All Raise VC Summit 2023: Building Community to Create the Future of
Venture & Tech
“This event surpassed expectations. The heart and sense of purpose Paige’s leadership has brought — along with the entire team- have had a huge impact. Getting the right people together — the senior female leaders in this industry — With the right content and opportunities to connect — just a beautiful and inspiring experience.” ~Anna Barber, Partner at M13
The 2023 All Raise VC Summit in San Francisco was a time to connect, build, and strengthen the network of women and nonbinary venture capitalists.
The sold-out event brought together a curated audience of:
- 400+ women and nonbinary senior investors
- Over 75% in attendance held General Partner, Partner, or Principal titles
- 250 unique firms were represented
VC Summit featured 18 mainstage speakers that delivered timely value from LPs, top investors, and experts with hallmark sessions such as:
The Diamond Partnership: Building relationships with LPs
Featuring: Rebecca Kaden (moderator), General Partner at Union Square Ventures; Theresa Sorrentino Hajer, Managing Director at Cambridge Associates; Lindel Eakman, Partner at Foundry; and Joanna Rupp, Assistant Vice President and Managing Director of Private Equity at University of Chicago Endowment
This was a candid discussion with limited partners to understand how they evaluate new managers, existing fund managers, VC returns, generational transitions and more.
Triple Platinum: Advice from women VCs who have built enduring funds and taken companies public
Brought to you by: Aditi Maliwal, Partner at Upfront Ventures; Mar Hershenson, Founding Managing Partner at Pear VC; Kirsten Green, Founder and Partner at Forerunner Ventures; Ann Muira-Ko, Co-founder & Partner at Floodgate
These prolific female investors spoke to their journey from early days in VC to taking companies public and why they believe now is a great time to be a woman or nonbinary venture capitalist.
Unearthing Economic Trends: Understanding the state of the market and how to use the data to be a more effective investor
Led by Brittany Skoda, Managing Director and Global Head of Software Banking at Morgan Stanley
Brittany delivered an up-to-date report of what’s happening with public software companies, the IPO pipeline, M&A, and the most recent outlook on the economy.
Fun & Actionable Programming
Impactful Breakout Sessions
To foster the intimacy of relationship building amongst this select group of venture capitalists, setting and creating a space where All Raisers felt free to speak candidly and openly was of the highest importance. We curated 30 breakout sessions delivered by experts from firms such as Bessemer, Cowboy Ventures, Forerunner VC, Greycroft, Maveron, Sequoia Capital, Union Square Ventures, and more. These small group discussions focused on highly pertinent topics ranging from board dynamics, to fundraising, and navigating the current exit environment.
“My hunch is that when I reflect on it a year from now, after finishing raising my first fund, I will see how much impact this specific conference had on my trajectory. The authentic willingness to connect and support each other was unique and almost always absent from any other industry conference I’ve ever attended. The breakout sessions also allowed me, as an emerging manager, to contribute to the group and add support to others. Bravo.” — Dawn Dobras, Co-founder, Capital F
Beyond the learning and networking, we built opportunities that brought delight and value to the attendees. Shopping in the complimentary gift boutique stocked with items from companies founded by women and nonbinary entrepreneurs was an elevated experience to conference giveaways, but also a tangible way to familiarize them with newer products from a colleague’s portfolio.
Attendees leaned into the art of negotiation by playing Poker Power, posed for new headshots provided by Soona, and finished the VC Summit events by challenging each other to ping pong with male allies in venture capital at Spin. Outside of the VC Summit walls, our community leveraged this gathering by continuing their relationship-building in 16+ private dinners and informal meetups.
Our sponsors, partners, and donors are the cornerstones that make all the work the All Raise community does possible. Alongside our incredible volunteers and board members, we extend our gratitude to the following Summit sponsors:
All Raise has grown from momentum to a movement. And as the tech community matures and we celebrate 10 years after the first unicorn was named, the industry better understands the importance of diversity in their companies and investments, and All Raise is the community where leaders get educated and involved.
Together we are shifting culture and power towards inclusion and equity for all people, and the data supports our mission; it’s good for humanity and business. At VC Summit, top senior venture capitalists gather to support each other in their career growth, share deal flow, and participate in larger societal impact.
“Building trust takes repetition. You see them [community members] at the Cohort meetups; we recently had a Principals [Cohort] dinner here in SF that All Raise put together, so I saw some of them there and then again here at VC Summit. The community of All Raise continues to have these interactions and intentional intersections [where we can have] discussions with each other, which builds trust and transparency.” ~Cagla Kaymaz, Citi Ventures
Our CEO, Paige Hendrix Buckner, reflected on the deep sense of belonging that she saw in the room. During her keynote, she explained, “All Raise VC Summit is a really special space where attendees feel like, ‘Some of the most amazing people in the world and our industry are at this event. I’m also here — and I feel like I belong!’”
The 2024 All Raise VC Summit dates will be announced soon, and we are very excited to share the details. Stay tuned!
In conclusion, a huge shout out of appreciation to our wonderful volunteer working group and HQ team. Their dedication brought the vision of VC Summit to life and continues to push us forward in our mission.
Left to right: Laura Maydón, Aileen Lee, Carolyn Farley, Haley Zollo, Carmen Palafox, Ita Ekpoudom
