Encountering bias in the funding of their ventures, women’s businesses are smaller on average and are financed at a lower rate than men’s. However, despite these barriers, when women found and lead their own companies, they outperform with returns and revenue growth up to three times higher than businesses created and led solely by men. AWIS research contributes to our understanding of inclusion in STEM entrepreneurship ecosystems and provides encouraging actionable evidence about how to effectively and systematically address the absence of diversity.