Entrepreneur and investor Emma Grede is urging female founders to adopt a more direct approach to money when building their businesses, arguing that financial ambition should sit at the center of any startup plan.
Speaking at an event tied to Inc.’s founders community, Grede said women entrepreneurs often avoid talking openly about profit, which can ultimately hold businesses back.
“I think the one thing that we have to understand as women is that we have to put money in the center of our plans,” Grede said.
Profit Before Purpose
According to Grede, many business plans she reviews focus heavily on social impact or charitable goals while failing to clearly explain how the company will generate revenue.
“Oftentimes I get a business plan and it talks for five pages about all the things they’re going to do, all the give-back,” she said. “And I’m like, where’s the profit? Where’s the money?”
Grede stated that profitability enables companies to make broader contributions, from paying employees well to supporting nonprofit causes.
“The purpose of creating a business is to make money,” she said. “When you do that well, you can pay people well, give them bonuses, and give back to your community.”
Rejecting “Soft Ambition”
Grede also challenged what she described as “soft ambition” among some founders, encouraging women to pursue financial success without hesitation or embarrassment.
“You don’t get anywhere hiding behind shy ambition or performative purpose,” she said.
Instead, she encouraged entrepreneurs to clearly state their financial goals and actively pursue them.
“Have the audacity to say what you want,” Grede said. “Don’t think that if you just do great work the money will find you. It won’t.”
Focus and Intentional Growth
Grede concluded by stressing that successful founders are typically those who are explicit about their financial objectives and remain focused on achieving them.
“You have to go after it unashamedly and be extremely focused on it,” she said.
Her remarks reflect a broader conversation in entrepreneurship circles about closing funding gaps for women-led startups and encouraging founders to pursue both purpose and profit simultaneously.
