What's The Secret Of Their Success? Summer Camp

Summer camp: It’s for munching connected s’mores, seizing triumph successful tug-of-war and making lifelong friends.

For this group of successful businesswomen, though, it’s besides astir trading tactical proposal astir managing boards of board and trading companies. And fighting to get a portion of an finance world dominated by men.

Welcome to Camp Female Founders Fund, a coastal oasis successful Montauk, New York, connected eastbound Long Island, wherever female business leaders broaden their network, stock their struggles and triumphs, and person immoderate fun.

“I’m truthful craving a retreat from my day-to-day life wherever I really get to link pinch different women that are dealing pinch a batch of nan aforesaid things that I am,” Vanessa Torivilla, who founded Goldbelly, nan world gourmet nutrient transportation service, told NBC News earlier this summer.

The astir 100 “campers” see founders down respective celebrated family brands including beauty, manner and pet companies specified arsenic Jones Road, Rent nan Runway, Wagmo and Ceremonia. Days see complete 12 hours of programming, including seminars, meals and workout classes.

The campy is an hold of nan Female Founders Fund, a task superior money created by Anu Duggal successful 2014 to thief women get much tegument successful a crippled whose rules are often dictated by men.

Duggal, an entrepreneur herself, knowledgeable this unbalanced move erstwhile she was seeking costs for her ain e-commerce businesses.

“The existent takeaway was astir backing and nan truth that almost everybody that we met arsenic portion of our fundraising travel was male,” she said. “As I looked into nan numbers, it became clear location was benignant of a larger rumor astatine hand.”

Over 11 years, nan inaugural has raised costs for female-founded businesses that are now worthy complete $3 cardinal successful total. Still, women-led startups only person astir 2% of each task superior money, according to nan 2025 Female Founders Fund Report.

Duggal founded nan campy 5 years agone to juice finance momentum by connecting founders done a consciousness of organization and nostalgic summertime nosy — and arsenic an antidote to “tech bro” culture.

“This is wherever we get those conversations done,” Kristie D’Ambrosio-Correll, nan laminitis of Dacora Motors, which produces ultra-luxury electrical vehicles. “And women person a batch of powerfulness and a batch of wealth, and much and much each day. This is our play course.”

This year, members met business idols specified arsenic cosmetics magnate Bobbi Brown, discussed nan stigma women successful activity roles face, tackled nan usage of artificial intelligence successful their day-to-day work, and sought caller costs and clients.

“We’re creating companies, we’re having exits, we’re putting money backmost into nan system,” said Michelle Grant, who founded nan apparel institution Lively and power portion shaper Gorgie. “And past we’re besides gaining nan assurance to spell bigger.”