Max Stenbeck Venture Equity Program

Oct. 29-Dec 6, 2024

The Max Stenbeck Venture Equity Program supports NYU founders who are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion learn the fundamentals of Venture Capital fundraising. Participants partake in a series of four workshops with founders and investors to gain knowledge to navigate the fundraising process successfully, and participate in office hours with investors to get feedback on their pitch and fundraising strategy.

Application Deadline

Apply by Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 6pm

Who Can Apply?

  • Highly scalable differentiated ventures who are committed to DEI in entrepreneurship,
  • At least one founder who is a current NYU student, faculty, staff member OR recent alumni, and
  • Which are positioned to begin raising funding in the next three-six months

Benefits

  • Workshops and panels led by venture-backed entrepreneurs, investors, and startup lawyers
  • Office hours with VCs
  • Invite to attend NYU’s 2025 Friends & Family Demo Day to network with investors

Success Stories

Resist Nutrition makes plant-based, keto protein bars filled with science-backed ingredients with functional benefits for hormone health and blood sugar support.

Drew Lederman

Founder & CEO

(Tisch '20)

Jīvikā teaches mindfulness through micro-habits to reduce frontline caregiver burnout and attrition.

Ayman Mukerji

Founder and CEO

(Silver '21)

ViBILLER aims to develop technology to measure group engagement and emotional arousal in real time and in naturalistic settings like live concerts and performances.

Dana Bevilacqua

Co-founder

(GSAS '17)

Alluder is a database and Google Chrome extension that allows users to create and discover annotations on Netflix and Hulu shows.

Adam Peterson

Founder

(CAS '15)

Math & Coding tutoring for children in the US by women student tutors in India - makes tutoring accessible and affordable to every child in the US, normalizing STEM among girls, empowering students to work in India, helping young women tutors do fulfilling work from the safety of their homes.

Ann Andrews

Founder

(Stern '23)

Shop Rodeo is a mobile application that leverages short-form video content to streamline the discovery-to-checkout process for the young, socially-driven shopper and effectively compensates content creators for their direct impact on brand sales.

Lindsay Perper

Founder

(Stern '23)

Resist Nutrition makes plant-based, keto protein bars filled with science-backed ingredients with functional benefits for hormone health and blood sugar support.

Founder(s)

  • Drew Lederman (Tisch '20) |
  • Emily Cohen (Steinhardt '22) |

Social

Jīvikā teaches mindfulness through micro-habits to reduce frontline caregiver burnout and attrition.

Founder(s)

  • Ayman Mukerji (Silver '21) |
  • Tapan Mukerji |

Participated in

ViBILLER aims to develop technology to measure group engagement and emotional arousal in real time and in naturalistic settings like live concerts and performances.

Founder(s)

  • Dana Bevilacqua (GSAS '17) |

Website

Alluder is a database and Google Chrome extension that allows users to create and discover annotations on Netflix and Hulu shows.

Founder(s)

  • Adam Peterson (CAS '15) |
  • Aaron Peterson (Tandon '23)
  • Tara Wilson (CAS '14)

Website

Social

Math & Coding tutoring for children in the US by women student tutors in India - makes tutoring accessible and affordable to every child in the US, normalizing STEM among girls, empowering students to work in India, helping young women tutors do fulfilling work from the safety of their homes.

Founder(s)

  • Ann Andrews (Stern '23) |

Website

Social

Shop Rodeo is a mobile application that leverages short-form video content to streamline the discovery-to-checkout process for the young, socially-driven shopper and effectively compensates content creators for their direct impact on brand sales.

Founder(s)

  • Lindsay Perper (Stern '23) |

Website

Tell Me More

What You Can Expect

The Max Stenbeck Venture Equity program will help founders understand the different types of funding, fundraising best practices, and spell out the mechanics of receiving investment capital. Workshops and panels will be led by venture-backed entrepreneurs, investors, and startup lawyers. Both during and after the program, participants will have the opportunity to meet investors and other advisors through office hours and coaching. 

When/where will it take place? 

