The venture capital (VC) sector took a well-deserved pounding in 2014 for its gender imbalance at the partner level. The proportion of women partners in U.S. venture capital firms was small in 1999 (10%) and downright miniscule in 2014 (6%), according to Women Entrepreneurs 2014: Bridging the Gender Gap in Venture Capital, a report by Babson College.

The impact on women cannot be overstated. Venture capital firms with female partners are two-and-a-half times more likely to invest in companies with women on the management team (34% vs. 13%).