Books Every Black Female Founder Should Read When Fundraising

• Books are valuable resources for entrepreneurs that provide lessons on topics such as fundraising.
• Fundraising tactics vary, but Black female founders have to approach it differently.
• Here are the 11 books that Black female founders say helped them master the art of fundraising.

Books are valuable resources for entrepreneurs as they provide worthwhile lessons on topics such as building a business, managing employees, and even fundraising. 

As a record amount of venture capital was given to startups this year — $137 billion in the first half of 2021, Crunchbase showed — knowing how to maneuver the venture-capital landscape can help a business owner raise millions. But fundraising tactics vary depending on factors such as gender and race, and historically, certain founders have received less money than others. 

For example, only $465.8 million of that $137 billion, or 0.34%, went to Black female founders, a report from Crunchbase said. Insider spoke with 11 Black female founders who’ve collectively raised more than $25 million this year to learn which books helped them navigate the murky waters of venture capital. 

“The proximity to information and perspective helped me paint a picture of a world I had not experienced myself,” said Diaundra Jones, a cofounder of the networking app Seventh Ave. In November, her company closed a $2.5 million round led by the firm MaC Ventures. “They gave me practical frameworks for building awareness of common mistakes, advice on leadership and organization, and most importantly, confidence that I can do it, too.”