Miller Center for Global Impact, in partnership with Chevron, commissioned research led by Maya Ackerman, PhD, Santa Clara University Associate Professor of Computer Science & Engineering, and Computer Science graduate students Juliana Shihadeh and Jui Banik to explore new approaches for identifying and investing in high-potential women entrepreneurs. The resulting report analyzes why gender bias persists in venture funding and introduces a new framework—Connective Leadership, characterized by Empathy, Collaboration, Humility, and Overarching Thinking (ECHO). These traits, common among female unicorn founders, are shown to correlate with long-term business success but are frequently undervalued by investors.
