Our impact in the venture community

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Impact

Several Venture Forward initiatives were incubated under NVCA before our launch. These initiatives include VC University, LP Office Hours, and the VC Human Capital Survey. Since our founding, we have expanded on these and developed new ones. View our 2021 Impact Report and 2022 impact highlights.

We’d also like to thank our donors and sponsors without whom our impact would not be possible. Get involved to support our work and help us continue our mission!

VC University

11 sold-out cohorts since 2019.

Educated
2,350 participants in VC University on the foundational principles of investing.

Awarded
345 full scholarships to new and aspiring investors from underrepresented backgrounds.

Matched
275 full scholarship participants with two mentors each via a robust mentorship program.

96%
Overall program net promoter score since launch.

LP Office Hours

8 programs across 5 cities + 3 virtual since 2018.

Curated
600+ meetings for emerging managers (EMs) with Limited Partners (LPs) and experienced General Partners (GPs) in LP Office Hours.

Provided
200 EMs with access to LP Office Hours to learn fundraising best practices.

Connected
90 LPs with underrepresented EMs.

100%
of participants would recommend the program to a peer or colleague.

VC Human Capital Survey

3 editions conducted in 2016, 2018, and 2020.

Collected DEI data from 375+ VC firms in 2020.

5 percentage point
increase in female investment partners 2016-2020.

2 percentage point
increase in Black junior investment professionals 2018-2020.

28 percentage point
increase for VC firms with a diversity strategy.

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VC University

10 sold-out cohorts since 2019.

Educated X,XXX participants in VC University on the nuts and bolts of VC.

Provided XXX full scholarships to new and aspiring investors from underrepresented backgrounds.

Matched XX full scholarship participants in.

XX% of participants would recommend the program to a peer or colleague.

LP Office Hours

7 programs across 5 cities + 2 virtual since 2018.

Curated XX meetings for EMs with LPs and experienced GPs in LP Office Hours.

Provided XX emerging managers (EMs) access to LPOH to learn fundraising best practices.

Connected XX LPs with underrepresented EMs.

XX% of participants would recommend the program to a peer or colleague.

VC Human Capital Survey

3 editions conducted in 2016, 2018, and 2020.

Collected DEI data from 375+ VC firms in 2020.

5pp increase in female investment partners 2016-2020.

2pp increase in Black junior investment professionals 2018-2020.

28pp increase in % of VC firms with a diversity strategy.

Program Participant Demographics

VC University

Scholarship Cohort 11

90%

identify as people of color

59%

identify as women

43%

based outside CA, MA & NY

15%

identify as LGBTQ+

LP Office Hours

Family Offices - November 2022

88%

people of color

64%

female or non-binary

52%

based outside CA, MA & NY

20%

LGBTQ+

Hear From our Program Participants

"VC University gave me the tools to understand venture and startup financing in a relatable way. I had empirical knowledge of the process, but zero academic understanding. The legal, technical, and fund nuance info I needed was covered through the course curriculum plus the invaluable office hours and lunch sessions held by top-notch VC’s. They address my real industry questions I couldn’t find in podcasts or books."
Jolynn VallejoKapor Capital
Jolynn Vallejo
"As an emerging fund manager with limited social capital, events like Venture Forward’s LP Office Hours really make the difference. I appreciate being able to connect with top-tier GPs and LPs, start relationships with them and get insights to help me on my journey to becoming a successful fund manager."
Lolita TaubGanas Ventures
Lolita Taub
"I earned a scholarship to attend (VC University LIVE), because of the opportunity granted by Venture Forward, and I was able to meet lifelong peers, connect with the speakers, make my voice heard in discussion rooms, and learn from industry leaders."
Allison MurdockID Ventures
Allison Murdock
"Venture Forward’s Comms 201 program taught me so many things I didn’t know I needed to learn on how to best work with the media."
Rami ReyesNextEquity Partners
Rami Reyes
"Venture Forward propelled me from ideation to an actual fund through the VC University Scholarship and Mentorship Programs."
Himalaya RaoBHM Fund
Himalaya Rao
"LP Office Hours was a great event that has served to move me one step closer to my goal of launching my own VC fund to invest in women and underrepresented people of color."
Nikolai SpenceIntel Capital
Nikolai Spence
"VC University was a valuable learning experience because it challenged my thinking regarding venture capital finance principles. I have really improved my knowledge in this field. I like how it enabled me to interact with staff, fellow students, and our designated mentors, and the relationships I have maintained post-course have been invaluable. It has also given me the confidence to pursue opportunities in venture capital, which have already proved fruitful."
Loleta Robinson, MD, MBAFortis Industries
Loleta Robinson, MD, MBA
"VC University LIVE is an excellent foundational introduction to the world of VC. Led by world-class VCs, instructors, and founders, the course strikes the right balance between practical and theoretical to demystify the industry."
Richard DelgadoVanguard Venture Group
Richard Delgado
"I’ve been out raising for over a year and knew I had gaps in my knowledge, but really didn’t know how to go about filling them...Thank you all again for allowing me to be vulnerable about what I didn’t know in raising my first fund."
Reynaldo TrevinoDual Use Ventures
Reynaldo Trevino
"Venture Forward’s Comms 101 was an incredible program with an extraordinary speaker line-up. Great to get to hear from such strong professionals with established brands and unique perspectives, and to connect with other diverse, emerging investors."
Sarah StebbinsICONIQ
Sarah Stebbins

