When @jeanbrownhill set out to build @sweeten_home —an online marketplace that matches homeowners with vetted general contractors—she knew she could create a system that would allow home renovations to run more smoothly, without the headaches of miscommunications and missed deadlines. Still, when she secured her first big win and big investment, she could hardly believe it. “Being a woman, being African American—your first yeses, you almost don’t know how to react because you’re so not used to it,” says Brownhill, who has raised $20 million in capital for Sweeten, which currently has $1.5 billion worth of projects in its pipeline. “I did not yet know how to walk through open doors. Luckily, I have since learned to do just that.”