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On Feb. 21, the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute hosted the 6th Annual Female Founders Forum at the Kimmel Center’s Rosenthal Pavilion. This event brought together an inspiring community of founders, investors, and entrepreneurial minds for a day of conversations, insights, and invaluable networking. Whether you’re a first-time founder, an experienced entrepreneur, or an aspiring investor, the event underscored the importance of resilience, equity, and the power of community in the startup journey.
Keynote with Lia Winograd: You Either Win or You Learn
Lia Winograd (Stern MBA ‘19), co-founder & co-CEO of Pepper, delivered an engaging keynote, sharing her journey of building a direct-to-consumer brand that has redefined beauty standards for small-chested bodies.
Winograd emphasized the mindset that she and her co-founder, Jaclyn Fu, live by: “You either win or you learn.” This philosophy guided them through countless rejections, operational hurdles, and the challenge of scaling a product-based business.
Winograd spoke candidly about how founders often seek investor validation as a vanity metric, rather than focusing on building a sustainable business.
“Investor validation can be very distracting,” she noted, stressing the importance of retaining equity and staying true to one’s vision.
She also shared insights on the co-CEO dynamic, describing it as a relationship built on trust and likening it to a business marriage with a prenup. Winograd and Fu’s complementary skill sets and shared vision helped them scale Pepper from a Kickstarter campaign (which was 470% funded!) to an eight-figure business — without traditional VC funding.
Her advice to early-stage founders? Leverage your network. “Find trusted advisors, use your peers, and don’t be afraid to ask the person who knows the person who knows the person.”
Founders Panel: Scaling with Strategy
The Entrepreneurs Panel featured an incredible lineup:
- Ayman Mukerji Househam (Silver ‘20), Founder of Jivika
- Nisha Maheshwari (Tandon ‘25), Co-Founder of CaroRhythm
- Aleksandra Medina (Abu Dhabi ‘20), Co-Founder of Frich
- Jane Chen, Co-Founder of Stepwise
Moderated by Stephanie Shyu, associate director at the NYU Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship, the discussion covered scaling strategies, founder challenges, and operationalizing a vision. Founders shared the realities of wearing multiple hats in the early years of their startups, the importance of clearly defined roles within teams, and how to navigate growth without compromising the core mission.
Investors Panel: Demystifying Venture Capital
The VC panel provided an insider’s look into early-stage investing, featuring:
- Nicole Ripka (Stern ‘23), Betaworks
- Lori Berenberg (Stern ‘17), Bloomberg Beta
- Zoe van den Bol (Stern ‘21), Alpha Partners
- Shivani Mathur (Stern ‘19), Comcast Ventures
Moderated by Azade Hosseini, PhD, venture associate at NYU Entrepreneurial Institute, the panelists reflected on their paths into VC, unpacked trends in AI, and discussed key investment KPIs.
Nicole Ripka emphasized that venture capital is ultimately a people-focused job, especially in the early stages.
“You often have to do the job before you officially have it,” Ripka said, referencing the importance of building relationships, understanding founder dynamics, and being thoughtful with a VC’s time.
The panel also touched on the difference between corporate venture capital (CVC) — where firms like Comcast Ventures invest in strategic opportunities — and traditional VC firms that focus purely on financial returns.
For founders looking to raise capital, the discussion highlighted the contrast between VC funding and angel investing. While angels are more driven by a founder’s vision, venture-backed investors often have their own investors to report to, which can create additional pressures on founders.
Closing Reflections & NYU Startup Poster Session
The day wrapped up with the Mentor of the Year Award Ceremony, recognizing Alyssa Petersel (Silver ‘17), founder & CEO of MyWellbeing, for her outstanding dedication to guiding and supporting emerging NYU entrepreneurs. Attendees then explored NYU’s thriving startup ecosystem through a postering session, featuring ventures such as Building Diagnostic Robotics, CaroRhythm, Endure Sport Nutrition, and Plurall AI.
Final Thoughts: A Community That Uplifts
The Female Founders Forum is more than just an event — it’s a testament to the strength, vision, and tenacity of women in entrepreneurship. Whether through the keynote’s lessons on navigating rejection, the founder panel’s insights on operational growth, or the VC panel’s candid advice on fundraising, one thing was clear: building a company is not a solo journey AND it takes a lot of work to get there.
As Winograd reminded us, you don’t necessarily need co-founders, but you do need a strong network. Events like these help foster that network — one introduction, one shared story, and one opportunity at a time.
If you missed this year’s Forum, mark your calendar for next year. And in the meantime, keep building, keep learning, and keep lifting each other up.
Join us at an upcoming Female Founders Lunch & Info Session on April 9 (at the NYU MakerSpace) or May 1 (at the Leslie eLab)! We're currently searching for extraordinary entrepreneurs to join the Fall '25 cohort of our NYU Female Founders Fellowship. The Fellowship is open to NYU students, faculty, and staff who are building scalable startups and dedicated to advancing gender equity in entrepreneurship. Applications are due Monday, May 5 at 6pm ET.