Hear From our Sponsors, Board & Donors

"The startup ecosystem is the engine of our economy, and SVB is proud to support Venture Forward in its mission to improve diversity in the venture community while paving the way for the next generation of industry leaders."
Jennifer Friel Goldstein, SVB CapitalVenture Forward Board Member & Founding Donor
Jennifer Friel Goldstein, SVB Capital
"The opportunity to raise a VC fund or become a VC investor has largely not been accessible to women, people of color, and other minorities. Venture Forward’s programs like VC University and LP Office Hours are transforming the future of the industry and how more newcomers from diverse backgrounds can learn and network to build a career in funding innovation."
Charles Hudson, Precursor VenturesVenture Forward Board Member & Firm Donor
Charles Hudson, Precursor Ventures
"Venture Forward and Deloitte are doing incredible work to promote diversity, equity and inclusion by illuminating the challenges the VC industry faces and creating recommendations to assist in addressing them. I am proud to work alongside this impactful organization and use our research from the VC Human Capital Survey to help drive meaningful change."
Heather Gates, Deloitte & Touche LLPVenture Forward Founding Donor
Heather Gates, Deloitte & Touche LLP
"The venture capital industry is ripe with stories. Whether it's being able to articulate investment trends or helping portfolio companies nail a narrative, storytelling is a critical skill for venture capital newcomers. Knowing how to share these stories through press, podcasts, panels, blogs, videos, and presentations is important for building networks, for deal flow, and for helping founders. It's great to see Venture Forward prioritizing communications skills and providing hands-on lessons and support."
Sue Kwon, General CatalystVenture Forward Program Speaker
Sue Kwon, General Catalyst
"Venture Forward’s goal of growing and supporting a new generation of GPs is essential to the evolution of venture investing: who funds and who is funded. Venture Forward—with the support of NVCA—is a platform with broad reach and a mandate to drive change."
Hilary Gosher, Insight PartnersVenture Forward Firm Donor
Hilary Gosher, Insight Partners
"It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with Maryam and the team at Venture Forward. They have drawn awareness to the lack of representation in our industry, created programs to advance DEI in VC, democratized access to VC education through VC University, and provided a feedback loop on how we are doing through the VC Human Capital Survey. I’m excited to support their ongoing efforts."
Barry Eggers, LightspeedVenture Forward Board Member & Individual Founding Donor
Barry Eggers, Lightspeed
"Venture Forward’s mission to bring diversity, equity and inclusion to our industry is not only long overdue but essential if we are to keep up with global innovation in technology. True innovation might begin with a single idea, but that idea will only reach its fullest potential when the convergence of diverse perspectives occurs to fully develop and execute it. Venture Forward is providing the foundation for that all-inclusive collaboration through exceptional educational offerings and mentorship programs that will ensure we bring the best possible next generation to the investment table. I am thrilled to be able to contribute and share my experiences as part of this important and essential initiative."
Carmichael Roberts, Material ImpactVenture Forward Individual Founding Donor
Carmichael Roberts, Material Impact
"Today’s leaders want VC to continue its positive impact on society, innovation, and our economy. The next generation of leadership is our future. Venture Forward is investing in the human capital of VC by making educational opportunities accessible to new entrants while helping firms with best practices from talent management to inclusivity."
Kate Mitchell, Scale Venture PartnersVenture Forward Board Member & Individual Founding Donor
Kate Mitchell, Scale Venture Partners
"Over the years we have closely collaborated with NVCA on numerous significant legislative and regulatory initiatives. When we learned that NVCA had plans to expand its impact among the next generation of our industry and to advance a more inclusive ecosystem, we were excited to provide cornerstone funding to support these "next-gen" efforts. We are impressed with Venture Forward's progress during its inaugural year, and look forward to continuing to partner with both Venture Forward and NVCA as they influence the future of our industry."
Steve Franklin, Gunderson DettmerVenture Forward Founding Donor
Steve Franklin, Gunderson Dettmer
"We are proud to support the initiatives at Venture Forward. Establishing a platform to grow strong mentorship is an important step in advancing the DEI principles that are core to Sofinnova’s values."
Regina Salvat, Sofinnova InvestmentsVenture Forward Firm Scholarship Sponsor
Regina Salvat, Sofinnova Investments
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