DVC Digest: June – The Performance Advantage

Jun 18, 2025

Oops, we missed some digests, but we're back now!

June has been a month of longer days and warmer weather ☀️—a perfect time to reflect on growth, both personal and professional. As we wrap up this busy month and look toward summer, we're diving deep into Strategic Operations—exploring how VCs can build inclusion into the very foundation of their funds. We'll unpack the nuts and bolts of creating truly inclusive internal operations, from hiring frameworks that reduce bias to policies that support every team member's success.

We're also sharing updates from the ecosystem, highlighting where the Diversity VC team has been making waves, and curating some essential reads and insights to fuel your thinking on building better, more equitable venture capital.

Let's use the momentum from June to get our internal house in order! 💪

This month’s newsletter includes:

DVC Digest Spotlight:
1. The Performance Advantage - Why Leading VCs Are Doubling Down on Inclusive Operations
2. Celebrating Our Inaugural Career Development Cohort
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Diversity VC in the Wild
What we’re reading/listening to

Read time: Approximately 6 minutes

DVC Digest Spotlight: The Performance Advantage - Why Leading VCs Are Doubling Down on Inclusive Operations

The venture capital industry is built on finding outliers—exceptional founders and breakthrough ideas that others miss. Yet many funds still rely on gut instinct and unstructured processes when building their own teams, inadvertently limiting their ability to spot the very opportunities they're seeking.

Leading VCs are recognising that inclusive operations aren't just about doing the right thing—they're about driving superior performance. Research consistently shows that diverse teams make better investment decisions, achieve higher returns, and identify opportunities that homogeneous groups overlook.

When you build systems that attract and develop the best talent from all backgrounds, you're not compromising on excellence—you're optimising for it.

Four Ways VC Funds Can Build Performance Through Inclusive Operations

Implement Structured, Data-Driven Hiring
Move beyond "culture fit" assessments that often reinforce sameness. Create objective evaluation frameworks that focus on skills, potential, and value-add. Use structured interviews with consistent criteria, diverse hiring panels, and measurable assessments. Track your hiring funnel data to identify where strong candidates drop off, then optimise accordingly. This approach raises the bar by ensuring you evaluate candidates on what actually drives performance.
Design Bias-Resistant Decision-Making Processes
The best investment decisions come from teams that challenge assumptions and consider multiple perspectives. Build processes that actively surface different viewpoints: rotate who leads due diligence, ensure investment committee discussions include diverse voices, and create structured frameworks for evaluating deals. When your team consistently brings different analytical approaches to the table, you make smarter investment choices.
Optimise Your Talent Pipeline for Long-Term Performance
Don't just hire for immediate needs—build systems that continuously develop high-potential talent from varied backgrounds. Create structured mentorship programs, establish clear progression pathways, and partner with organisations that train diverse talent for VC careers. The funds that consistently outperform have deep benches of skilled professionals who bring different experiences and analytical frameworks to investment decisions.
Use Performance Data to Drive Continuous Improvement
Track metrics that matter: team retention, promotion rates, deal sourcing effectiveness, and investment performance by different team compositions. Regular analysis helps you spot patterns—maybe your most successful investments come from teams with specific skill combinations, or certain recruitment channels consistently yield high-performing hires. Let the data guide your operational improvements.

Building inclusive operations isn't about checking boxes—it's about building the strongest possible investment platform. In an industry where finding outliers is everything, the funds that succeed are those that optimise every aspect of their operations for performance, including how they build and develop their teams.

The venture capital firms that embrace these practices aren't just creating better workplaces—they're creating competitive advantages that translate directly to superior returns and deal flow.

Ready to optimise your fund's performance through strategic operations? Our framework provides actionable guidance and internationally recognised certification through the Diversity VC Standard, helping you build the operational excellence that drives results.

Get in touch to learn more

DVC Digest Spotlight: Celebrating Our Inaugural Career Development Cohort

Over the past eight months, our first-ever Career Development Program brought together emerging VC talent across North America and Europe. Meeting twice a month, we tackled topics from imposter syndrome and personal branding to fundraising—featuring in-person sessions with LPs and seasoned investors. As we wrap up this incredible journey, we’re celebrating with community gatherings in New York and London. Join us in honouring this milestone and the next generation of venture leaders!

UK Summer Social - Diversity VC Career Development Programme ( 3 July) | London | Register Here

US Summer Social - Diversity VC Career Development Program (16 July) | New York | Register Here

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

VC Career Fellowship LatAm (2-27 June): Open Applications for the VC Career Fellowship | LatAm Edition | Register Here

The529 BIZ-MIX (29 June) For underrepresented founders and aspiring leaders: panels, pop-ups, and networking | London| Discount code: ABI529 | Register Here

Impact Investor Global Summit (20–21 July): Focus on impact investing and DEI in finance, featuring LP/GP networking | London | Register Here

Private Capital Sustainability Conference (25 June, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM GMT): BVCA-hosted event on ESG as a value driver, covering DEI, decarbonisation, and impact investing | Central London (Trafalgar Square) | Register Here

🌎 Diversity VC in the Wild:

Quick recap from the past few months: our CEO Meghan spoke at SXSW Austin on Profit Meets Purpose with Aniyia L. Williams and Cory Donovan, moderated by Shu Dar Yao. Exploring how to align capital with impact for lasting change.

We co-hosted a mentorship breakfast bringing together women from across the VC landscape—from emerging to established funds—alongside Carta , Nextgen Partners, and Project W. Huge thanks to Alex Chung for leading the charge!

At the BVCA Accelerate Venture Conference , Meghan joined a panel on the state of diversity and ESG, alongside Sarah Kunst (Cleo Capital), Amy Nauiokas (Anthemis Group), moderated by Amy Abbott (BVCA).

Lastly, we co-hosted an intimate GP/LP Dinner alongside Conduit Connect and a brilliant group of investor allies. This closed-door evening brought together GPs and LPs for honest conversations around fundraising, LP expectations, and what it takes to build lasting investor relationships.