Jenny Fielding’s Post

We have a few slots for non-portfolio founders for the next online "Founders Meet & Learn by Geek Ventures" on 5/23. This one will be on addressing two typical problems we see most founders encounter: 1. Too much of administrative "busywork" that they can't delegate to anyone 2. Few open positions are targeted only for highly experienced people that have significant cost Comment & DM about your startup and stage if you're interested in joining.

Platform teams in VC go beyond funding—they support founders with operations, marketing, hiring, and more. This week, I interviewed Lauren Young (Head of Network Operations at Union Square Ventures) and Stephanie Manning (Operating Partner at Lerer Hippeau) - they shared how their firms help early-stage startups: 💡 Focused Support: USV connects founders with experts at the right time, while LH guides them through key steps like fundraising and go-to-market plans. 💼 Leveraging Networks: Both firms use their networks to help startups solve challenges and access valuable communities. 🙌 Empowerment, Not Micromanagement: USV and LH let founders run their companies, offering support when needed without adding extra tasks. Platform teams are reshaping how VCs support founders—providing value while letting them stay in control. Check out the full video of the interview below. Thank you to Annie Shapiro for helping to organize these insights!

New Valley Labs just relaunched, and we’re here to rewrite the rules of the startup world. Ohio’s always had the talent and ideas, but founders here—especially LGBTQIA+ founders, women, and those who don’t fit the typical mold—haven’t had the support they deserve. So we built a home for them, a place where big ideas grow into reality, right here in Cleveland. New Valley Labs is more than a studio; it’s a new kind of founder community, where “support” actually means something, and where “different” is the secret weapon. We’re not into the cookie-cutter approach. We’re here to bring radical ideas to life and support founders in creating businesses that stand out because they’re made from scratch, by people who aren’t afraid to shake things up. Our mission is simple: turn this region into fertile ground for the next wave of founders, giving them the mentorship, resources, and backing they need to change the game. We want to see the Midwest become a place where founders from all backgrounds come together, collaborate, and build something that matters. Over the next days and weeks, we’ll be highlighting different resources, partnerships, and safe spaces we’re building to help founders thrive. Got a suggestion on someone we should connect with? Let us know, help us grow this garden—and tell us what you want to see solved in our community. Be Different, Build Different.

👨🚀 Miami Tech Month & eMerge Americas Fuel CIVIT's Takeoff! 🚀 Miami is buzzing with innovation and we're overwhelmed by the incredible support we've received for CIVIT! 🤩 Born in the epicenter of the American housing crisis, our mission at CIVIT has never been just about putting a roof over people's heads — it's about crafting sustainable, accessible, and thriving communities. Our vision is to revolutionize the housing industry, making it not only attainable but regenerative for everyone involved. 💫 We are overwhelmed by the response from around the globe—nearly 150 applications have poured in for our Co-Founder/CTO and Co-Founder/CMO positions. Talented leaders from diverse backgrounds are stepping forward, ready to commit their sweat equity to bring our vision to life. This is a clear indication that our mission resonates deeply, attracting those who are passionate about making a significant impact. 🌍 Don't Miss Your Chance to Make History! 🌍 The window is closing soon with just 3 days left for CTO applications and a week remaining for CMO candidates. If you’re driven to make a difference and ready to tackle the challenges of the housing sector head-on, this is your moment to step up. 🔗 Today’s Agenda: Making Connections That Matter 🔗 I’m looking forward to a packed schedule of meetings with potential clients, investors, and industry partners who are as excited as we are about transforming the housing landscape. If you share our vision, I would love to connect with you in person. Let’s explore how together, we can foster thriving communities and co-create a future that is sustainable for generations to come. Together, we are not just putting roofs over heads; we are building a foundation for future generations. Join us as we propel CIVIT to new heights, making it the next big tech unicorn. Let's innovate together for a better tomorrow. 🌟 Thank you to our mayor Francis X. Suarez, great mentors and facilitators Chris Daniels, Burhan Sebin, Erick Gavin, fellow entrepreneurs of the Built in Miami program and the Venture Miami team. We are about to make history together! #CIVIT #HousingRevolution #SharedLiving #HousingInnovation #Coliving #HousingCrisis #SustainableLiving #MiamiTech #TechInnovation #JoinUs

This is an incredible time to be building a startup. If you are in LA, NYC, Toronto, or Vancouver (or want to watch Italy virtually) over the coming couple of weeks, come see and meet these amazing pre-seed startups! #startups #demoday #vc #investment #investors

