Daniella Pierson, the 29-year-old founder of media company The Newsette, has announced the launch of CHASM, a new organization designed to close the persistent gender gap in venture capital funding. Despite growing her own business into a $40 million success without outside investment, Pierson’s journey was riddled with rejection, resilience, and personal hardship. With CHASM, she hopes to empower the next generation of female founders to overcome similar obstacles by providing them with the mentorship, networking opportunities, and financial support that she lacked in her early career.
The initiative officially launched in May 2025 and introduces an innovative “mentor-to-many” model. This approach enlists prominent leaders and entrepreneurs who contribute $25,000 annually to support a pipeline of aspiring women entrepreneurs. These funds are used to deliver non-dilutive grants, free educational content, and access to a robust professional support network.
A Personal Mission Turned Public Movement
Daniella Pierson’s story is nothing short of remarkable. As a young Latina entrepreneur, she built The Newsette from the ground up while grappling with intense mental health challenges, including severe anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Her initial attempts to raise venture capital were met with repeated rejection, often for reasons that had little to do with her business credentials or growth potential. These experiences ignited a drive not only to succeed, but to change the system for others who face similar hurdles.
With CHASM, Pierson aims to create a structural support framework that dismantles the barriers historically faced by women in business. Rather than a traditional one-on-one mentorship model, CHASM is designed to scale its impact through collective mentorship—providing guidance and resources from a group of seasoned professionals to many founders at once.
High-Profile Support and Inclusive Strategy
CHASM has already garnered an impressive list of inaugural members, including iconic figures from across industries. These supporters range from self-made entrepreneurs to artists and corporate leaders, each contributing not just funding but also their time and networks. Their involvement signals a new era of community-driven venture support, where successful individuals collaborate to create systemic change rather than isolated impact.
The initiative also stands out for its inclusive strategy. Unlike many women-focused empowerment initiatives, CHASM does not frame its mission as an exclusion of men. In fact, it encourages male allies to participate actively in solving the funding disparity problem. Pierson has made it clear that bridging the gender gap requires partnership across the spectrum of experience and identity. By inviting men into the solution rather than treating them as obstacles, CHASM hopes to foster deeper and more effective systemic collaboration.
Tackling a Persistent Disparity
The gender gap in venture capital funding remains stark. In recent years, women-led startups have consistently received a minuscule portion of total VC investment, often under 2%. This imbalance persists despite data showing that female-founded businesses frequently deliver equal or superior returns to their male-led counterparts. CHASM aims to address not just the symptoms of this disparity—such as underfunded businesses—but also the root causes, including limited access to networks, mentorship, and industry knowledge.
By offering a centralized platform for education, resource sharing, and peer support, CHASM seeks to equip women entrepreneurs with the tools to succeed from startup phase to successful exit. Its comprehensive programming is intended to serve founders at every stage of their journey, demystifying complex processes like fundraising, scaling operations, and investor relations.
Looking Forward
Daniella Pierson has long been an advocate for representation and inclusion in media and business. With CHASM, she turns that advocacy into actionable infrastructure, offering an ambitious yet practical model for empowering women in one of the most male-dominated sectors of the economy. As the organization gains momentum, it could serve as a blueprint for future initiatives aiming to level the playing field in other industries.
The launch of CHASM signals more than just a new nonprofit—it represents a movement. One that is built not on charity, but on opportunity; not on exclusion, but on strategic alliance. With leaders like Pierson at the helm, and a network of powerful mentors behind her, the future for women in venture capital may be ready for a much-needed transformation.
