“We write to you today on behalf of our nation’s leading innovators, entrepreneurs and influencers regarding one of the largest untapped economic and social opportunities in our country – women entrepreneurs,” they write.

“If women and men participated equally in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the United States’ GDP could rise by $30 billion^,” they assert.

While women are starting businesses twice as fast as men, they face unique challenges, including experiencing disproportionately high failure rates,

They point out that women receive only 7 percent of venture capital and are represented in only 7 percent of media stories.

[See also: Dell launches initiative for girls in technology, partners with Girls Who Code.]

They presented the presidential candidates with three requests:

1. Access to and development of financial and human capital is essential to fostering women’s entrepreneurship.
2. As women entrepreneurs and business owners turn to each other for help, we believe that the government and business leaders can help facilitate connections by increasing access to local and global networks and markets,
3. As industry lines blur, we see technology-driven implications for both government and business. Government and business leaders can help women entrepreneurs thrive in the changing-face of technology, through:

“Through empowering and promoting women entrepreneurs, we can help create jobs and solve some of our biggest economic and social challenges,” the entrepreneurs write.

The letter was copied to the 115^th Congress.. It is signed by the following:

1. Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO, Box
2. Ajay Banga, president and CEO, Mastercard
3. Alex Buck, vice president, Uptake
4. Alex Chung, co-founder and CEO, GIPHY
5. Alexa von Tobel, founder, LearnVest
6. Amy Millman, president, Springboard Enterprises
7. Ana Dutra, president and CEO, Executives’ Club of Chicago
8. Anat Baron, CEO, StashWall
9. Andrea Wishom, chief operating officer, Skywalker Properties Ltd.
10. Andy Dunn, CEO, Bonobos
11. Blake Irving, CEO, GoDaddy
12. Brian Lee, CEO and co-founder, The Honest Company
13. Carol Nacy, CEO, Sequella
14. Carolyn Rodz, founder, Circular Board
15. Carrie Southworth, co-founder, Twigtale
16. Cindy Whitehead, Founder and CEO, The Pink Ceiling
17. Cornell Iral Haynes II p/k/a Nelly, CEO, Derrty Ventures
18. Dan Teran, co-founder and CEO, Managed by Q
19. Daniel Lubetzky, founder and CEO, Kind Snacks
20. David Williams, managing principal, Policy, Government Relations, and Corporate Citizenship, Deloitte
21. Deborah Perry Piscione, founder, Alley to the Valley, Nobiyo Freshwear
22. Debra Sterling, founder and CEO, GoldieBlox
23. Denise Brosseau, CEO, Thought Leadership Lab
24. Diane Hessan, founder and chairman, C Space
25. Donna Harris, co-founder and co-CEO, 1776
26. Donna M. Petkanics                
27. Elizabeth Gore, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Dell
28. Erin Gore, co-founder and managing partner, Gore Family Vineyards
29. Ingrid Vanderveldt, founder and chairman, EBW2020 and Vanderveldt Global Investments
30. Jana Rich, founder, Rich Talent Group
31. Jean Case, CEO, Case Foundation
32. Jennifer Newsom, founder and CEO, The Representation Project
33. Jeremy Burton, chief marketing officer, Dell
34. Jeremy Liew, Managing Director, Lightspeed Venture Partners
35. Jesse Draper, CEO, Halogen Ventures
36. Jessica Alba, founder, The Honest Company
37. Jessica Malkin, CEO, Chicago Ideas Week
38. Jessica Rovello, CEO and co-founder, Arkadium
39. Joanna Rees, senior partner, The B Team
40. Jon Steinberg, founder and CEO, Cheddar
41. Jules Pieri, co-founder and CEO, The Grommet
42. Julia Hartz, co-founder, Eventbrite
43. Julie Goonewardene, associate vice chancellor for innovation and strategic investment; managing director UT Horizon Fund, University of Texas System
44. Julie Smolyansky, CEO, Lifeway Foods
45. Kara Goldin, founder and CEO, hint Inc.
46. Karen Quintos, chief customer officer, Dell
47. Kate Brodock, co-founder and resident, Women 2.0
48. Katia Beauchamp, founder and CEO, Birchbox
49. Katrina Lake, CEO, Stichfix
50. Katrina Markoff, founder and CEO, Vosges Haut-Chocolat
51. Leah Busque, founder and executive Ccairwoman, TaskRabbit
52. Lindsay Holden, co-founder and CEO, Long Game 
53. Lisa Price, founder, Carol’s Daughter
54. Maria Burns Ortiz, CEO and co-founder, 7 Generation Games
55. Marie Forleo, owner, MarieTV and Marie Forleo International
56. Marius Haas, president and chief commercial officer, Dell EMC
57. Mark Gainey, co-founder and CEO, Strava 
58. Matt Maloney, CEO, GrubHub
59. Max Levchin, founder, chairman and CEO, Affirm
60. Melanie Whelan, CEO, SoulCycle
61. Meredith Kendall, marketing partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners
62. Michael Birch, co-founder, The Battery
63. Michael Chaffin, CEO, Three Commas LLC, president of Derrty Ventures          
64. Michelle Smyth, Founder and CEO, Pay Your Selfie
65. Niamh King, vice president, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
66. Nicole Quinn, partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners
67. Nina Nashif, founder and CEO, Healthbox
68. Nina Vaca, chairman and CEO, Pinnacle Group
69. Pamela Reilly Contag, CEO, ConcentRx
70. Rachel Haot, managing director, 1776
71. Rhonda Vetere, chief technology officer, Esteé Lauder
72. S allie Krawcheck, founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ellevest
73. Sarah Kauss, Founder and CEO, S’well Bottle
74. Shaherose Charania, CEO and co-founder, Women 2.0
75. Sheila Lirio Marcelo, founder, chairwoman & CEO, Care.com
76. Stacy Brown-Philpot, CEO, TaskRabbit
77. Steve Case, chairman and CEO of Revolution and chairman of the Case Foundation    
78. Tiffany Pham, founder, Mogul
79. Tina Wells, founder and CEO, Buzz Marketing Group
80. Trish Costello, CEO, Portfolia
81. Tyler Bosmeny, CEO, Clever
82. Wende Zomnir, founding partner and chief creative officer, Urban Decay Cosmetics
83. Wendy Guilles, president and CEO, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
84. Xochi Birch, co-founder, The Battery
85. Zaw Thet, founding partner, Signia VC