The program is held from approximately 3-6pm ET on Oct. 29 (in person), Nov. 5 (via Zoom), Nov. 12 (via Zoom), & Dec 6 (in person). Participants (the CEO or founder in charge of fundraising for the venture) are expected to attend ALL sessions. 

Schedule and topics (subject to change): 

  • Session 1 – Investor Landscape: From Accelerator programs offering money, Friends & Family, Angels, Venture Capital firms, and non-equity funding alternatives
  • Session 2 – Fundraising Process: Investor fit, raise amount and terms, materials to create, putting a funnel together, soft-circling and closing
  • Session 3 – Storytelling, Soft Skills & Biases: Storytelling frameworks,  investor meeting expectations, investor updates, unconscious & conscious biases
  • Session 4 – Investor Diligence Process: Closing a round, diligence, terms and data rooms

Other benefits: 

Participants are invited to participate in coaching sessions with members of NYU’s Innovation Venture Fund team, as well as office hours with external investors to get feedback on their pitches and the investment process.

Who leads the workshops/lectures? 

The workshops/panels are led by the NYU’s Innovation Venture Fund team, startup lawyers, VCs, and venture-backed founders. Last year, speakers included the founders of of Ephemeral TattooMyWellbeingHealthBoxedFunnel LeasingStatespace (Aimlab), MightyShe Matters and GigFinesse, investors from 500 StartupsTechstars2048 VenturesHearstLabAlumni Ventures and Flat World Partners, and legal guidance from Brown Rudnick.

Who the Max Stenbeck Venture Equity Program is For

The program is designed for founders building scalable ventures who are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in entrepreneurship and who are new to the fundraising process from VC/institutional investors. The program is built for venture founders that have early traction and indications of product/market fit. Ventures who apply should be ready to raise funding in the next 6 months. If you have raised an angel or friends & family round and want to get ready to pitch to institutional venture capitalists, this program is also for you.

In addition, ventures are evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • NYU Status: Open to ventures with at least one founder who is a current NYU student, faculty, staff member, or researcher OR recent alumni (within 2 years of graduating from NYU)
  • Scalability of Venture: For highly scalable, differentiated, for-profit ventures. The program is NOT open to those working on lifestyle ventures, such as agencies, consulting practices, brick and mortar retail, real estate, etc. 
  • Sector of Venture: The program is for ventures across varied sectors including software, hardware, biotech, social ventures (for profit/scalable), consumer products and more. 
  • Stage of Venture: The program is for those who may be in a position to fundraise within six months of the program’s conclusion. Thus, ventures should have a working product (in beta is acceptable), have demonstrated proof of demand (or ideally first paying customers), a validated initial revenue model, and have a vision for a path to scalability.
  • Stage: Venture founders should have conducted rigorous customer discovery to validate problem-solution fit, and be able to provide evidence of demand through early customers/sales/pilots.
  • Suggested Prerequisites: Founders should have an existing MVP/Beta that they’re actively testing/piloting with customers. Alumni of our Tech Venture Program and Startup Accelerator Program will receive extra consideration. If you have not completed any of these programs but are still interested in applying to the program, please sign up for a coaching appointment so we can get to know your venture before you apply.

All ventures meeting these criteria are eligible to apply to the program. Those ventures run by women, non-binary, Black, LatinX and LGBTQ+ founders are encouraged to apply.

Ventures at an earlier stage are highly encouraged to apply for a Startup Bootcamp (for students) or Tech Venture Workshop (for full time faculty/PhD/researchers) to take the first steps toward validating the needs of their future customers and designing the right solution to fit their needs.

Honoring Max Stenbeck's Legacy

The Max Stenbeck Venture Equity Program honors the life and legacy of entrepreneur and philanthropist Max Stenbeck. Max Stenbeck was a passionate believer in technology for good, as well as an advocate for equal opportunities and the rights of vulnerable children. The Max Stenbeck Charitable Fund continues to give back in his legacy, including through the generous support of the Max Stenbeck Venture Equity Program at NYU.