With a 45-year career in innovating in tech entrepreneurship and global venture capital investing, today Gillian is the Managing Director at Mastersfund, where 100% of the portfolio companies are led by women. Gillian honed her investment and management skills as cofounder of Moz, and later as an investor, advisor, and mentor to thousands of startups around the world. She has architected venture capital fund structures and devised novel investment instruments to invest effectively in a broader group of founding teams and companies, putting Mastersfund at the leading edge of the evolution of venture capital.
Gillian is known for illuminating investment opportunities teeming with the growth potential characteristics that are underpriced and overlooked by conventional venture capital funds. Her innovative strategy is driven by the belief that venture capital investment should generate economic gain for investors and entrepreneurs, as well as significant positive impact for the communities in which these startups launch and thrive.
In addition to Moz, Gillian was the co-founder of brettapproved, the world’s first information and booking site for travelers with disabilities and mobility challenges. She has served on dozens of Boards of Directors and Advisors worldwide and has advised scores of organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, German Marshall Fund, U.S. State Department, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and government programs in Switzerland, Germany, the Balkans, China, and Central & South America.
Gillian speaks globally on emerging funding models in venture capital, gender lens investing, and equity in entrepreneurship. Her podcast, VC Confidential, focuses on the expanding capitalization options for early - stage technology companies. Over more than four decades, Gillian has helped thousands of companies to launch, grow, pivot, and thrive.