Female VC Lab

Kimberley is Founder and Managing Partner at Open Venture Capital (OVC), an early stage, consumer venture capital fund. The fund invests in health and wellness brands that have the ability to expand from product to platform via a unique product, marketing and/or community engagement approach. Open Venture Capital began as Open Venture Studio, and for several founders we continue to invest time and expertise to help build a clear value proposition and a path to scalability before investing capital. ★ Support this podcast ★

Kulika Weizman is a principal at Creative Ventures. She leverages her operational experience as a synbio co-founder & CEO and her scientific expertise to lead investments in early-stage deep tech companies solving humanity’s most critical crises: rising healthcare costs, climate change, and labor shortages. ★ Support this podcast ★

Saaya Nath is a Partner at Jump Capital. She joined Jump Capital in 2020 and leads new venture capital investment opportunities. Prior to joining Jump, Saaya worked as a strategy consultant at Boston Consulting Group, where she spent time in the Private Equity practice and across a variety of strategy and operations projects. Saaya attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, earning a BS in Computer Engineering. Her areas of focus include Creator economy, Future of Work, Enterprise Education, Web3 and Future of Commerce. ★ Support this podcast ★

Tasneem Dohadwala is the Founding Partner of Excelestar Ventures. Some of her notable investments include Augmenix (acq. by Boston Scientific), nVision (acq. by Boston Scientific), Conformal Medical, and Brixton Biosciences. Tasneem is also a Managing Partner of Golden Seeds, and has always been excited to further women leadership in business. ★ Support this podcast ★

Ashley is a Principal at VamosVentures. She started her career at Morgan Stanley in Capital Markets and moved into strategic roles at Shoptiques.com, Saks Fifth Avenue and Estee Lauder. She was previously an investor at Brand Foundry Ventures, Founders Factory and Dorm Room Fund. Ashley holds a BA from Brown University and an MBA from MIT Sloan. ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Cecilia Lenk, CEO of Netcapital Inc., built Netcapital on the commitment to bring awareness and provide guidance to underrepresented founders including women and minorities, through its funding portal and advisory services. Cecilia is an entrepreneur truly passionate about women’s access to careers in finance and technology, two of the largest industries lacking diversity. Cecilia’s mission is to empower innovators and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds to be successful in their own endeavors to provide solutions. She wants to help facilitate this by leveling the playing field for access to capital and strategic resources to create more inclusive capitalism. ★ Support this podcast ★

Lisa Feria is the CEO and Managing Partner of Stray Dog Capital, one of the most prolific and well-recognized venture capital funds in the plant-based market. With more than 45 investments in the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Israel, and New Zealand, Stray Dog Capital invests in early-stage food, food-tech, and biotech companies that will transform our food system. Lisa brings more than 20 years of experience in food operations and consumer packaged goods and led billion-dollar brands in multinational companies such as Procter & Gamble and General Mills. Lisa has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. A Kauffman Fellow (Class 22), Lisa has been selected twice to the “Top 100 Most Influential Latinas” list. A passionate vegan and triathlete, Lisa serves on the boards of Mercy for Animals, the Great Plains SPCA, Miyoko’s Creamery, and Deliciou. ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Oksana Malysheva is the Managing Partner/CEO of Sputnik ATX. Dr. Malysheva previously held top strategic roles at McKinsey and Motorola, and holds a PhD in Physics. She is committed to fueling social innovation solutions, her mission is to create positive social change through education, technology and innovation. ★ Support this podcast ★

David M. Rubenstein is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Lead, The American Experiment, and The American Story. He is cofounder and cochairman of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest and most successful private equity firms. Rubenstein is Chairman of the Boards of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the National Gallery of Art. He is an original signer of The Giving Pledge and a recipient of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy and the MoMA’s David Rockefeller Award. The host of Bloomberg Wealth with David Rubenstein on Bloomberg TV and The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations on Bloomberg TV and PBS, he lives in the Washington, DC, area. BOOK INFO, PLEASE VISIT: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/How-to-Invest/David-M-Rubenstein/9781982190309 ★ Support this podcast ★

Anna Barber is a partner at M13, an LA-based venture capital fund investing in the future of consumer behavior, where she focuses on future of work, ecommerce infrastructure, and Web3. She is also a partner at the Fund LA and was previously the Managing Director of Techstars LA. ★ Support this podcast ★

Ba Minuzzi, CEO of UMANA, is a self-made entrepreneur who leads conscious investing and wealth management for high-net-worth celebrity clients. With UMANA, Ba is redefining wealth through purpose-driven efforts that will create a legacy for the next generation. ★ Support this podcast ★

