Unlocking Women Investing in VC with Julie Castro Abrams

Unlocking Women Investing in VC with Julie Castro Abrams

Author: Paige Soya December 9, 2025 Duration: 47:08

In this episode of High Stakes, host Paige Soya, Managing Partner at K Street Capital, sits down with Julie Castro Abrams, GP and Founder of How Women Invest, for a candid look at one of the most important shifts happening in venture capital today: the surge of women stepping in as LPs, angel investors, and fund leaders.

Just over a decade ago, there were only 12 women-run funds. Today, there are more than 380. We are in a watershed moment—one filled with opportunity, friction, and long-overdue change. Julie breaks down not just why this moment is happening, but what’s still holding women back from fully participating in the ecosystem.

Together, Paige and Julie uncover the lived experiences, expertise, and decision-making strengths that women bring to venture—and the systemic obstacles that still stand in their way, from misaligned financial advisor incentives to outdated assumptions about risk, time, and wealth.

Whether you’re a GP, an operator thinking about becoming an LP, or simply curious about how capital flows and who gets to shape innovation, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

In This Episode, We Cover:

The Real Barriers Keeping Women from Investing

  • Why the biggest limitations aren’t ability or interest, but access, time, exposure, and friction
  • How financial advisors, often unknowingly, disincentivize clients from exploring alternative investments like VC
  • Why the question “Do you personally invest in venture?” can reveal critical advisor blind spots
  • How inherited wealth, fear, lack of exposure, and over-reliance on traditional systems impact women differently


Behind every major innovation, there's usually a risky bet and a tense conversation that made it happen. High Stakes pulls back the curtain on those pivotal moments by focusing squarely on the world of early-stage venture capital. Instead of abstract theory, each conversation pairs a founder who has lived the grind with an investor who has backed the vision, creating a dynamic and often revealing dialogue. They tackle the specific trends and tough questions shaping the venture space right now, from evaluating a team's potential to navigating a market downturn. You'll hear the nuanced strategies, the candid mistakes, and the real-world compromises that define building and funding a company from the ground up. This podcast is built for anyone curious about the mechanics and human drama of startup investing, offering a genuine sense of how capital flows to ideas and what it truly takes to succeed. Tune in for unscripted perspectives that clarify how high-risk decisions are made and what both sides learn when the stakes are at their absolute highest.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 64

High Stakes
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