Pitching with Purpose: How to Craft a Winning Pitch Deck Story for Investors with Heather Lawver

The She Leads Podcast: Real Conversations with Women Entrepreneurs

As your company's founder, you are Beyoncé, and your slides in the pitch deck are your backup singers.

Heather Lawver, the founder and CEO of Ceemo.ai, has helped underrepresented founders raise over $172 million in venture capital. Heather shares her entrepreneurial journey, starting from graduating high school at 12, launching her first startup at 13, and creating a platform designed to automate brand marketing and pitch deck creation, which helps founders look polished and market-ready.

She says that pitch decks are like children's books for grown-ups who love money, while underrepresented founders often face a lack of early funding and expertise in branding and marketing. Heather decided to help fix this gap with Ceemo.ai. The approach to pitch decks is usually totally wrong because the founder, not the slides, should be the focus, as well as the emotional core that grabs an investor’s attention. Founders should rethink stories by viewing them from various angles, incorporating classic storytelling methods, and avoiding getting lost in the weeds, which is the first mistake entrepreneurs make.

Unfortunately, research shows there is a difference in how messages are received. Male founders often receive more positive, promotional questions, while women are asked defensive, preventative questions, even when delivering the same pitch. Women bring knowledge, kindness, and empathy, and we don’t need to adopt toxic traits commonly attributed to male leaders. However, we often struggle with self-doubt and hesitation.

It's time for women to reclaim their confidence and speak with the certainty and power we deserve. Language matters – saying "WHEN I reach my goals" instead of "IF I reach my goals" changes everything. Let’s shed doubt and take up space!

Notes:
⭐ Ceemo is preparing founders for pitch decks: underrepresented founders start ‘one day behind’ even if they have the funds. 03:37
👔 If you don’t pitch to investors, you need strategic brand material for banks, family investors, and non-profits. 08:27
🤯 Elements of a good pitch deck: you are the star, not the slides - you have one minute to show it all in the first two slides. 11:59
⚠️ Founders usually get lost; these are the most important questions founders should ask to get a perfect pitch deck. 13:57
🆚 Being aware of the problem vs the solution: emotional feeling is the key. 17:29
😇 When the person is the base: you have that ‘specialness’ when you address friends and family, angels, pre-seed, and seed ventures. 19:34
🤓 Ceemo will create an AI pitch generator: framing and creating unique stories while challenging the narrative owners created. 22:19
🤷‍♀️ Differences in pitches between women and men: declarative, confident language vs. cautious and doubting. 30:19
🏆 Stella Foundation is an amazing organization and Heather is their finalist this year. 37:09

Links:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/heatherlawver

Website: ceemo.ai

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