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Your Weekly VC & Startup Roundup
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VC & Startup News
Spotlight: Jess Lee (Sequoia)
Jess Lee has carved a unique path in Silicon Valley, seamlessly bridging the worlds of entrepreneurship, product design, and venture capital. As a Partner at Sequoia Capital, she invests in and mentors early-stage startups, leveraging her deep operational expertise to help founders navigate the highs and lows of building transformative companies.
Before becoming a VC, she was the co-founder and CEO of Polyvore, a fashion and e-commerce platform that was later acquired by Yahoo, where she served as VP of Product Management. She began her career at Google, working on Google Maps and launching Google My Maps, shaping her user-centric approach to product design. In 2016, she made history as Sequoia’s first female investing partner in the U.S., bringing deep founder empathy to her work. She is also a co-founder of All Raise, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing diversity in venture capital. With a background in product and design, she seeks startups that combine innovation with intuitive user experiences. Passionate about supporting underrepresented founders, Lee continues to shape the future of tech by mentoring, investing, and advocating for inclusivity.
Women in Business
🚀 Thasunda Brown Duckett: The First Female CEO of a Trillion-Dollar Financial Giant (Cieun)
Thasunda Brown Duckett, CEO of TIAA and a mother of four, is one of the few Black women to lead a Fortune 100 company, overseeing over $1 trillion in assets. From humble beginnings to a top executive role, she is committed to closing wealth, education, and career gaps. Duckett is a vocal advocate for mentorship and diversity, using her platform to inspire the next generation.
💬 “I know that I can bring a different perspective to how to solve some of the toughest problems in our country.”
The Skimm Joins Everyday Health in Major Acquisition (Cieun)
📩 Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, co-founders of theSkimm, have successfully sold their media company to Ziff Davis' Everyday Health Group. Founded in 2012, theSkimm began as an email newsletter aimed at millennial and Gen Z women, growing into a suite of products with millions of readers. The acquisition allows theSkimm to integrate into Everyday Health's portfolio, focusing on health and wellness content. Weisberg and Zakin will continue with the company, aiming to leverage Everyday Health's resources to better serve their audience.
Taming frizzy hair has built us a £3.7m business (Michelle)
👩🦱 Abigail Reid, founder of Merwave, has built a successful haircare brand aimed at taming frizzy, wavy hair, generating £3.7 million in sales last year. Starting Merwave in 2020 during the pandemic, Reid faced initial challenges but persevered. The brand, which uses lightweight, hydrating ingredients, has seen significant growth and is expected to exceed £5 million in sales as it expands to the US. Reid emphasizes the importance of focusing on strengths and employing freelancers to fill gaps, valuing freedom and family time as measures of success.
Rachel Nieves Advocates Against Gentrification (Michelle)
❤️ Rachel Nieves, co-owner of Buddies Coffee in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, shared an emotional TikTok on February 25, revealing her struggle with rent hikes and a new competitor threatening her business. The video went viral, attracting support from the community, including celebrity Joe Jonas. Nieves, concerned about contributing to gentrification, was initially hesitant to open the shop. Despite challenges, including financial fears, she and her partner Taylor Nawrocki managed to establish the business and even started negotiating for a second location in Manhattan. The community’s support has since rallied around them, offering spaces to keep Buddies Coffee in Williamsburg. The experience has underscored the importance of community and addressing gentrification’s impact on local businesses.
Female Representation
Trend of increasing female representation within PE and VC
📈 In 2025, 27% of UK-based investment professionals are women, up from 24% in 2023. Women now hold 15% of senior investment roles, up from 12% in 2023. A report indicating that 23% of senior roles in venture capital firms are held by women, compared to 13% in private equity firms, shows a positive trend in female representation.
Miami’s women in VC are rewriting the investment playbook
🏝️ Venture capital remains a male-dominated industry. Despite decades of discussion around diversity, the numbers have barely budged. In the US, women still make up less than 15% of decision-makers at VC firms, and only 2% of total VC funding goes to startups founded solely by women.
The statistics are stark. But in Miami, a growing number of female investors are working to change that. Their insights highlight the progress made, and the work still ahead. Let’s hear directly from them on where we are and where we need to go.
From Seed to Success: Broader Backing for Women Entrepreneurs
💼 According to a recent PitchBook-NVCA report, deal value for female-founded companies skews heavily toward later-stage firms, with over 60% of 2024’s US VC deal value concentrated in late-stage and venture growth rounds. So while more established female-led companies are securing funding, we continue to see younger companies struggle to survive or even get off the ground.
