Why I Built CHASM (and Why You'll Want In)

But it’s not all doom and gloom—if you know my story, those things were blessings in disguise, because not only did they teach me lessons, make me stronger, and allow me to make over $10M when I was only twenty-five years old, but it led me here to you.

I know what it feels like to be underestimated, deflated, and humiliated to the point where you just want to give up. But, despite the challenges, working my ass off to be part of the single-digit statistic of women who start businesses that last over ten years was worth it—this year is actually my first company The Newsette’s 10th anniversary.

With today's launch, I vow to never allow this kind of pain to be a barrier for women who want to change the world via ventures. In 2023, just 1.8% of women-founded businesses were given VC funding, which was down from 2.1% in 2022. We are not just on an uneven playing field—we are 50 yards beneath the turf, suffocated by stats telling us we have a higher chance of getting injured by a toilet than getting funding from a VC. 

What else are women more likely to do than be taken seriously by VC firms? 

• Accidentally join a cult while on a wellness retreat

• Get injured by a kitchen sponge

• End up in the ER from wearing high heels

Yes, these stats are ridiculous! But they’re also very real. So what can we do about it? We can take real action to close the gender gap by helping to create more female entrepreneurs, which is the heart of our mission at CHASM. 

Why is female entrepreneurship so important? Because the most powerful and wealthiest self-made people in the U.S. have one big thing in common, besides being men—they’re all entrepreneurs.

Whether we like it or not, money equals power, and women are done waiting to get plucked out of obscurity by a man to be put on a board. We’re going to build the fucking board.

That’s why I’m launching CHASM today. We’re removing the hidden “gotchas” of business-building by giving women free access to the kind of insights, strategy, and in-the-room advice that no one tells you until it’s too late. Because girl power without real power is just a Pinterest board.

In the process of creating this company, I’ve also stumbled upon a new business model that I hope others will copy to solve other world issues: I call it “member to many.”

We're able to provide all of these “elevator-to-the-top” resources because of our CHASM Club—a group of household names and moguls worth $200M to $2B who contribute $25K a year to power CHASM’s free platform for women founders. They're funding not just grants, but also playbooks and proximity. Because, yes, money helps, but so does access, insight, and a robust network.

Let’s go close this damn CHASM!

Your biggest fan,

Daniella Pierson