Reconnecting Capital & Community with Lauren Grattan and host Catherine Gray Ep. 477

Today on the Invest In Her podcast, host Catherine Gray talks with Lauren Grattan, Co-founder and Chief Community Officer of Mission Driven Finance. Lauren's background in nonprofit development made her eager to activate more capital for social change, ultimately leading her to co-found Mission Driven Finance, where she leads community-based strategy and shapes both internal culture and partner relationships. With nearly a decade of experience fundraising for organizations ranging from large universities to grassroots initiatives, Lauren brings a deeply values-driven perspective to capital allocation. Her blended Irish, Chinese, and Native Hawaiian heritage informs her commitment to reconnecting capital and community, and she has served in leadership roles with the Inclusive Capital Collective at Zebras Unite and Business for Good San Diego.

In this episode, Lauren and Catherine explore how traditional financial systems often overlook mission-driven entrepreneurs—and what it takes to redesign capital to serve people, not just profits. Lauren shares how Mission Driven Finance structures investments to support underestimated founders, especially women and entrepreneurs of color, while still delivering disciplined financial returns. They discuss the importance of trust-based relationships, creative capital stacks, and community-informed underwriting, as well as the mindset shift investors must make to prioritize long-term impact over short-term extraction. The conversation also highlights how women can step into the role of capital allocators—whether as founders, fund managers, or individual investors—to help close systemic funding gaps and build a more inclusive economic future.

• https://www.missiondrivenfinance.com/

• https://www.showherthemoneymovie.com

• www.sheangelinvestors.com

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