Trending Stories
Female Founders And Women VCs: An Unrealized Opportunity
🧑⚖️ Women remain significantly underrepresented in venture capital as investors and founders seeking funding. This lack of representation hinders innovation, economic growth, and job creation. Women face persistent challenges in the VC industry, including a lack of access to funding and limited representation in investment decision-making roles.
Despite these challenges, the number of women VCs is increasing, and are being recognized for their outperformance. Female founders are growing their share of exits, making more money available to invest. This positive trend signals a potential shift toward a more inclusive and accessible VC ecosystem.
Beyond the 2%: The Case for Investing in Women
🌎 Case in point: Women-led startups accounted for less than 2% of total VC activity and 6.4% of deal count in the U.S. in 2024, according to a Carta report. Thankfully, there appears to be a growing awareness of this funding gap. The number of venture funds specifically dedicated to female-led businesses is increasing worldwide, and more women are earning strategic decision-making roles related to portfolio growth within VC firms.
Job Opportunities and Events
Summer & Part-Time Opportunities
🍐 PearX S25 (Apply Here!)
💸 Sengo Sprint Grant for Women-Led Businesses (Apply Here!)
💡 Alexis Ohanian’s 776 Fellowship 4th Cohort (Apply Here!)
👩🔬 2025 Fusion Fund Venture Fellowship (Apply Here!)
🗽 2025 Collaborative Fund Associate Program (Apply Here!)
🏠️ Hatch House in NYC (Summer 2025) (Apply Here!)
🪨 MBA Summer Associate at Stepstone Group (Apply Here!)
🚇️ MBA Summer Associate at Samvid Ventures (Apply Here!)
🪙 MBA Summer Associate at MetaProp (Apply Here!)
🚉 Summer Intern at Two Sigma Ventures (Apply Here!)
💰️ Investment Analyst Intern at Tencent (Apply Here!)
🏫 College and High School Summer Interns at RevisionDojo (YC F24) (Apply Here!)
🌊 High School Summer Venture Intern at 1435 Capital Management LLC (Apply Here!)
📑 Marketing Intern at NYC Startup (Apply Here!)
🚉 NYC Tech Week Ambassadors (Apply Here!)
🤖 OpenAI Academy (Apply Here!)
Full-Time Opportunities
🤖 Investment Analyst (AI/ML) at TDK Ventures (Apply Here!)
🎵 Senior Associate, HubSpot Ventures at HubSpot (Apply Here!)
🎮️ Investor at Griffin Gaming Partners (Apply Here!)
💳️ Partner 16, Technical Operations Analyst, Crypto at a16z (Apply Here!)
📇 Partner 32, Assistant Controller, Crypto at a16z (Apply Here!)
🗂️ Partner 36, Portfolio Finance, Early Stage Venture at a16z (Apply Here!)
🛝 General Counsel at Playground Global (Apply Here!)
🕙️ Associate at TenOneTen (Apply Here!)
🐩 People Operations Associate at Greycoft (Apply Here!)
🏝️ Community Operations Specialist at Outlander VC (Apply Here!)
🚗 Manager, Venture Investing at Capital One Ventures (Apply Here!)
🪢 Investment Manager at Wix Ventures (Apply Here!)
🛗 Senior Analyst at Elevate Ventures (Apply Here!)
⛴️ Venture Capital Associate at Connecticut Innovations (Apply Here!)
📈 Venture Partner at Node VC (Apply Here!)
🍁 Associate, Strategy & Investments at RBCx (Apply Here!)
🩺 Investor, Health Team at a16z (Apply Here!)
👩💼 Associate at Entrepreneurs First (Apply Here!)
🔌 Ventures Analyst/Associate, Health at Plug and Play Tech Center (Apply Here!)
⭐️ Investment Manager, Techstars (Apply Here!)
🌟 SpaceTech Managing Director, Techstars (Apply Here!)
🌿 Associate, Investment Funds at Rev1 Ventures (Apply Here!)
⛰️ Program Manager at gBETA Bronze Valley VentureLab (Apply Here!)
🌆 Investment Analyst at Frontier Ventures (Apply Here!)
🌃 Investment Associate, Healthcare at Upfront Ventures (Apply Here!)
⚕️ Chief of Staff at Eniac Ventures (Apply Here!)
👨👩👧 Investor, Family Office at Interplay (Apply Here!)
🏦 Venture Capital Investing Senior Vice President at Citi Ventures (Apply Here!)
🗼 Analyst, Ventures Team at Tower Research Capital (Apply Here!)
🥬 Analyst, AgriFood at Lewis & Clark Partners (Apply Here!)
