Astia Names Longtime Board Member Jamie Lerner as New Chair, Expands Board Strength with Priya Mathur Appointment

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Astia, the global organization that levels the investment playing field for entrepreneurial teams with women leaders, today announced the appointment of longtime board member Jamie Lerner as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. Lerner, CEO and President of Quantum Corp., has served on the board since 2011.

"I'm honored to serve as Chair of an organization as vital and influential as Astia is to the transformation of the investment industry," said Lerner. "Leaving women and their talents on the sidelines should never have been an option, and our goal at Astia is to ensure that it no longer is. Through this mission, more relevant today than ever, we're normalizing inclusion and neutralizing bias for businesses that include women by giving them access to capital, a global network, and real-world advice – which we know leads to better business outcomes."

In conjunction with Lerner's appointment to Board Chair, Astia also expanded its board strength with the addition of Priya Mathur. As the first female board president of the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), Mathur has dedicated her career to serving California, its communities, and public employees through sound financial and investment strategies. Most recently, Mathur cofounded Trustees United, a trustee-led initiative working to address the investment risks of workplace sexual harassment and misconduct. Her deep-rooted experience in strategic investments makes her a forceful and tenacious advocate for responsible investing.

"For many years, I've admired Astia's mission to invest directly in women-led ventures, and I'm excited to finally align my background with such an interesting investment model," said Mathur. "Astia's forward-looking vision to couple non-profit with active fund management is inspiring for entrepreneurs and investors all over the world. In my role on the board, I look forward to helping solidify Astia's position as a world-class institutional grade investment network built for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs."

Six years ago, Astia launched its investment activity in the form of Astia Angels, a global membership network of highly engaged serial entrepreneurs and experienced angel investors. To date, the group has invested $22 million of its own capital into 48 companies alongside more than $280 million in syndicate funding.

"Despite a rise in the number of women-led companies and the support systems available to them, the funding of these businesses still lags far behind male-dominant ventures," said Sharon Vosmek, CEO of Astia. "There's no greater time than now to expand our impact by doubling down on our focus to invest in women leaders. Jamie and Priya's backgrounds and expertise will be instrumental as we continue to carve a path for female entrepreneurs and forever change the investment landscape."

Astia investors source their deal flow using the Astia Expert Sift™ methodology developed and implemented since 2003 by Astia to source, screen, advise, and select best-in-class women-led companies for investment. Astia Expert Sift™ has proven to be effective at selecting women-led best-in-class innovative companies; the method has demonstrated results commensurate with top-tier venture firms while maintaining a commitment to considering only investments with women in positions of equity and influence.

About Astia
Astia is a global organization that levels the investment playing field for entrepreneurial teams with women leaders. Unlike most VC's, investment firms, or accelerators, Astia provides a creative, proven approach with the Astia Expert Sift™, contributing to the success of female entrepreneurs and their ventures. With four above market exits, Astia further validates its thesis that supporting women entrepreneurs is an exceptional investment strategy. For more information, visit www.astia.org.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Lyle
Barokas Communications
[email protected] 

SOURCE Astia

Related Links

http://www.astia.org