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.
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For over 25 years, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship has been a leader in the global social enterprise movement. With an emphasis on climate resilience and women’s economic power, we accelerate social entrepreneurship to end poverty and protect the planet, guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Located at Santa Clara University, we fuse the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley with the university’s heritage of social justice, community engagement, and global impact. Miller Center has served close to 1,500 social entrepreneurs based in over 100 countries that are impacting hundreds of millions of lives. Our 2024 Annual Report contains more information and stories about Miller Center’s outsized impact.
