So it’s no wonder that Chief, a network dedicated to developing women’s leadership talents, has amassed a $1.1 billion valuation in just three years. Carolyn Childers and Lindsay Kaplan’s firm has secured a $100 million Series B investment led by Alphabet’s CapitalG, with CapitalG partner Laela Sturdy joining the board as part of the deal. General Catalyst, GGV Capital, Inspired Capital, Primary Ventures, and Flybridge are among the other investors in the round.
Though the firm did not provide specific figures, it stated in a press statement that it increased greatly during the pandemic after turning virtual and was able to grow more readily across the country in that manner. More than 12,000 senior executives from more than 8,500 firms are currently members of Chief, including HBO, American Express, Nike, Google, Goldman Sachs, NASA, Chobani, Pfizer, Apple, and others. According to the company, there are more than 60,000 ladies on the waiting list all around the world.
This rise comes at a crucial time for professional advancement. Medley and Hone, for example, have lately raised funds. LinkedIn has stepped up its development efforts with the launch of a new learning center. Torch, Ureeka, and Rising Team, to name a few, have all sprung up in recent years to try to get a piece of the pie. It’s a hot market, and Chief is now well-capitalized to act quickly and seize the opportunity. Also, if you’re interested, listen to our Found podcast episode with Medley co-founders Edith Cooper and Jordan Taylor.
Listen to the first-ever Found Live episode. Jordan Taylor and Edith Cooper, a mother-daughter combination who co-founded Medley—a group coaching platform focusing on personal and professional growth—joined us. They spoke with Jordan and Darrell about what it’s like to start a business with a family member in the middle of a pandemic, how to establish community in a virtual world, and the value of vulnerable, honest communication. Those that joined us in real time were allowed to engage in the discussion. Don’t worry if you missed this live episode; we’ll be live on Hopin every other Thursday.
Jennifer Dulski has held a variety of executive positions, including president and COO of Change.org, head of product for Google’s shopping and product advertisements, and directing the Facebook Groups team. However, she has highlighted an issue that most managers are all too aware of: outstanding management training and tools are in limited supply.
That’s why she established Rising Team, which today announced a $3 million seed round anchored by Female Founders Fund and including Peterson Ventures, Burst Capital, Xoogler Ventures, 500 Startups, Roble Ventures, Supernode Ventures, and many angel investors. There are some tools for managers, such as Gallup and Glint surveys, and training choices, such as executive coaches, according to Dulski. However, there aren’t many choices that mix the two.
“I was fortunate enough to have executive coaches or be sent to training, and they felt like I was being taught how to fish,” Dulski said. “However, it was like being dumped off at the lake without a fishing pole or bait, since I had learnt all these ideas about how to be a good leader but no instruments with which to put what I had learned into practice.” Rising Team is a technology and training platform that helps managers inspire, coordinate, and eventually lead their teams efficiently.