👩🏫 Principal at age1 (Apply Here!)
👩🔬 Finance & Investor Relations Manager at First Momentum Ventures (Apply Here!)
⛓️ Partner, Ventures at Chan Zuckerberg Initiatives (Apply Here!)
💹 Growth Associate at B Capital (Apply Here!)
Upcoming Events
⭐️⭐️ 2025 Girls Into VC at Berkeley Summit ⭐️⭐️
Want to learn how VCs think, build a startup, or secure funding?
Join us at the Girls Into VC at Berkeley 2025 Summit on April 6th, 2025, from 10 AM - 5 PM at the Presidio, San Francisco, for a full-day experience dedicated to empowering women in venture capital and entrepreneurship.
What to expect:
- Fireside chats, keynotes, and roundtable discussions to sharpen your investment and startup skills
- A pitch competition with a $5K non-dilutive prize
- Exclusive networking with VCs, founders, and industry leaders
Whether you're refining an investment thesis, launching a startup, or perfecting a pitch deck, this summit will provide the skills and connections to help you move forward.
👉️ Register here!
🎟️ Tickets: $35, use the code GIVCMEMBER for 50% off
⭐️⭐️ Show Her The Money Boston Screening ⭐️⭐️
Interested in VC, building a business, or just gaining a deeper understanding of finance? Join MELD for this movie night in April in partnership with William Blair’s Capital Collective.
This is more than just a screening. The evening will feature a fireside chat with industry experts and emerging entrepreneurs, followed by a networking session with professionals in the field.
Please share with friends and secure your ticket HERE!
NYC Design Event Hosted by Contrary and Ramp: Undo. Undo. Redo. (Learn More!)
📆 April 3, 2025 @ 6:00 PM EST
Deep Techies - Funders & Founders Happy Hour (Pasadena, CA) (Learn More!)
📆 April 3, 2025 @ 4:30 PM PST
Women & Nonbinary Founders' Demo Day – Startup Innovation & Networking (SF) (Learn More!)
📆 April 3, 2025 @ 5:30 PM PST
NatSec Tech Happy Hour (Boston) (Learn More!)
📆 April 4, 2025 @ 8:00 PM EST
She's in Tech Social no. 2 (DC) (Learn More!)
📆 April 5, 2025 @ 2:00 PM EST
Women in Cleantech: Hike and Network (Beverly Hills, CA) (Learn More!)
📆 April 6, 2025 @ 9:00 AM PST
Startup Friends - Coffee & Chill - Satori & SeedLegals (NYC) (Learn More!)
📆 April 6, 2025 @ 12:30 PM EST
Visionary Happy Hour (Glendale, CA) (Learn More!)
📆 April 8, 2025 @ 6:00 PM PST
LA Female Founders Lunch (Learn More!)
📆 April 9, 2025 @ 11:00 AM PST
Startups Need Students: The Power of Student Interns (Boston) (Learn More!)
📆 April 9, 2025 @ 5:00 PM EST
Miami Women in Web3 & Tech | Networking Mixer | Miami Tech Week (Learn More!)
📆 April 9, 2025 @ 6:00 PM EST
Sync & Sip (Anaheim, CA) (Learn More!)
📆 April 10, 2025 @ 5:30 PM PST
Cofounder Matching (Boston) (Learn More!)
📆 April 14, 2025 @ 5:30 PM EST
Navigating AI in Women's Healthcare: Insights from VC & Founders (NYC) (Learn More!)
📆 April 17, 2025 @ 6:00 PM EST
Product Growth Forum (SF) (Learn More!)
📆 April 17, 2025 @ 6:00 PM PST
Austin Female Founders & Friends (Learn More!)
📆 April 18, 2025 @ 8:30 AM CST
Startup Art Fair San Francisco 2025 (Learn More!)
📆 April 18-20, 2025
Fintech Is Femme Leadership Summit 2025 (NYC) (Learn More!)
📆 April 23, 2025 @ 12:00 PM EST
Female Founders & Funders Gathering @ SF Climate Week (Learn More!)
📆 April 23, 2025 @ 2:00 PM PST
Data On Tap with GreatPoint Ventures (Oakland, CA) (Learn More!)
📆 April 23, 2025 @ 6:00 PM PST
Go-To-Market in the Age of AI: Fireside Chat with Katy Nelson, Partner at a16z (Boston) (Learn More!)
📆 April 25, 2025 @ 3:00 PM EST
HBC25: Blockchain in Action (Boston) (Learn More!)
📆 April 26, 2025 @ 9:00 AM EST