Julie Castro Abrams is Founder and CEO of How Women Lead, a network of 14,000+ top executive women who come together to learn, break barriers to success and make an impact. Using her extensive background as a CEO, entrepreneur, investor and sought-out leadership expert, Julie helps top executive women to harness and activate their power across all aspects of their careers and lives. She is widely recognized for her incredible ability to connect people and facilitate rich conversations that make change happen. As one of our nation’s premier visionary leaders in gender equity and justice, Julie leverages her expansive networks and influence with leaders to affect systems, policy change and to give hope and inspiration to women working to break glass ceilings across our society. ★ Support this podcast ★

Neotribe Ventures manages nearly $450M in assets across three funds focused on early to growth-stage companies and has invested in a diverse set of companies including computational biology, enterprise security, blockchain technologies, cleantech, and more. Rebecca co-manages Ignite, Neotribe’s $90M growth-stage fund, which was recently launched in March 2022. ★ Support this podcast ★

Katalyst Ventures is a stage agnostic venture fund investing in game-changing ideas and the entrepreneurs behind them — leaders with ingenuity, grit, devotion who build companies that last. We help founders and their teams accelerate their path to market and scale their businesses by being a deep bench of operators and technologists. ★ Support this podcast ★

Creadev is an evergreen investment firm operating worldwide, controlled by the Mulliez family, founders of one of the largest Business to Consumer retail platforms in the world. Our mission is to give access to essential goods and services such as Food, Healthcare and Sustainable Consumption to many as possible. Based in Paris, New-York, Shanghai and Nairobi, Creadev has invested over $3bn since 2002 in companies in stages ranging from venture to growth equity and buyout. In the US, we focus on VC investments in Food Tech and Ag Tech sectors from Series A to C. ★ Support this podcast ★

Race Capital invests, builds, and partners with exceptional founders building market-transforming companies. They work side by side with our founders as early as possible, every step of the way. They have successfully built our own companies from small to big, from nothing to IPO, and want to help others do the same. ★ Support this podcast ★

SoGal Ventures is the first female-led millennial venture capital firm, with an investment focus on exceptional, diverse founding teams that have plans for global domination through tackling major consumer or healthcare problems in the U.S. and Asia. SoGal Ventures represents how far our generation has come, and how deep our impact on the world can be. ★ Support this podcast ★

Irene Arias Hofman, a Spanish national, was appointed CEO of IDB Lab, the IDB Group innovation laboratory, in January 2018. Irene leads a purpose-driven multidisciplinary team that fosters innovation for inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean. Under her direction, the lab uses tools of financing, knowledge, and connections to co-create projects and support entrepreneurship. IDB Lab looks for market-driven solutions able to transform the lives of populations that are vulnerable due to economic, social or environmental factors. ★ Support this podcast ★

Melissa Stevens is the executive director of the Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy, leading its work with individual and family philanthropists and foundations seeking to deploy their capital to make a transformative, sustainable impact. Since co-founding the Center in 2015, she has overseen the creation and execution of strategies which have influenced $1 billion in philanthropic capital, and managed the development of programs and organizations including the Melanoma Research Alliance, the largest private funder of melanoma research. ★ Support this podcast ★

Nicole Valentine is the FinTech Director of the Center for Financial Markets at the Milken Institute with over a decade of financial services, international Mergers & Acquisitions, technology and innovation experience. She leads the FinTech Program with a focus on access to capital, financial inclusion, compliance and transparency. ★ Support this podcast ★

1863 Ventures accelerates New Majority entrepreneurs from high potential to high growth by bridging entrepreneurship and racial equity. ★ Support this podcast ★

Stage is a female-led private equity fund focused on acquiring orphaned venture-backed companies who are in need of an alternative path to success. ★ Support this podcast ★

Financial Venture Studio is on a mission to help entrepreneurs build the world’s best fintech companies. We help early-stage startup founders get to market quickly, grow rapidly, and build an enduring market presence. Beyond capital, the firm provides operational experience, leadership support, and access to the typically closed financial services ecosystem. Learn more at http://www.finventurestudio.com/. ★ Support this podcast ★

PsyMed Ventures is a $25m venture fund focused on cutting edge mental health treatments including psychedelic therapeutic, neurotechnology, precision psychiatry and digital therapeutics. PsyMed Ventures invests in pre-seed, seed and Series A round. A third of PsyMed's current portfolio companies are co-founded by female founders. PsyMed donates 4.19% (wink to Bicycle Day, the day LSD was invested) to indigenous communities and non-profits in psychedelics space. ★ Support this podcast ★

