About – Venture Forward

About Us

Venture Forward is a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit driving the human capital, culture, values, and narrative of venture capital to promote a strong and inclusive community that will fuel the economy of tomorrow. Venture Forward is focused on shaping the future of venture capital by offering programming, data and research, and resources that are empowering the ecosystem’s ability to thrive.

Venture Forward’s efforts revolve around four key areas of focus:

DE&I:  Advancing a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive ecosystem; 
Education:  Educating a new generation of VC investors to equip them with the tools to succeed, and informing the general public about the role of VC on the US  economy; 
Research & Data:  Conducting and sharing meaningful research on VC trends and impact; and
History:  Capturing the rich history of the industry and distilling insights to shape the future

The future of our industry is dependent on investing in and addressing these needs today.

Press Releases

NVCA Launches Nonprofit Venture Forward to Shape the Future of Venture Capital (6/16/2020)

Venture Forward will focus on industry advancement initiatives around diversity, education, research, and history, while NVCA continues to advocate on behalf of the venture industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Venture Forward connected to NVCA?

The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) officially launched Venture Forward in June 2020 as a supporting organization.

Venture Forward will build upon existing industry advancement efforts incubated under NVCA, and produce programs, resources, research, and events to promote a strong and inclusive ecosystem. Both organizations will benefit from a cost-sharing structure, while expanding the capacity of each to focus on its specific missions.

Venture Forward will focus its full attention on efforts that support the internal well-being of the VC community, while NVCA continues to focus its full attention on shaping public policy that is critical to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. By structurally separating its advocacy and industry advancement efforts, NVCA and Venture Forward are both better equipped to meet the needs of the venture community.

Why now?

Venture Forward has been in the works for a few years. The earliest fabric traces its roots to the formation of the NVCA Diversity Task Force in 2014, and the launch of VentureForward in 2017 as an NVCA initiative focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. NVCA received the IRS designation to start Venture Forward in 2018, at which point they began fundraising in advance of a formal launch. Venture Forward was initially scheduled to launch at the NVCA Leadership Gala in March, 2020, but the event was postponed due to COVID.

Several converging trends have led to the formation and launch of Venture Forward now as a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a continued focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion but also a broader approach to helping shape the future of VC:

NVCA’s policy needs are increasing and getting more complex. At the same time, NVCA is increasingly being asked to address a host of non-policy needs that have emerged as the venture industry has matured and evolved.  Having a complementary but separate organization with the mission, leadership, and resources to focus solely on investing in the health of the industry ensures a long-term, sustainable approach to addressing these critical areas.

The VC industry today looks very different than it did even ten years ago. It is bigger, more professional, and increasingly diverse. Human capital is critical and more fluid. As our industry has matured, industry demand for programs to support the next generation of VC leaders has increased. Paving the way for their success will affect how VC impacts our economy, society, and innovation in the next 50+ years.

The VC industry is undergoing a period of transition as the impact of the global pandemic unfolds. The future of the industry, firm operations, talent management, and the culture of VC are more critical now than ever before as we enter an economic downturn.

VC has been concentrated in certain demographics and a few geographies, and systemic barriers to entry continue to persist in our industry. We must keep the focus and momentum on expanding opportunities and access to capital for those from historically underrepresented groups.

The VC industry is small. What venture capital is, how it works, and why it’s important is increasingly misunderstood by those outside of our industry. We must own the narrative of VC.

What kinds of initiatives and programs will Venture Forward lead?

Venture Forward’s work aims to:

expand opportunities for people of all backgrounds to access the venture industry and thrive
offer the new generation of investors resources and programs that will help them succeed and build upon the legacy paved before them
provide resources that help firms build strong, healthy cultures and values
share best practices for talent management, recruitment, retention, and promotion
help small, new firms grow and thrive
help large, established firms become multi-generational through guidance on succession planning and managing human capital
create a way for industry luminaries to give back and set the next generation up for success
educate the general public on the important role of venture capital

Key programs include:

VC University– Foundational certificate course on venture finance that democratizes access to quality VC education. VC University has two distinct components: VC University ONLINE, an online certificate course, and VC University LIVE, three-day, in-person course held in partnership with universities across the country. Venture Forward is proud to offer a limited number of full scholarships for each program.

