26. Female Founders NEED To Know This Before Raising Capital! - Anna Guenther
The Powerhouse DiariesShow Notes
She Built New Zealand’s First Crowdfunding Platform And Changed the Game for Founders In this episode of The Powerhouse Diaries, Yaela Raber sits down with Anna Guenther, co-founder of PledgeMe, New Zealand’s first crowdfunding platform, to explore the radical shifts happening in how entrepreneurs raise money, find community, and scale their vision. From writing a master’s thesis on crowdfunding to building a platform that has helped thousands of founders, artists, and innovators raise millions, Anna shares the highs, lows, and pivotal lessons she’s learned along the way. This is a conversation about resilience, equity, and rewriting the rules of funding especially for women founders who have traditionally been shut out of investment opportunities. Anna also opens up about solo motherhood, building a business with heart, and why inviting people into your journey is the key to success. In This Episode We Discuss: 00:00 - Episode Trailer 04:08 - The master’s thesis that sparked a movement 05:33 - Building PledgeMe and the first million raised 07:26 - When your payment provider declares crowdfunding “illegal” 09:00 - How transparency built trust in the early days 11:57 - From rewards-based crowdfunding to equity investment 13:43 - Why funding feels overwhelming and how to simplify it 15:12 - The gender gap in venture capital 18:33 - How women are raising through crowdfunding 19:57 - The power of asking for help 21:10 - Outsourcing your knowing vs. trusting your gut 22:29 - Solo motherhood and recalibrating priorities 24:17 - Building community and friendships through business 25:39 - The proudest legacy of PledgeMe 27:14 - Success stories: from kitchen table to global exit 29:17 - Why now is still a great time to invest 30:30 - Crowdfunding as the modern co-op model 31:00 - Becoming a solo parent by choice 33:25 - “Women can do anything, but not everything” 37:25 - The $2M campaign that broke the platform 39:25 - Reframing asking for money as inviting people in Episode Resources: Guest Website: https://linktr.ee/pledgeme Guest Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/whereisanna Guest Instagram (PledgeMe): https://www.instagram.com/pledgeme Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaguenther Follow Us On: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_powerhouse_alliance/ Website: https://www.drdanielkirkbride.com/
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