She Studied Paint That Survived 30,000 Years. Then She Had to Survive a Room Full of Investors.
Gena Arthur built a paint brand inspired by prehistoric pigments. Raising the capital to grow it taught her something no cave painting ever could.
Deep inside a cave in France, Gena Arthur stood in front of charcoal and ochre pigments painted 30,000 years ago — still vivid, still intact.
One question stayed with her long after she left the cave: how did these paints survive tens of thousands of years without peeling, fading, or breaking down — while the paint going on modern walls today is loaded with petroleum derivatives, volatile compounds, and microplastics?
Gena decided the paint industry had lost touch with something basic. So she built her own: a plant-based paint safe enough to rinse down the sink or pour straight into a compost bin.
She called it Pure Paint. It grew from a local project into a brand with real retail partnerships — the kind of traction that usually makes the next step obvious: raise capital, scale faster.
Pure Paint's early formulas — built from the same idea that kept Lascaux's pigments intact for millennia.
The raise Gena needed to fund Pure Paint's next stage of growth. She assumed the traction would speak for itself.
“I walked into every meeting with a great product and a great story. It still wasn't enough — the room always wanted something else from me.”
What Changed
Women founders are asked harder, more skeptical questions in the investor Q&A — and almost nobody trains for it.
Gena found InvestorQ&A, a 12-week program
built by Dr. Ellen Farrell to train founders specifically for
the post-pitch conversation — the part of the meeting where
deals are actually won or lost. Practicing with the program's
Role-Play Console changed how Gena walked into every room
afterward: she stopped reacting to investor questions and
started controlling the conversation.
Pure Paint's raise came together. Gena credits the shift less
to her pitch deck, and more to what happened after she stopped
pitching and started answering.
250+
women founders trained
$31M
raised after training
12 wks
live, cohort-based program
Led By
Dr. Ellen Farrell
Founder & Lead Instructor, InvestorQ&A
Backed by research on how investors actually decide, Dr. Farrell has personally trained 250+ founders through live, cohort-based sessions — not pre-recorded video.
Meet Dr. Ellen FarrellTrusted by CWRU LaunchNet · Build Ventures · MWAF · SVX · CEED
Before You Go
A few quick answers
Is this pre-recorded, or do I actually talk to someone?
You work live with Dr. Farrell in a small online cohort — including a personal introductory session before the program starts.
Is the free consultation actually free?
Yes. It's a short conversation to see whether the program fits where your raise is right now — no obligation to enroll.
What if I can't join the next cohort?
Ask during your consultation — cohorts run on a regular schedule, and the team can point you to the next available start date.
Working With Investors?
Your Q&A doesn't have to feel like an ambush.
“Now I walk into every room differently. I'm not waiting for their questions anymore — I'm leading the conversation.” Gena Arthur · Founder, Pure Paint
Discover how our 12-week program helps founders prepare for investor Q&A. Explore the details in our program brochure.
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