Impact to date:

4 VC University ONLINE cohorts since launch in 2019
500+ total participants
54 full scholarships awarded to women, people of color, or other historically underrepresented groups
Latest cohort full scholarship breakdown: 78% women; 48% Black; 43% non-Black people of color; 66% based outside California, Massachusetts, or New York.

2 VC University LIVE programs in 2019 (with University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Tulane University in New Orleans)
126 participants across 2 programs
10 full scholarships awarded to women, people of color, and people from historically underrepresented groups

LP Office Hours – Half-day events that connect emerging managers from historically underrepresented groups with Limited Partners (LPs), experienced General Partners (GPs), and each other.

Impact to date:

4 programs held since launch in 2018 (Palo Alto, Boston, Washington, DC, Los Angeles)
104 emerging fund manager participants
43 Limited Partners and 22 experienced General Partner hosts
183 one-on-ones and 74 small roundtable discussions facilitated

Human Capital Survey – Captures critical data on the workforce at venture capital firms; develop a baseline understanding of demographics within the VC industry; and uncover the current state of diversity and inclusion across the industry. 

Impact to date:

Initial survey administered and results released via report and dashboard in 2016, with participation from 217 VC firms.
Second survey administered in 2018 and results released via report and dashboard in 2019, with participation from 203 VC firms.

Venture Forward also leverages the great work other organizations around the ecosystem are doing to accomplish aligned goals. Industry resources, events, and research are collated on the Venture Forward website to help newcomers and those active in the industry navigate these.

Who is leading Venture Forward?

Venture Forward has a separate board from NVCA. The Venture Forward Board of Directors includes:

Christy Chin (Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation);
Bobby Franklin (NVCA);
Jennifer Friel Goldstein (Silicon Valley Bank);
Charles Hudson (Precursor Ventures);
Ray Leach (JumpStart);
Kate Mitchell (Scale Venture Partners); and
Scott Sandell (NEA)

The Team: Maryam Haque serves as the Executive Director, and Rhianon Anderson is the Programs Director.

How is Venture Forward funded, and who is supporting Venture Forward?

Venture Forward is funded through the generous support of our corporate donors, individual donors, and VC firms.

Corporate Founding Donors:

Silicon Valley Bank (Anchor-level)
Deloitte (Angel-level)
Gunderson Dettmer (Partner-level)

Individual & VC Firm Founding Donors:

60+ leaders in the VC industry.

View the full list of corporate and individual donors here.

Contributions are tax-deductible as permitted by law. To learn more about financially supporting Venture Forward, please view the donation options here and contact Maryam Haque at maryam@ventureforward.org.

Who can get involved with Venture Forward and how can I learn more?

Anyone in the venture ecosystem or looking to enter VC is encouraged to engage with Venture Forward:

Sign up for our latest news, events, and resources
Participate in our programs to learn or volunteer your time to give back to the industry
Submit relevant industry resources, readings, research, and events
Let us know what additional programming would be helpful – email us at hello@ventureforward.org
Donate!

Why is advancing the next era of venture capital important?

Venture capital is an American national treasure. It has fueled the advancement of innovation, economies, and people. It has created value, jobs, wealth, and life-changing products and services. Though venture capital as an industry may be young and as an asset class may be small, high-growth startups and their long-term investors have truly changed the world.

To continue the success of the industry’s past 50 years to the next 50 years and beyond, we must expand opportunities for people of all backgrounds to access the venture ecosystem and thrive. We must educate future leaders on best practices and help them learn from the industry’s rich history. We must help firms build strong, healthy cultures and values. We must keep the public and ecosystem informed through qualitative and quantitative insights.

By investing in tomorrow’s leaders today, we shape the next era of venture capital.

Learn More

10,000+

high-growth startups—across all 50 states and DC—raised venture funding in 2019 to build and grow their businesses.

42%

of all U.S. IPOs from 1974 to 2015 were venture-backed companies, representing 63% of the market capitalization and 85% of R&D.

2.9 million

is the average net jobs created annually between 1980 and 2010 by high-growth startups, which account for ~50% of gross jobs created in the U.S.

1,300+

U.S. venture firms are active today, managing an aggregate of $444 billion in assets.

About Us

Press Releases

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is advancing the next era of venture capital important?

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