Ganas Ventures is a traditional 506c $10M fund investing in pre-seed and seed Web 2 and Web 3 community-driven startups in the US and Latin America. ★ Support this podcast ★

Trailyn VC is an early seed stage venture fund investing in diverse deep-tech founders in the US. Trailyn VC leads and invests in areas of Blockchain, AI, AR/VR, IoT and Quantum Computing. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rogue Women's Fund is an early seed stage venture fund investing in women-led tech companies across the US. Rogue leads and invests in areas of consumer health tech, caring economy, experience tech, and equity tech. Rogue has a founder centric model that includes investor involvement, sharing the GP carry with founders, and providing access to performance coach and an emergency elderly and child care stipend. ★ Support this podcast ★

Sapphire Ventures is a leading venture capital firm that partners with visionary teams and venture funds to build companies of consequence. For nearly two decades, Sapphire has been investing capital, resources and expertise in innovative startups and technology-focused venture funds around the world. With more than $6.8B in AUM across Sapphire Ventures, Sapphire Partners and Sapphire Sport, and with team members in Austin, London, Palo Alto and San Francisco, Sapphire is well-positioned to help scale companies and venture funds, elevating them to become global category leaders. ★ Support this podcast ★

Fuel Venture Capital is committed to propelling groundbreaking ideas into world-changing companies and democratizing access to the creative economy to shape the future of society. The firm's "founder focused, investor driven" approach is led by a core team with more than 60 years of combined experience in investment banking, wealth management, executive leadership and entrepreneurship. The fund boasts a portfolio of 31 companies based around the globe across numerous sectors, bringing positive impact to virtually all corners of our modern economy. ★ Support this podcast ★

Gale Wilkinson is the founder and Managing Partner at Vitalize, a seed fund and angel community investing in future of work + learning software. Previously, Wilkinson founded IrishAngels, one of the largest angel groups in the country. Gale has led $65M+ in early stage deals across 80+ portfolio companies. Her experience prior to VC includes founding two failed startups, consulting for new product launches with Nielsen, and strategy with Orbitz. ★ Support this podcast ★

TenOneTen is an early stage venture fund based in LA investing in software and data companies. We are techies and like companies with technical differentiation. ★ Support this podcast ★

Recast Capital is a 100% women-owned venture capital platform that invests in and supports top-tier emerging fund managers, with a focus on diverse partnerships. The platform includes two offerings: 1) a fund investment strategy providing LPs diversified exposure to emerging managers and 2) a tuition-free educational program for GPs. ★ Support this podcast ★

VenturePole is an AI-powered venture investment platform and venture capital firm. Our platform is armed with smart tools like our Investment Risk Rating, that uses machine learning to predict startup survival, alongside our Valuation Calculator and Company Strength & Weakness Analysis. Our tools are unbiased and factor in the diversity surplus, as well as help startups fundraise easier and investors make better investments faster. VenturePole is the official partner of HealthInc, the health tech accelerator of Startupbootcamp. ★ Support this podcast ★

InHealth Ventures is a London based, health-tech focused, early stage, transatlantic fund which backs founders who are on a mission to solve painful, pervasive healthcare challenges. Through its link to the InHealth Group (the UK’s largest specialist provider of diagnostic and healthcare solutions), the team has a breadth of commercial and operational experience that allows them to support portfolio companies across R&D, go-to-market, and regulatory strategy. ★ Support this podcast ★

Unicorn Hunters spotlights emerging growth companies looking to hit the coveted $1B “unicorn” valuation mark, while rallying individual investors worldwide to help fund these breakout ventures. The show creates a new genre for audiences — enrichtainment —combines entertainment with the potential for consumers worldwide to back pre-IPO investment opportunities, democratizing wealth. ★ Support this podcast ★

Vinaj Ventures is a boutique innovation and investment services firm with presence in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Atlanta. Telosity, their latest fund, is dedicated to investing in Pre-Seed and Seed-Stage companies offering both scalable and affordable mental wellbeing digital solutions for young people. ★ Support this podcast ★

Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're present in 35+ locations across five continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we've invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. For more information, visit [https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com](https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/) ★ Support this podcast ★

Human Ventures is a business creation platform. We go beyond the business model and seek opportunities to build Model Businesses with ambitious founders who are innovating around Human Needs. By unlocking access to a powerful network of founders, investors and corporate partners, we are creating a blueprint for the future of business to be built on purpose. ★ Support this podcast ★

