Dream Boldly. Aim Higher. Play To Win. Replay: All Raise VC Summit 2024: All Stars
On the field of venture capital, we’re more than investors — we’re risk-takers and changemakers. We’re coaches, players, and teammates. We see opportunity in places others don’t. We are All Stars. At All Raise VC Summit 2024, we proved that success isn’t just about numbers but also the collective power of our voices to break barriers and reshape the industry.
All Raise VC Summit: All Stars took place along the oceanside cliffs of The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, from November 12–14, 2024. This highly curated annual conference is the event for women and nonbinary senior venture capitalists in the U.S. to meet with other investors, LPs, male allies, emerging leaders in VC, and tech visionaries. Our 2024 conference brought together the following power players:
- 300+ women and nonbinary senior venture capitalists
61% of attendees hold GP and Partner level titles in VC across all AUM bands - 250 VC firms in attendance
41% of attendees hold check writing positions at funds with >$100M AUM - 42 VC funds, tech companies, financial institutions, and ecosystem partners as VC Summit sponsors
90% of sponsors attended
“Inspiring, positive, and great opportunity to meet and network with tremendous human beings!”
- Becky Connolly, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Tiger Iron Capital
The Big Game
All Raise VC Summit: All Stars brought all star power to the event, from a thoughtful main stage program to bespoke community-led breakout sessions and intentional networking opportunities. We showcased Olympians, professional athletes, AI visionaries, VC pioneers, and political leaders to share what’s possible.
All Raise VC Summit.
“As more women and underrepresented people assert their influence in business and beyond, they ensure wealth doesn’t remain concentrated in the same pockets. This, combined with the powerful mission-driven people at VC Summit, creates a new space where there was once a dearth, a space to invest in ventures aligned with our familial and long-term sustainable values, support for the greater good, and empowerment of future generations,” Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the First Partner of California, shared from the main stage.
The VC Summit speakers and audience shared the sentiment and drive to accelerate progress: “Something we feel excited about is seeing more women step into leadership roles across companies at every stage. This includes women taking on leadership roles in technology, business, and operations and seeing more women, people of color, and people from all demographic groups participating in the business conversation,” Daniela Amodei, Co-Founder & President of Anthropic, shared.
Aileen Lee, Managing Partner at Cowboy Ventures and All Raise Co-founder.
Other speakers, including Alex Morgan, 2x FIFA World Cup Champion, Olympic Champion, Entrepreneur, Investor, and now venture capitalist, talked about the mindset she built going from soccer MVP to VC. She spoke about not being deterred by adversity or being undervalued but using them to create positive momentum to do hard things and prove yourself right.
“I’ve been told no; I’ve been told I’m not good enough. I’ve been told maybe ‘down the road’ multiple times, and I’ve looked at it as, okay, how can I learn from this? How can I grow from this? How can I continue betting on myself and lean in more — rather than distancing? Because of that, I know myself best,” Morgan said. “Transitioning from sport into venture, building a fund, growing a media company, it’s hard work. As I dig in, I’m learning that no’s aren’t hard no’s; they are ‘not right now’s,’ which I can shift.”
Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and pro-cyclist Kristen Faulkner shared how she sees venture and cycling, two aspects of her life that seem individually focused, as team sports.
“In cycling, it’s this idea that, even though we’re in it for ourselves as individual athletes, we’re going to work together in a race so we can all succeed. It’s better to set up the team than the individual — and that requires a lot of trust,” Faulkner shared in her conversation with Emily Melton, Managing Partner at Threshold. “I think it’s similar in venture. You get your own deals, and you rely on the collective wisdom of your firm for feedback to help you win deals and be a better board member. It’s like, I’m going to help you with your deal, you’re going to help me with mine, and collectively, we’re all going to be better off.”
At VC Summit, mainstage conversations are a way to learn from active leaders on the field. This year’s programming created space for allies and limited partners to connect with All Raisers. Knowing that meeting limited partners is a priority in our community, a dedicated half-day session at the end of the conference was designed to connect attendees with 35+ limited partners and allies in the room.
Through a candid panel discussion, attendees heard in-the-trenches details about working with GPs from four different LPs across the spectrum. Heidi Patel, Managing Partner at Rethink Impact, led an insightful conversation setting up attending investors to take advantage of the LP roundtable sessions that immediately followed.