Join the ranks of elite founders and join PearX, our accelerator for founders - Capital $250k to $2M - Founder to founder: Our team has started and sold 10 companies to the likes of Cisco, Instacart, Plaid, and Zynga. - Recruit the best talent: Our dedicated PearX Recruiter, Nate, will find your founding engineer, co-founder, or whatever critical hire your team needs. pear.vc/talent-services - Access Pear Studio: Everyone in PearX receives dedicated office space in Pear Studio SF, our 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art office Pear.vc/pear-studio - Build a scalable sales motion: Our go-to-market team, Pepe and Ana, will guide you through the critical steps of sales: nailing ICP, prospecting, customer discovery, messaging, and more.  pear.vc/go-to-market - Fundraise strategically: 90% of companies that go through PearX raise capital from institutional investors. - Join the best community: Joining PearX means joining a community of like-minded founders. We kick off each cohort with Camp Pear: a 3-day retreat for the entire cohort to come together, learn key company building tactics, and get to know one another. https://lnkd.in/gqsi8xAU

#TBT to last year’s #Austin Startup Week at Capital Factory—what an incredible experience! It was my first time diving into Austin's vibrant tech community, meeting innovative minds, and learning about the power of networking, community and collaboration. Little did I know that experience would shape how I approach tech and business today. At Crombie, we live by an empathy-driven philosophy. It’s not just about creating technology solutions; it’s about truly understanding the needs, challenges, and goals of our clients, partners, and employees. That first trip to Austin really opened my eyes to the importance of empathy in every part of business. In tech, it’s easy to get caught up in features and functionalities, but the real magic happens when we focus on the human side—offering solutions that are tailored to the unique experiences of the users. Empathy goes beyond technical expertise. It’s about building meaningful relationships, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that both the business and the people involved thrive together. That’s what makes Crombie’s approach so special—we're all about creating technology that aligns with people’s real needs and impacts lives in a positive way. Can’t wait to see what the next Austin Tech Week brings! 🚀✨ #EmpathyDriven #StartupLife #CapitalFactory #TechForGood #CrombieTech #HumanCentered #Innovation #TBT

Great to attend the #ReversePitch event in Leeds last night as part of UK Tech Week, where three investors from YFM Equity Partners, Par Equity and Lifted Ventures pitched to a room of fundraising tech founders. A few discussion points that stood out: 1) Human Dynamics: The importance of aligning angel investors/VCs with founders, balancing personal interactions with both the trend towards 'platformification', and the need to respect the time of founders. 2) Female Founders: The need to boost investment in female-led startups, who often exit faster and undervalue their expertise, affecting funding opportunities. 3) Regional Disparities: The challenges faced by Northern England founders in securing equity funding from angels and VCs compared to their London counterparts. Thanks to KPMG for hosting and to all of the speakers. 

We’re joining NY Tech Week for a second year, this June. It’s a panel discussion with Q+A. Bring your questions and insights. If you are experienced in BD / Corp Dev / M&A / Distressed Assets / PE: What are you seeing in the market in 2024 and how will this change in 2025? What are common mistakes that founders and investors make, and how to avoid them? If you are a founder: How do you plan for selling your startup at a successful exit or at a distressed price? If you are an investor as an angel / emerging manager / VC / PE / secondaries: What do you do to best support your founders? Last year, we had 50 seats and 500 people sign up. We are very grateful to have your interest in joining our conversation this year. https://lu.ma/4950c6z2

It’s NY Tech week and my new favorite thing is teaching underrepresented founders how to talk back to investors. So many of them ask me for help fundraising, and I get it. I may not always think of myself as an expert, since I’m lucky enough to surround myself with people who are much more experienced at it than I am. But we did do it successfully once, raising more than $3M along the way with little more than a deck, a dream, and an incredible founding team. Of course, we’re all aware that this success puts us in the teeny tiny cohort of startups who raise without a traditional-looking founding team. So what’s the common theme in my advice to non-traditional founders at the early stage? Push back. It’s easy to get intimidated by investors. They’re smart, aggressive, and ask really hard questions. It can be hard to remember that YOU are the expert on your market. They are generalists. Even if they have strong opinions on your market, it’s OK to tell them when you think they’re wrong. In fact, if you have the conviction and confidence (plus evidence to back it up), disagreeing with your prospective investors can even be seen as an advantage. When a VC asks you a question at the pre-seed stage about your path to $100M in ARR, it’s OK to say “dude, we’re a pre-seed company. I know what our path is to get to a million, and we will have a lot to figure out after that.” Now, this only works if you have a track record that can support your confidence. Or if you don’t know the answer, but you DO know HOW you’re going to figure it out, talk about the path from experimentation to scalability. It’s better than making up a bunch of stuff that you’ll probably throw out eventually, and VCs will respect your focus and defense of your precious little time. Plus, they can usually tell if your confidence is lacking in your answer, anyway. This investor market is a tricky one, but never forget that they (investors) need you (founders) just as much as you need them. And hey, if you’re an up and coming female or underrepresented founder, and you need some help (or just a pep talk) I’d love to help. Happy Tech Week everyone!!