is significant to them.

6. Applicant Requirements
Based in New England, this 6 Month+ fellowship supports 12-15 fellows per cohort and gives 1st
time Female Founders access to fundraising education, investor & mentor networks & peer support
to build fundraising confidence and readiness.
We tend to give preference to founders who have NOT been in accelerators (other than student
accelerators) and who are NOT immersed in the Angel/VC New England community, but this should
not be a barrier to your applying!
Don’t think you fit every criterion? Apply anyway and we can discuss!
Be the Founder/CEO of a New
England-based company
looking for your first outside
capital in the next year
Run a US incorporated registered
for-profit scalable company
eligible for institutional investment
(not suitable for 501c3s, brick &
mortar stores or consultants)
Attend at least 2-3 events a
month (online for 2021) and
participate whenever possible
(non-participation revokes
FFF)
1 2 3
Applicants must:

7. Fellows Will Have Access To...
● 1x1 Mentor meetings & Value
Proposition feedback with
Angel Groups
● 6+ hours of pitch practice
with mentors & investors
● Toolkit & resources for your
fundraising strategy and
leadership growth
“[The TCN Fellowship] was really valuable to me, I sat down with some folks it might
have taken me 10 or 12 phone calls to actually access and get a meeting with.”
- Michelle Courton Brown, Quality Interactions
● 40+ events including
workshops, office hours and
more!
● Monthly 1x1 legal support
from lawyers in our network
● Ask An Expert/Angel series
where you can ask any
question in a supportive
environment
● Monthly Cohort check-in to
get support from female
founders who’ll have your
back!
● Group leadership coaching
sessions with InnerOvation
● The Scroobious platform for
extra support and exposure
when you raise

8. “Make the most of the monthly meetings and try to network with the other
founders beyond just the monthly calls. Attend the workshops even if they may
not seem relevant to you at the time, there are always helpful nuggets of
information -- and you'll never know who you'll connect with.”
Alejandra Tajeda, Enlingos
What Our Fellows Have To Say...
“The TCN fellowship is extremely useful for first-time founders who are
fundraising for their startups. The events shed light on critical plans that founders
need to consider and prepare before starting their fundraising process. The
events also give ample opportunity to meet angels who can provide advice and
possible funding for your startup.”
Elizabeth Wu, Scismic

9. Some Things You Will Walk Away With...
“After The Capital Network program I felt confident, I felt really able to go out into the
community and pitch my business and understand how to gain that funding”
- Amanda Drobnis, Hilltop Biosciences
We hope you walk away from the fellowship with more confidence and support. But fear not! We’ll
be providing support beyond your 6 months & you’ll be able to take part in our annual Demo Day for
Fellow Alums.
A clear narrative of what
YOUR story is and how
to tell it to the world!
A much bigger network
of supporters - both
mentors and
entrepreneurs - than
when you started!
A clear understanding of
your financials and
strategy for growth!
OWN YOUR STORY OWN YOUR NUMBERS OWN YOUR NETWORK
More confidence and
knowledge about your
company and the
fundraising process!
OWN YOUR RAISE

10. They Owned It!
“During my fellowship, I was able to
effectively rework my investor pitch
deck to tell my company's
compelling growth story, which
includes real revenue, sustainable
profit, and a growing market need for
kids yoga instructors.”
- Robyn Parets, Pretzel Kids
“Fundraising is difficult for any
startup. TCN offered a supportive
environment and good
programming that demystified it
and made it less intimidating.”
- Chloe Hill, Hypnap
“My fellowship helped me gain
valuable connections that helped me
propel my business forward. The
right intros led to great opportunities
for me to find my first investor and
test a new market.”
- Michelle Dalzon, theBOM
OWN YOUR STORY OWN YOUR NUMBERS OWN YOUR NETWORK

11. Here is just part of our network!

12. Apply Today!
WWW.TheCapitalNetwork.Org
“[The workshops] provided [me] the opportunity to practice talking about my
company, gain confidence as a founder, and attend some interesting and
informative sessions.”
- Catherine Smart, Not Just Co.
Applications open
3/1 - 4/1
Fellows are announced
4/12
Fellowship runs
4/23 - 10/29

13. TCN Wouldn’t Be Here Without...