Mainstage content was rounded out with market presentations from Silicon Valley Bank and Morgan Stanley, where senior leaders from the firms shared insights and trends, including the continued dominance of tech and a cautious but optimistic outlook for 2025, directing VCs to focus on profitability and strategic mid-size deals.
None of the mainstage conversations would have packed the same value if it weren’t for the conversation hosts, including Emily Melton, Managing Partner at Threshold; Elisa Schreiber, Marketing Partner at Greylock; Aileen Lee, Managing Partner at Cowboy Ventures; Ita Ekpoudom, Partner at GingerBread Capital; and Heidi Patel, Managing Partner at Rethink Impact. These are some of the industry’s most senior and prolific venture leaders and visionaries, as well as All Raise founders and volunteers who understand the community’s needs because they are the community.
Team Huddles, Half-Time Activations, and an Expanded Roster
One of the best ways to take advantage of the conference and strengthen your spot in the VC lineup is to forge connections and capture insights during the 20+ community-led, closed-door breakout sessions. In these sessions, senior investors from all corners of the industry talk candidly about topics like mastering portfolio construction, unlocking LP capital through compelling narratives, navigating board dynamics, and more.
“Insightful breakout topics with amazing thought-leaders facilitating.”
- Mica Mayo, Co-founder and General Partner at Untapped Investing
This year’s breakouts were hosted by 55 community members from firms like Bessemer Venture Partners, General Catalyst, GV, Pear VC, Sequoia, and Ulu Ventures. These conversations brought together a broad range of perspectives to support attendees in their efforts to become wildly successful.
VC Summit emphasized venture capital as a team sport, highlighting the importance of supportive networks, mentorship, and creating opportunities for each other. These themes manifested across the conference by inviting Allies and Limited Partners to the event for dedicated programming and opportunities to connect with All Raisers. In total, 35 allies and LPs attended from institutions like 50 South Capital, Allocate, Blueprint Capital Partners, General Catalyst, GingerBread Capital, Homebrew, Ingeborg, Next Legacy, and UTIMCO — to name a few.
The programming and networking were enhanced with key experiences to keep the atmosphere exciting and engaging. Activations included a book signing with the author of the children’s book Leena Mo, CEO, Deena Shakir, General Partner at Lux Capital, an All Star Essence perfume bar hosted by Lúcent Labs, and fan photos with Olympian Kristen Faulkner.
Co-chairs Ita Ekpoudom, Holly Maloney, and the 14 other VC Summit volunteers partnered with Paige Hendrix Buckner and All Raise HQ team to create an inclusive and inspiring event. The theme of “All Stars” resonated throughout, celebrating individual excellence and collective progress.
All Raise VC Summit 2024 demonstrated that the venture capital industry is not just changing but actively working to create a more diverse, equitable, and innovative ecosystem. The conference concluded with optimism, energy, and a collective commitment to continue pushing boundaries and creating opportunities so that women and nonbinary venture capitalists have the access, knowledge, and tools to move money, shift power, and change culture.
The All Raise VC Summit Planning Team, aka
- Paige Hendrix Buckner, CEO, All Raise
- Ita Ekpoudom, Partner, GingerBread Capital (Co-Chair)
- Holly Maloney, Managing Director, General Catalyst (Co-Chair)
- Aileen Lee, Founding and Managing Partner, Cowboy Ventures
- Caroline Lewis, Managing Partner, Rogue Women’s Fund
- Chelcie Taylor, Investor, Notable Capital (fka GGV U.S.)
- Courtney Chow, Vice President, Battery Ventures
- Dana Wildeboer, VP of Communications & Community, All Raise
- Elisa Schreiber, Marketing Partner, Greylock
- Grace Ma, Investor, Bessemer Venture Partners
- Guarika Sharma, Investor, BAM Elevat
- Heather Widman, Partner, Building Ventures
- Julie Jackson, Director of Events, All Raise
- Maitree Mervana Parekh, Principal, Acrew Capital
- Mary D’Onofrio, Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners
- Nmachi Jidenma, Partner, General Catalyst
- Priya Banerjee, Principal, B Capital Group
- Sarah Pinto, Partner, Venture Investing, Emerson Collective
- Victoria Treyger, General Partner, Felicis
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