If you’ve ever wondered, “Is it too late for me to...” the answer’s NO and The Uplifters are about to show you why. This space is for purpose-driven women who want to do big, brave things in the second half of their lives. I’m your host, Aransas Savas, and I’ve spent the last 20 years at the intersection of behavior change research and coaching.
It’s officially spring 🌸, so we are celebrating new beginnings all month long. Here’s who’s on tap:
Ally Bogard — a transformation teacher and somatic guide, who helps us finally confront all the sh*t we’ve been avoiding. She was nominated by the incomparable Elena Brower. Listen HERE
Blair Glaser — a memoirist, organizational consultant, and psychotherapist who joins us to talk about her years inside Siddha Yoga, a near-cult experience that cracked her open and ultimately led her to a deeper understanding of who she is. It's a conversation about the stories we tell ourselves, the ones we're afraid to tell anyone else, and what happens when we finally do. Listen HERE
Then, science journalist Sadie Dingfelder shares her extraordinary midlife experience with face blindness, memory, and how we make sense of the world in Do I Know You? — one of the most fascinating conversations we’ve had on the show. Listen HERE
We’re closing out April with legendary VCs Lorine Pendleton and Katie Cella, in conversation with Whipnotic founder Tracy Luckow, at Uplifters Live.
I am not comfortable talking about money. I feel like a dunce when talking about investing. But, for so many reasons, we need to be talking about money and investing. Here are 5 reasons why:
We are actually better at investing than men. Research from Fidelity and Warwick Business School shows women outperform men as investors by up to 1.8% annually. We trade less impulsively, diversify more carefully, and stay the course when markets get rocky.
Our money is how we build the future. Private markets are where real wealth is being created right now, and the returns are flowing almost entirely to men. If we are not investing, we are not at the table where the future gets decided. Someone else is building it for us.
If we don’t, our daughters will pay for it. As Katie Cella said on stage in today’s episode: “If we do not open up our checkbooks, our daughters and our granddaughters will be back in the kitchen.” The companies getting funded today are the culture, the technology, and the economy our kids will inherit. We get to have a say in that. But only if we show up.
The gender wealth gap compounds every year we wait. Women already retire with significantly less than men. Every year that we leave money sitting on the sidelines rather than investing it, that gap gets wider. Starting small and starting now matters more than waiting until the moment feels right.
Our money is our voice. Investing is not just a financial act. It is a values act. When we put our dollars behind female founders, mission-driven companies, and undervalued assets like women’s sports, we are voting for the world we want to exist. That is power.
Today’s episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Uplifters Live on March 13 in Manhattan. I talk to three powerhouse women about money and investing:
Lorine Pendleton, Founding Partner of 125 Ventures, a VC fund investing in sports, media, and entertainment at the intersection of tech. She is the co-host of the business, innovation, and culture podcast "The Conversation Lounge." She is a former entertainment attorney who represented legends like Prince, Chaka Khan, and DMX, and a tech operator. She's invested in 35+ early-stage companies, including Oura (now valued at $11B), Maven Clinic, Madison Reed, and Perplexity AI. Forbes, Worth, and SportsTechX have recognized her as one of the most influential investors in the game.
"I eat no’s for breakfast. You've gotta get comfortable with the word no." - Lorine Pendelton
Katie Cella, a Venture Partner with Koru Capital, an early-stage investor in AI for legacy industries, with investments ranging from Groq (acquired by NVIDIA) and Data Bricks to SpaceX and Synchron (Brain-Computer Interface). Katie is also an investor educator, activating executive women as angel investors and LPs, with a focus on expanding capital access for underrepresented founders. She brings a rare operator’s perspective, having been a startup founder, CRO, and executive advisor to global enterprises.
“If I put a little bit of my money in — maybe I never get a return — but I want those companies to succeed. You can change someone’s life with a small amount of money.” -Katie Cella
Tracy Luckow, Co-Founder and President of Whipnotic, a new whipped cream company that’s disrupting dairy through flavor, color, use, and health. She’s an entrepreneur with expertise across consumer packaged goods companies, including everything from innovation and consumer insights to building and developing high-performance teams. She spent decades honing her passion for innovation on R&D teams at brands like Pepsi, Danone, and Sabra.
"Raising money is like double-dutch. There's no good time to jump in. You just gotta close your eyes and go for it." -Tracy Luckow
Listen to this episode if...
You’re interested in investing, but don’t feel like you have enough money or knowledge
You want to see more women at the top
You’re building something in midlife and are curious about raising funding.
5 Ways Katie, Lorine, and Tracy Show Us How to Build Our Courage Capital:
Start before you feel ready, and start small. Katie’s first angel investment was $1,000. Starting small and learning as you go can be a great strategy
Vote with your dollars. Financial returns on investments matter. Getting a say in which companies get to exist and which future gets built matters just as much. Your investment is a vote. You get to cast it, or you get to let someone else cast it for you.
Eat the no. Lorine built a fund and a thesis in a space where people told her no one was interested. She found her investors by going past everyone who didn’t understand what she was doing yet. No’s are information, not verdicts.
Use what you know. Tracy’s decades in consumer packaged goods companies were a great foundation for entrepreneurship. Whatever you’ve been doing for the last few decades, probably is too.
Use all three kinds of capital. Lorine named them: financial, social, and human. If you can’t write a check right now, make an introduction. Share your expertise. Open a door. Being an Uplifter is not always financial. Sometimes it is making the right connection at the right time.
Continue the Conversation
How comfortable are you talking about money and investing? Should we do more episodes on financial literacy? Let me know in the comments or by replying to this email.
