When Patricia Lizarraga launched Hypatia Capital, she wasn’t just building an investment platform—she was championing a movement. A seasoned investment banker with a sharp eye for trends and untapped opportunity, Patricia noticed something striking early in her career: the few women near the top of corporate leadership consistently outperformed. At a time when only two women were CEOs in the Fortune 500, she dared to ask—what if we could invest in this excellence? What if we could create a market-driven solution to accelerate women’s advancement in corporate America?

Today, Hypatia Capital is doing just that. By focusing on the financial performance of women-led companies, Patricia and her team are not only proving the value of diverse leadership but helping to shift the balance of power—one investment at a time.

What inspired you to do the work you do today?

The inspiration for Hypatia dates back to the early 2000s, when—believe it or not—there were only two women CEOs in the Fortune 500. Yet, in my job as an investment banker, I noticed that the few women clients we had—those near the top of the leadership funnel—were, in my humble opinion, outperformers at all levels. It made me want to have more female clients, invest in women, and figure out if there was a way to capture the “alpha” I thought I was seeing.

How do you create impact through your work and leadership?

Hypatia is focused on disseminating the value creation results of companies with women CEOs. We believe that the more people understand that women CEOs outperform, the faster we can improve the pipeline issue in corporate America. The more information available to boards, nominating committees, search executives, and other decision-makers on successful career paths, the more we will see women promoted into senior roles—including the CEO role. Widespread knowledge of these results will drive this impact: more women CEOs.

In addition, the facts show that women CEOs tend to have more diverse leadership teams—and that trickles down through the entire organization. So, a second layer of impact is that by having more women CEOs, we increase opportunity at all levels. This can positively affect the women in your life: sisters, daughters, nieces, and friends.

Finally, we believe in the democratization of investing in women in leadership. We ask: is it on purpose that your portfolio—whatever size it may be—is over 90% invested in companies led by male CEOs? Did you know that you can bring more balance to your own portfolio and contribute to the advancement of women in corporate America? You don’t have to be wealthy to do this. The WCEO ETF is available on all public platforms—from Fidelity, to SoFi, to Schwab, Robinhood, etc.

What advice would you give to the next generation of women leaders?

The next generation of women leaders enters a workforce where the trajectory of women in leadership is trending upward. When I graduated from Harvard Business School, there were zero women CEOs in the S&P 500. Today, that number hovers around 50. Everything is possible.

But I believe women have not yet fully awakened to their economic power as consumers—and that includes consumers of financial products. Do you have a savings account at First Women’s Bank? Are you invested in women CEOs? As you become an accredited investor, have you looked into early-stage, female-focused funds? Participating in the economic and financial opportunities available to you—opportunities that help accelerate the path of women in the business world—can create tremendous change.

The next generation has an incredible opportunity to change Wall Street from the demand side—an opportunity that did not exist for past generations.

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Patricia’s work is a powerful reminder that leadership—and investment—can be intentional. If you want to learn more from women like Patricia who are creating change, driving innovation, and shaping the future, join us this June at the Women of Impact Summit. It’s a day of inspiration, conversation, and community you won’t want to miss.