Ann Winblad Shares Lessons for Entrepreneurs and Female Founders

Ann Winblad Shares Lessons for Entrepreneurs and Female Founders
Category: Interviews
Author: David Deeds
Published: March 6, 2015
Updated: September 8, 2026
Views: 98322
Downloads: Full Article PDF

Venture capitalist and entrepreneur Ann Winblad shares lessons on funding startups, building companies and the qualities that help founders succeed.

In a candid interview with EIX's David Deeds, Ann Winblad, co-founder and managing director of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, shares her war stories -- including her earliest entrepreneurial experiences sewing and selling Barbie doll clothes; how she convinced a bank to lend her money for her first company; and what she learned from other entrepreneurs, family members and ABBA. She also discusses the qualities that make entrepreneurs successful: having a mission as well as a product, and giving your all to your company, colleagues, industry and the causes you're passionate about.

 

Read More:

Advice, Best Practices and Inspiration for Women Entrepreneurs

 

Additional search terms: women, feminism, female founders, women business owners, women success stories, women in business, glass ceiling, sexual discrimination, bias, opportunity, finding investors, how do I find money for my business, how do I find investors

 


David Deeds
David Deeds
Schulze Professor of Entrepreneurship / Schulze School of Entrepreneurship / University of St. Thomas
View Profile

Publication Endorsement Editors

Cite this Article
DOI: 10.17919/X91015
Deeds, David. "Ann Winblad Shares Lessons for Entrepreneurs and Female Founders." FamilyBusiness.org. 6 Mar. 2015. Web 10 Sep. 2026 <https://eiexchange.com/content/ann-winblad-shares-lessons-for-entrepreneurs-and-female-founders>.
Deeds, D. (2015, March 6). Ann winblad shares lessons for entrepreneurs and female founders. FamilyBusiness.org. Retrieved September 10, 2026, from https://eiexchange.com/content/ann-winblad-shares-lessons-for-entrepreneurs-and-female-founders