The Capital Gap: Why Access to Funding Still Isn’t Fair - and How We Fix It

“You don’t need another pep talk. You need a blueprint. And I’ve built one.”

I’ve lived the reality of being seen as “risky” just because I was a young Black Caribbean woman with a dream

🧭 At 19, I Was Already Hustling.

Every month, I took a suitcase to Venezuela, filled it with products, and brought them back to Trinidad to resell.

I had drive. I had vision. I had hustle.

🚫 But no mentor.

🚫 No plan.

🚫 No one saying, “Sis, here’s how you secure funding and scale.”

Instead, I bootstrapped - the way too many of us do.

House savings. Family loans. Credit cards. Sheer willpower.

I’ve lived the reality of being seen as “risky” just because I was a young Black Caribbean woman with a dream.

And I’ve watched the system double down on that lie, insisting we can’t manage money - when in truth, we’ve been stretching dollars into dynasties for generations.

That’s why I built Zoma’s Finance Readiness Audits™.

Not to "fix" women - but to fix the narrative, the numbers, and the way we walk into funding conversations.

Because clarity and strategy can turn “risky” into ready.

📊 Let’s Talk Facts: The Capital Gap Is Global - and It’s Gendered.

In the Caribbean, women-led SMEs face a staggering US $93 billion financing gap across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Nearly 65% of women-owned firms say access to finance is their biggest barrier.

And only 1.3% of medium-to-long-term credit ever reaches us.

In other words: we’re not being seen. We’re being screened out.

“The biggest lie ever told about Black & Caribbean women is that we can’t manage money. We’ve been stretching dollars into dynasties for generations.”

Now add the U.S. data - and you’ll see how the pattern runs deep:

In 2025 alone, over 300,000 Black women were laid off or left the workforce, even as the economy added jobs.

Their unemployment rate climbed to 6.7%, the highest in four years.

The message?

Whether in Port of Spain or Philadelphia, Black women’s stability is treated as "expendable".

When we lose access to paychecks, we lose access to credit, networks, and leverage. And when that happens - capital dries up before we even have a chance to pitch.

So let’s be clear: The Capital Gap isn’t about capability. It’s about credibility.

And credibility is coded in systems that were never designed for us.

When we lose access to paychecks, we lose access to credit, networks, and leverage.

💡 This Is Why It’s Not Your Fault

How many times have you been told:

🗣️ “Come back when your business is more stable”?

🗣️ “Get some traction first.”

🗣️ “Maybe next quarter.”

Translation: “We don’t trust you with our capital.”

It’s not just bias. It’s a business model.

The system profits from keeping us out.

And here’s the truth:

They’re not protecting their money. They’re protecting the gate.

Because if women - especially Black and Caribbean women - ever gain consistent access to capital, we’ll disrupt industries, not just join them.

“When they call us ‘risky,’ we'll answer with a blueprint and a timeline.”

🧩 The Zoma Way Forward: Turning Risky into Ready

We don’t wait for permission. We prepare with precision.

Here’s how Zoma helps women founders "flip the system".

1️⃣ Finance Readiness Audit™

We start by assessing your numbers, paperwork, and pitch through a "funder’s lens".

➡️ Where will they question you?

➡️ How can we neutralize those objections before you even walk into the room?

Because if you don’t speak their language, they’ll assume you don’t understand the rules.

We’ll teach you both.

2️⃣ Capital Pathway Strategy

Every business has a different funding fingerprint.

We'll map your next 12 months of potential capital sources:

💡 Grants

💡 DFIs (Development Finance Institutions)

💡 Crowdfunding

💡 Revenue-sharing models

💡 Angel or impact investment

We’ll build your sequence - the right capital at the right time, so you can scale sustainably without surrendering control.

3️⃣ Investor Narrative + Pitch Coaching

Capital isn’t only about numbers - it’s about storytelling.

We'll teach you how to position your brand like an investment, not a risk.

💸 How to talk returns without losing your authenticity.

💸 How to negotiate terms that serve your mission, not silence it.

Because sometimes, traditional routes aren’t designed for us.

4️⃣ Alternative Funding Models for Bold Women

Because sometimes, traditional routes aren’t designed for us.

And that’s fine - we’ll build our own.

• Pre-sales and revenue advances – Fund your next phase with your current community.

• Strategic partnerships – Turn visibility into contracts and cash flow.

• Micro-consignment and collaborations – Build scale without high capital overheads.

• Community capital – Small contributions from many investors who believe in your dream.

🌍 Proof That It’s Possible

Across the region, women are already breaking through

👑 The Caribbean Development Bank’s SheTrades Hub has awarded over USD $400K in growth grants to women-led SMEs.

👑 GRIT Program is helping women enter global markets with blended finance and training.

👑 IDB Invest continues to drive gender-lens investing in the Caribbean.

These aren’t exceptions. They’re blueprints.

And at Zoma, we make sure you have the data, strategy, and confidence to join that list.

🧭 The Mindset Shift: From Scarcity to Strategy

The Capital Gap is "real" - but it’s not permanent.

It starts to close when we stop thinking of ourselves as unfunded and start acting like unapologetic strategists.

📚 Because your story IS data.

💪🏾 Your resilience is a return on investment.

🏆 Your survival is proof of concept.

What you need now is structure - not permission.

💼 The Zoma Way Forward - Summarized

Step	Strategy	Result
1️⃣ Finance Readiness Audit™	Clarify your financial story	You sound like the expert in your own numbers
2️⃣ Capital Pathway Strategy	Map 12 months of funding routes	You stop chasing random grants
3️⃣ Investor Narrative & Pitch	Reframe risk as ROI	You walk into rooms with receipts
4️⃣ Hybrid & Alternative Capital	Build freedom funds	You scale sustainably and retain ownership

👩🏾 Your Call to Action

Sis, the barriers are real - but so are the blueprints.

🙋🏾‍♀️ You deserve more than motivation.

🗺️ You deserve a roadmap.

📚 Here’s what to do next:

1️⃣ Read the full Breaking Barriers series on Substack-expanded articles, toolkits, and resources for female founders.

2️⃣ Join my LinkedIn Newsletter “Here’s The Thing” for weekly insights on visibility, funding, and strategy.

3️⃣ Book your Finance Readiness Audit™ at www.rhondaglynn.com and start walking into every funding conversation like the CEO you are.

"If you’ve ever felt locked out of capital, this series is for you."

📖 Next up in the Breaking Barriers Series:

👓 The Visibility Tax - because we’re still fighting to be seen and taken seriously.