Disruption in Funding

A stark disparity exists in VC funding, with only 2% allocated to women-led startups and a mere 3% for Black or Latino-led ventures, highlighting systemic biases in the investment landscape. The rise of crowdfunding platforms like Startengine and Wefunder signals a shift towards more inclusive funding opportunities. Additionally, the role of brick-and-mortar stores is evolving, as they may now be seen as liabilities rather than assets in the omnichannel strategy, especially in light of recent closures like Microsoft's.