Rhianon Anderson is the Senior Programs Director for Venture Forward. She focuses on efforts that break down barriers to access and participation in the VC ecosystem, expand diversity, equity and inclusion, and provide members of the VC community support and resources to help them succeed.

Before joining Venture Forward, Rhianon spent several years with Girls Who Code, where she oversaw efforts to scale programs that served tens of thousands of students, and to ensure high-quality nationwide program delivery. Previously, she served as the Director of the Congressional App Challenge, a bipartisan congressional initiative aimed at expanding STEM education opportunities across the country. As the program’s founding Director, she launched and oversaw the execution of more than 240 challenges in congressional districts across 33 states.

Rhianon received her Master’s in Public Policy from UCLA. She specialized in tech policy and spent a year researching economic development mechanisms to support the growth of LA’s startup community. During her time at UCLA, she also worked for the Luskin Center for Innovation, researching conditions faced by women and underrepresented demographic groups within the tech community.