From Engineer to Venture Capitalist: Empowering Women Through Strategic Investment – with Carrie Colbert — She Wears the Pants

Dive into a powerful conversation with Carrie Colbert, Founding General Partner of Curate Capital, a trailblazing VC firm investing in women-led, women-serving companies. With almost two decades in the oil and gas sector and retiring at age 38, Carrie transitioned into an accidental—and now passionate—venture capitalist. She went from angel investor to launching Curate’s debut fund in 2021, oversubscribed by 50%, and filled with mostly women investors.

In this episode, Carrie and I peel back the layers on:

Her journey from petroleum engineering to purposeful investing in female founders
The moment she realized her greatest impact would be through capital + advocacy
What Curate Capital seeks in potential investments—and why authentic resonance matters
How “by women, for women” capital is reshaping consumer markets
What she learned from her first major exit in CPG and how it shapes her mentorship

This is more than strategy—it’s an invitation for female founders to see funding as a partnership rooted in shared vision, values, and voice.

If you’re building, scaling, or considering capital—this one’s for you.

Remember, stay confident, stay focused, and keep wearing those pants with pride.

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