Republic gives people power to invest in the future they believe in by providing access to startup, real estate, crypto, and video game investments. Focused on creating a diverse, sustainable, connected world, Republic has facilitated over $300 million in investments from over one million global community members. With a global team in six countries, Republic is backed by Galaxy Digital, The Motley Fool, Binance, Naspers, AngelList and more. For more information, visit republic.co. ★ Support this podcast ★

H Venture Partners is a female-founded, owned and controlled venture capital firm focused on purpose-driven, science-backed consumer brands. Led by a team of consumer experts with unparalleled experience as former consumer executives, the firm was co-founded by managing partner Elizabeth Edwards, a leading investor who has identified billion-dollar brands. ★ Support this podcast ★

Simple Food Ventures is a $2M mission-driven, early-stage venture fund investing in the future of healthy foods and products categorized in the better-for-you space. We look to partner with companies and passionate founders who are creating minimally processed, nutrient-dense, and nourishing products that are better for the body and the environment. Our investments range from $50K - $150K. In addition to a financial investment, we prepare our portfolio companies for successful entrances into conventional grocery. Our overall mission is to create access to healthy food for all. ★ Support this podcast ★

We invest early stage at the intersection of blockchain/AI and impact. ★ Support this podcast ★

USAKO Group is an international investment and accelerator company, which has presence in U.S.A. and S. Korea. The Group is an official global partner of S. Korean governmental agencies, and has played highly active roles in U.S. and S. Korean startup ecosystem for many years. USAKO Group's goal is to provide softlanding pad for any qualified companies entering U.S. and S. Korea. In the past 24 months, USAKO Group successfully ran programs, resulted in investment commitment of over $25M. USAKO Group and its leadership also have focused on training and supporting female and minority enterpreneurs around the world. For the past 2 years, our group designed and operated multiple programs in order to promote women's startup, including close collaboration with two of top women's university in S. Korea. ★ Support this podcast ★

Laurence Innovation (LI) is an investment fund powering the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). At a time when emerging fields like artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), genetic engineering, and quantum computing are rapidly transforming the global economy, we can’t afford to overlook the most innovative entrepreneurs in the country. However, that’s exactly what far too many investors (particularly early-stage VCs) are doing by failing to fund diverse founders, confining their investments to saturated markets like software, and using cumbersome investment models that prevent them from taking risks. ★ Support this podcast ★

FISV invests in early stage businesses redefining wealth and asset management globally and that are strategic to Fidelity International. ★ Support this podcast ★

VC Include is an exclusive ecosystem and marketplace designed for GPs and LPs to expand investment opportunities that improve investment outcomes through the power of diversity. This ecosystem drives alpha to investors while also moving the needle on shaping a more equitable and empowered world. VC Include has built the infrastructure for an inclusive economy and is a forerunner in connecting diverse founders with ESG and impact investing. Learn more about VC Include at [www.vcinclude.com](http://www.vcinclude.com/). ★ Support this podcast ★

Yes, we operate immersive programs for growth-stage entrepreneurs offering solutions to seemingly intractable challenges. Yes, we are also a multi-media company, a private global network, and an investment firm. We forge unlikely partnerships with some of the world’s largest institutions and most admired brands, and we operate multiple initiatives across asset classes, industries and geographies, because we are dedicated to doing whatever it takes to drive resources to and break down barriers for entrepreneurs solving BFPs. ★ Support this podcast ★

Playground Global is an early stage venture capital fund, based in Palo Alto, that invests in frontier technologies with the potential to create multi-generational impact. The table is a community for female and non-binary investors, operators, and founders in enterprise and deep technology. ★ Support this podcast ★

We are a seed fund that invests in technology startup companies, located in Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay, that address global challenges. We believe that technology investment should not be confined to mainstream hubs like Silicon Valley, London, or Beijing. It is our mission to bring technology access and economic prosperity to Latin America through investment. The initial portfolio of 20 companies will benefit from MrPink’s Venture Design & Growth Playbook, leveraging our experience by building, investing and refining over 40 startups, producing 10x returns and multiple exits. Our partners and diverse leadership team have brought together decades of hands-on experiences to invest in high-quality entrepreneurs and help them succeed along the growth journey. ★ Support this podcast ★

Global Ventures is an international venture capital firm, investing in founders and ideas across emerging markets. We back global-minded founders that are leading growth-stage companies and using technology to transform emerging markets and the world. The Global Ventures team is a diverse, collaborative, talented and curious group of professionals who, combined, have years of experience and expertise building and scaling companies. ★ Support this podcast ★