Ann Kaplan, Partner of Circle Wealth Management, moderated a panel discussion about venture capital and investing in women. The event was hosted by The Council for Economic Education (CEE), a non-profit organization that focuses on personal finance and economic education for students K-12. The eighth annual Women’s Breakfast brought together dozens of professionals to discuss important issues such as gender gaps in financing startup businesses, the barriers for female entrepreneurs, and the ways in which women can engage in private equity and venture capital.

Ann was joined by panelists Andrea Turner, co-founder of Plum Alley Investments, and Colleen Costello, CEO and co-founder of Vital Vio. Andrea Turner offered insights from her membership-based investment company, Plum Alley, which is dedicated to advancing women entrepreneurs and gender balanced teams. Colleen Costello offered her experiences as a successful female entrepreneur whose company, Vital Vio, invented an antibacterial LED light technology. The three women discussed barriers to entry for female entrepreneurs and how new venture capital models are capturing this huge market share of women-led businesses.