Jenny Fielding’s Post

Platform teams in VC go beyond funding—they support founders with operations, marketing, hiring, and more. This week, I interviewed Lauren Young (Head of Network Operations at Union Square Ventures) and Stephanie Manning (Operating Partner at Lerer Hippeau) - they shared how their firms help early-stage startups: 💡 Focused Support: USV connects founders with experts at the right time, while LH guides them through key steps like fundraising and go-to-market plans. 💼 Leveraging Networks: Both firms use their networks to help startups solve challenges and access valuable communities. 🙌 Empowerment, Not Micromanagement: USV and LH let founders run their companies, offering support when needed without adding extra tasks. Platform teams are reshaping how VCs support founders—providing value while letting them stay in control. Check out the full video of the interview below. Thank you to Annie Shapiro for helping to organize these insights!

New Valley Labs just relaunched, and we’re here to rewrite the rules of the startup world. Ohio’s always had the talent and ideas, but founders here—especially LGBTQIA+ founders, women, and those who don’t fit the typical mold—haven’t had the support they deserve. So we built a home for them, a place where big ideas grow into reality, right here in Cleveland. New Valley Labs is more than a studio; it’s a new kind of founder community, where “support” actually means something, and where “different” is the secret weapon. We’re not into the cookie-cutter approach. We’re here to bring radical ideas to life and support founders in creating businesses that stand out because they’re made from scratch, by people who aren’t afraid to shake things up. Our mission is simple: turn this region into fertile ground for the next wave of founders, giving them the mentorship, resources, and backing they need to change the game. We want to see the Midwest become a place where founders from all backgrounds come together, collaborate, and build something that matters. Over the next days and weeks, we’ll be highlighting different resources, partnerships, and safe spaces we’re building to help founders thrive. Got a suggestion on someone we should connect with? Let us know, help us grow this garden—and tell us what you want to see solved in our community. Be Different, Build Different.

This is an incredible time to be building a startup. If you are in LA, NYC, Toronto, or Vancouver (or want to watch Italy virtually) over the coming couple of weeks, come see and meet these amazing pre-seed startups! #startups #demoday #vc #investment #investors

👨🚀 Miami Tech Month & eMerge Americas Fuel CIVIT's Takeoff! 🚀 Miami is buzzing with innovation and we're overwhelmed by the incredible support we've received for CIVIT! 🤩 Born in the epicenter of the American housing crisis, our mission at CIVIT has never been just about putting a roof over people's heads — it's about crafting sustainable, accessible, and thriving communities. Our vision is to revolutionize the housing industry, making it not only attainable but regenerative for everyone involved. 💫 We are overwhelmed by the response from around the globe—nearly 150 applications have poured in for our Co-Founder/CTO and Co-Founder/CMO positions. Talented leaders from diverse backgrounds are stepping forward, ready to commit their sweat equity to bring our vision to life. This is a clear indication that our mission resonates deeply, attracting those who are passionate about making a significant impact. 🌍 Don't Miss Your Chance to Make History! 🌍 The window is closing soon with just 3 days left for CTO applications and a week remaining for CMO candidates. If you’re driven to make a difference and ready to tackle the challenges of the housing sector head-on, this is your moment to step up. 🔗 Today’s Agenda: Making Connections That Matter 🔗 I’m looking forward to a packed schedule of meetings with potential clients, investors, and industry partners who are as excited as we are about transforming the housing landscape. If you share our vision, I would love to connect with you in person. Let’s explore how together, we can foster thriving communities and co-create a future that is sustainable for generations to come. Together, we are not just putting roofs over heads; we are building a foundation for future generations. Join us as we propel CIVIT to new heights, making it the next big tech unicorn. Let's innovate together for a better tomorrow. 🌟 Thank you to our mayor Francis X. Suarez, great mentors and facilitators Chris Daniels, Burhan Sebin, