All Raise Q1 2023 in Review: Expanded Territories, Programs, and Community Connections
The first quarter of 2023 was a great one for All Raise and our community!
Our programs are growing, our chapters are multiplying, and our community is thriving. Before we get too deep into Q2, we want to share a few moments worth celebrating with you.
A leadership transition
Paige Hendrix Buckner assumed the role of Interim CEO on February 1. In this role, she has brought new energy and excitement to the staff and community. Paige has created the space for us to honor our commitments to the community and move forward with our mission. We continued to deliver the same, high-quality programming we have offered since our founding in 2018 while broadening our efforts to support female and nonbinary founders and investors across the ecosystem.
Program expansions
Our flagship program, VC Cohorts creates peer-to-peer inner circles for women and nonbinary principals and partners at VC firms, and allows them to gain and exchange knowledge without pressure. In Q1, more than 200 principals and partners, representing 150 firms and 15 geographies (including cities beyond our chapters, like Austin, Salt Lake City, Portland, and Denver), connected through VC Cohorts. We expanded our cohort programming to include IRL cross-cohort workshops and power breakfast series where participants can build real relationships that lead to deal flow and promotions. Former cohort participant Molly Fowler, a GP at First Round Capital, has credited our relationship-building events with helping her gain a mentor in Susan Lyne, Co-Founder and GP of BBG Ventures, that eventually grew into an LP and co-investing relationship.
“Having female peers who are going through the same challenges and opportunities is game changing — and always leads to magic. Especially as a new fund manager, the opportunity to trade notes in a safe space is invaluable. All Raise uniquely rocks at that.” Molly Fowler
VC Champions program connects rising, non-partner female, as well as male Black and Latinx, investors with leading GPs of all genders at a variety of firms across the venture capital ecosystem. We curated matches for 46 Principals from six regions (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Seattle, Boston) with 55 industry leaders for mentorship and coaching. We’re proud to provide these participants with mentors from the best of the best in VC from firms like, GGV, Union Square Ventures, Sequoia, a16z, and many more.
For founders, the new Black and Latinx Media Mastery program scaled up to a National initiative after the massive success it had in Boston last year. The program size more than tripled to support 68 women from 10 US regions, representing 21 industries. Participating founders, who celebrated their graduation from the program in early March, came together to learn how to get the kind of media coverage that boosts visibility for investors and attracts customers. Before the program was over, over 20% of the cohort received media coverage, including Dr. Charmain Jackman of Innopsych, who received coverage in Oprah Daily, and Naomi Thomas of Infinity.Careers, who appeared in Vogue Business.
Chapter launch and increased programming
In partnership with GET Cities, we cemented our presence in the South’s newest, hottest tech hub with the launch of All Raise Miami Chapter at the end of January. We were joined by 300 startup and venture leaders from the S. Florida region and received the support of both Miami-Dade County Mayor Cava and Miami Mayor Suarez. We introduced our dynamic steering committee, and held a panel discussion with top local founders and investors from TheVentureCity, New World Angels, Musicasa, and KAZMALEJE about how to capture the 93% of venture funding of which women founders are left out. Contemporary art museum Superblue Miami sponsored the venue, where guests received guided tours of the immersive art exhibits throughout the launch event.
“This city is integral to All Raise and GET Cities’ joint goal to build an equitable future because Miami is a global gateway that connects many founders and investors from the global majority and it is also our first chapter city where the population is not predominantly white male.” Alexandra Pinckney, Director, Marketing, All Raise
The rest of our chapters kept the momentum going in their respective regions this quarter. All Raise Chicago hosted an International Women’s Day breakfast series and a poker power event. All Raise LA held a panel discussion called Path to an Exit which featured Anna Barber, Partner, M13, and Minnie Ingersoll, Partner TenOneTen. All Raise DC held a walk and talk for their community. After the success of their fall event, All Raise Boston announced a spring reboot of their Agents of Change event (May 17th) where founders will come together for a half-day of learning from Boston’s biggest leaders.
Inspiring startups to adopt paid parental leave
In March, we joined up with Springbank, with the support of Pivotal Ventures, to launch The Startup Founders’ Guide to Creating and Using a Parental Leave Policy, a handbook for how startups can support any new parents on their teams — not just birthing parents or those who identify as mothers. In fact, All Raise’s Director of Data and Research, Riley Mullett, wrote a blog post about how important the issue is for him as a father and partner to a birthing parent.
Our thriving community
In the wake of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse — which affected many in the All Raise community — we hosted a town hall with the theme of “Support for Founders & Investors as SVB Evolves,” in partnership with La Familia, BLCK VC, Gold House, and Black Women in VC. In total, 300+ community members attended the conversation. Attendees found relief and resolve in uniting to learn from industry experts and each other how they could navigate that uncertain time, as well as, ensure future fiscal health.
Supporting each other during turbulent times is an important part of our community, and so is celebrating the leaders that help us thrive. Payal Agrawal Divakaran, a partner at .406 Ventures hosted a breakfast with All Raise Boston to share her story about how she broke into VC, what it took to make partner in only five years, and how she balances work and family.
“Once I got the Partner title, I had a revelation: it’s a platform, not a destination. I had to build my success as an investor from that basis forward. You start to look at companies through a nuanced lens when you know that it’s not just about getting into a deal or getting experience, but that ultimately your neck is on the line for an investment outcome.”
One of the highlights of the quarter was HQ traveling to different locations to connect with our SteerCos and community leaders. We spent time in Boston in February convening with our chapter leads and leaders from Glasswing Ventures. Over two days, we had wide-ranging conversations about the continued success of our BLMM program, the importance of storytelling to change the perceived value of women in our ecosystem, and our commitment to the All Raise mission.
In March, we hosted the Q1 All Hands Meeting that brings together our national volunteer network for insider info like company updates, community celebration, and feedback.
And if all that wasn’t enough, we also announced this year’s All Raise VC Summit would be held on October 18, 2023. Last year’s summit brought together more than 500 female and nonbinary VCs to share insights and build community under the theme of “Game Changers.” Amongst our attendees, 20% identified as Black, Latinx, or Indigenous, and 22% were new to the All Raise Community. We look forward to bringing back this world class experience to the community. Save the Dates will be sent in mid-May.
Stay Connected
With three more quarters still to go in 2023, there’s a lot more on our horizon. Keep up with All Raise by signing up for our newsletter or following us on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.
