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Katherine Winston, co-founder of Equity Angels, has been a pivotal force in supporting diverse-led tech startups within the real estate industry. Based in Bellevue, Washington, Katherine’s extensive background in marketing and startup growth has enabled her to lead initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tech startup ecosystem.

Katherine’s journey began in 1999, and since then, she has been instrumental in launching, growing, and successfully exiting several startups. Her first venture may have failed, but two were acquired, one went public, and others continue to thrive. Katherine’s dedication to fostering underrepresented voices is evident in her work as a community organizer and advocate for diverse entrepreneurs and leaders.

Founded in January 2024, Equity Angels is a social impact organization that aims to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the technology startup ecosystem. Equity Angels offers a three-part strategy to support underrepresented founders: a six-month accelerator program, fractional executive placement, and comprehensive resources for growth. This approach not only helps founders prepare for investment pitches but also provides ongoing support through mentorship and community building.

Katherine’s leadership in Equity Angels reflects her belief in the power of diverse perspectives to drive innovation and success. By creating opportunities for underrepresented founders, Katherine is paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable future in the prop-tech industry.

Katherine has been recognized for her significant contributions to the real estate and technology sectors. She has helped startups secure funding, build brand awareness, and execute growth strategies. Her role in co-founding Equity Angels highlights her commitment to addressing the lack of diversity in leadership roles within the real estate industry.

What inspired you to create Equity Angels, and how does it align with your vision for diversity and inclusion in the proptech industry?

Katherine: Equity Angels has been a concept in the making since my co-founder Kenya Burrell-VanWormer and I first shared the stage at the iOi Summit during the summer of 2021. We were invited to speak on a panel addressing the power of diversity in prop-tech along with Jesse Garcia, who now serves as one of our advisors. After this talk, we were so fired up that we had quarterly meetings to try to figure out how we could move the needle. At the same time, we were invited to speak on this topic at a few more conferences, and the data we were providing started to feel repetitive—especially the part about there not being enough women and people of color in leadership roles at both traditional and tech companies within the real estate industry.

We finally got to a point where we knew we needed to do more than just have quarterly meetings and talk at conferences to make a real impact on the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our sector. So earlier this year we launched Equity Angels as a social impact organization, and this propelled our mission to advance DEI within the prop-tech ecosystem.

Why are you focusing your efforts on the prop-tech industry?

Katherine: Our team has decades of experience in real estate, mortgage, and emerging tech—so this is a space where we can truly make a measurable difference.

Being a tech startup founder is hard enough. 90% of all startups fail and 20% fail within the first year. Add to that the challenge of underrepresented founders who have fewer chances for success due to the lack of access to private and institutional investors, the right networks, and slimmer chances for a meaningful exit strategy—even though numerous studies have shown that diverse leadership delivers higher returns for investors upon exit than their peers.

We took that challenge head-on by creating a three-part strategy for better access to capital, community, and growth because we knew that by doing so, we would not just be making a difference in social equity but would also make a financial impact resulting in economic equity.

So, do you provide capital, and can you expand on how this three-part strategy helps underrepresented founders overcome common challenges in the startup ecosystem?

Katherine: Equity Angels does not directly invest in companies through hard capital. We provide advisory work, which is considered soft capital. Here’s how our three-part strategy helps founders:

Better access to capital: We have a new accelerator, which is a six-month fundraise-ready program that helps founders prepare for investment opportunities by reviewing their technology; analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; assessing their product-market fit; assisting with investor introductions; giving them media exposure; and hosting a demo day in front of hundreds of investors. We also provide weekly classes with the help of program mentors on everything from navigating product development and growth strategies to refining financial forecasts and funding requests.

Better access to the community: This is all about creating a greater network for underrepresented founders. You’ve heard the phrase: “It’s all about who you know” or “You have to be at the right place at the right time.” What we try to do is help our founders be at the right place, at the right time, and with the right people. And we do that through our accelerator program, our virtual and live events, and personal introductions. We also offer a fractional executive program, which means we connect startups with a group of diverse and seasoned executives who specialize in things you need as an early-stage company but don’t have the budget for, like a Chief Technology Officer or Chief Financial Officer on a part-time basis and at reduced rates.

Better access to growth: Over the years, my team and I have learned that the right connections and continuededucation are keys to thriving as an entrepreneur. We provide webinars, master classes, panel discussions, and one-on-one mentorship to educate our startups on the best ways to build and grow their businesses.

Can you share some of the impact you’ve made since launching in January?

Katherine: We’re just getting started and still have a long way to go! The biggest milestones we can proudly share to date include strategic partnerships with leaders in the industry such as Blueprint and MIAMI Realtors; accepting a seasoned and diverse group of startups to join our accelerator; and successful advisory work on fundraising initiatives.

We also plan to release an efficacy report at the end of this year to share our first year’s successes, challenges, and the impact we’ve made through Equity Angels.

In your experience, what key factors should investors consider when evaluating diverse-led startups?

Katherine: Investors should evaluate diverse-led startups the same way they would any other startup. And I’d consider these findings…

McKinsey & Co. conducted a study on underrepresented startup founders and poignantly stated this: “More access to funding for underrepresented startup founders can unlock massive investment and innovation opportunities. These founders are not just underrepresented—they are underestimated.” That study also concluded that achieving parity could yield trillions more dollars in revenue for Black- and Latino-owned businesses alone, creating jobs and stimulating the overall economy.

Additionally, Accenture released a diversity study stating that an innovation mindset is six times higher in the most equal cultures than in the least equal ones. And that innovation mindset combined with diversity is a multiplier of growth.

So, considering diverse-led teams is not only good for social impact, it also makes a huge financial impact. At the end of the day, that is what investors are looking for—positive returns and great exits.

One last thing to note is that this is not about tokenism and checking boxes or just ‘woke optics’—appearing to be diverse. At Equity Angels, we vet our founders to make sure that their value proposition is unique and that they are the right team to execute their vision.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds looking to enter the prop-tech industry?

Katherine: Have a clear focus and solid foundation for what problem you’re trying to solve, how you plan to solve it, and what makes your value proposition unique and viable. If you need help defining and refining these key factors, reach out to Equity Angels. We’d love to help.

Katherine Winston’s story is one of resilience, innovation, and a deep commitment to equity. Through Equity Angels, she continues to empower diverse founders and transform the landscape of the real estate technology sector.

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