We never decided to pursue careers in technology. But, somehow, we ended up here. What we care about are cities and solving major urban problems. And it was clear to us that technology entrepreneurship is an amazing source of groundbreaking solutions to the big problems facing our cities. So we decided to start Tumml, a program dedicated to mentoring and funding startups tackling intractable urban challenges. During the last three years, Tumml has supported 33 startups working on issues from transportation to homelessness. These startups have built companies that have touched the lives of 2.2 million people, created hundreds of community jobs, and leveraged our capital 53x.
Tumml’s mission is to empower entrepreneurs to solve urban problems. And it is important for us to see more startups that represent the demographics of diverse communities. That’s why we’re particularly proud of the fact that 76% of Tumml’s startups have a woman or person of color on the founding team. These are companies like KidAdmit (an easy way for parents to apply to multiple preschools online and for preschools to manage the admissions process) and Valor Water Analytics (a suite of business intelligence tools that transforms water utility billing data into financial and conservation solutions).
We should note that we do not actively select for gender during our evaluation process. But the dramatic scarcity (and declining number) of women-run startups getting funded speaks to a larger gender bias in Silicon Valley. And it’s probably fair to assume that, as women, we are less susceptible to that bias. So, during this Women’s History Month, we are thankful that we met each other and decided to take the leap to start working together.
We would love to see (and fund!) more women entrepreneurs tackling our toughest challenges in cities. While women have historically been underrepresented in startups, many of the women-led companies in Tumml’s portfolio have had incredible growth and success (including in fundraising). The best way to change the ratio is by putting yourself out there – as an entrepreneur, investor, and mentor. So we encourage all the women thinking about launching a startup to go for it. What better time than Women’s History Month to take the leap?
###
About us
Julie Lein and Clara Brenner are the Co-Founders of Tumml. Based in the Bay Area, Tumml is a nonprofit with the mission of empowering entrepreneurs to solve urban problems. Through structured workshops and community events, Tumml works with urban impact entrepreneurs to address some of our most pressing city challenges, such as underfunded social services and workforce development. With a hands-on approach, Tumml provides entrepreneurs with the tools to help scale their impact and enhance the quality of life in cities. Tumml was named “The Next Urban Innovation” by Dr. Michael Porter’s Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. Forbes listed Tumml’s CEO, Clara Brenner, as one of its “30 Under 30” for Social Entrepreneurship. And The San Francisco Business Times named Tumml “Best Startup” at its Tech & Innovation Awards.
