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.
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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):
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 Tattoo, MyWellbeing, HealthBoxed, Funnel Leasing, Statespace (Aimlab), Mighty, She Matters and GigFinesse, investors from 500 Startups, Techstars, 2048 Ventures, HearstLab, Alumni Ventures and Flat World Partners, and legal guidance from Brown Rudnick.
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:
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.
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.
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