DVC Digest: February – Love & Inclusive Leave

Feb 13, 2025

February is here, and with it, a focus on love 💕, not just in relationships but in how we support one another in the workplace. This month, we’re diving into the importance of inclusive parental leave policies and how VCs can better support parents and caregivers. After a short break in January, we’re excited to be back with our monthly digest, bringing you insights, updates, and ways to build a more equitable industry.

And for our American readers—Happy Black History Month! It’s a time to celebrate, reflect, and continue pushing for progress. Let’s get into it!

This month’s newsletter includes:

DVC Digest Spotlight: Rethinking Parental Leave for an Inclusive Workplace
Events!
DVC members updates: Lakestar & The Craftory
Diversity VC in the Wild
What we’re reading/listening to

Read time: Approximately 6 minutes

Inclusive Parental Leave Policies: Why They Matter

At Diversity VC, we champion inclusive parental leave as a key best practice for creating an environment where everyone can thrive. Equal leave for all—regardless of gender, role, or family structure—creates a fairer workplace and supports work-life balance.

Inclusive parental leave is not just about time off—it fosters equity, improves retention, and strengthens workplace culture. Beyond leave, structured offboarding, pressure-free communication, and a smooth return-to-work plan ensure a seamless transition. Encouraging full disconnection allows employees to focus on family, returning engaged and ready to contribute.

Here are our top tips and best practices for designing an inclusive parental leave policy at your organisation or fund:

Equal Leave for All – Offer the same amount of paid leave to all parents, regardless of gender, role, or family structure, to promote fairness and remove bias.
Encourage a Culture of Use – Senior leaders should take and openly support parental leave to normalise its use across all levels of the organisation.
Support Smooth Transitions – Establish clear offboarding and re-onboarding processes, ensuring employees receive structured support before, during, and after leave.
Enable Full Disconnection – Set expectations that employees on leave should not be contacted for work matters, allowing them to fully focus on their family.
Provide Flexible Return Options – Offer phased returns, flexible working arrangements, and support systems like coaching or peer networks to ease the transition back.
Ensure Financial Sustainability – Budget for parental leave as a core part of employee benefits, making it accessible without creating career barriers.
Review & Improve Regularly – Gather feedback from employees who have taken parental leave and refine policies to better meet their needs over time.

✨ Catch more valuable insights on parental leave in venture capital in last month’s episode of Entrepreneurial Thinkers with Rob Ryan. In this episode (audio | video), Rob interviews our Co-CEO, Meghan Stevenson-Krausz, covering a range of topics — including parental leave, which starts at the 20-minute mark.

Diversity VC membership can support your fund in designing inclusive parental leave policies and broader inclusion strategies. Our framework helps measure and improve your efforts while working towards an internationally recognised certification with the Diversity VC Standard.

Get in touch to learn more

Events, events, events!

Emerging Managers are founders too! (25 February): New York (US), Drinks, bites, and a great discussion with some organizations looking to provide emerging managers with the support they need to build their funds! Signup here.

[Members’ Only] DVC Roundtable on Productivity & Inclusive Culture (4 March): Inclusion experts Abadesi Osunsade (Hustle Crew) and Yael Nevo (Gender Rise) join the DVC Standard Roundtable to discuss how inclusive policies can drive greater team productivity. Become a member.

unlock VC's International Women's Day Party (7 March): London , Join Cooley and the unlock VC community to celebrate IWD! All women in VC, founder and allies welcome. Signup Here.

SuperReturn North America (17-19 March): North America’s must-attend private capital event | The InterContinental Hotel, Miami | Take 10% off w/ DVC discount code FKR3564DVC or use this link

Rare Founders Demo Day (14th April): London’s Largest Demo Day is back - See more information here.

SuperVenture (2-4 June): the LP/VC connection point | The Hotel Palace, Berlin | Take 10% off w/ DVC discount code FKR3595DVC or use this link

📚 DVC Book Club Update! 📚

In our last newsletter, we shared plans for a free book club—and we’re thrilled by the incredible response! We’re kicking things off this March with an in-person event in London, featuring Tiffany Yu in conversation about her book, The Anti-Ableist Manifesto, which launches in paperback in the UK next month.

Future events will be hosted virtually and in other locations, so be sure to register your interest below! 🚀

Join Book Club

Diversity VC community ask

Tech Nation has just launched the annual UK Tech Sector Survey, which will directly inform The Tech Nation Report 2025, the state of the nation report on UK tech launching at London Tech Week in June.

The survey takes just 5 minutes to complete. It’s supported by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and your input is critical in shaping the development of UK tech policy.

Plus, you’ll have the chance to win £1,000 in cash and an exclusive invitation to the Future Fifty Forum!

Congratulations to The Craftory and Lakestar on achieving Level 2 in the Diversity VC Standard certification! 🎉

Their commitment to building more inclusive workplaces and investment practices reflects the growing momentum for change in the venture capital industry. By formalising key DEI policies, increasing transparency in hiring, and improving diversity within deal flow, both funds are taking meaningful steps toward lasting impact. We’re excited to see how they continue to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion into their work and set a benchmark for the wider ecosystem!

Interested in elevating your fund's inclusion efforts and achieving internationally recognised certification with the Diversity VC Standard?

Get in touch to learn more

🌎 Diversity VC in the Wild:

DVC Co-Founder & Board Chair Check Warner spoke at the Women in AI event at Meta's office, in conversation with Shruti Dube. They discussed the importance of diversity in AI investing, sharing key lessons, & investment examples from Check’s portfolio at Ada Ventures.

Bringing GPs, LPs, Family Offices, and ecosystem leaders together! In December, we co-hosted a Family Office & Investor Appreciation Dinner with Btomorrow Ventures and Culture Shift Labs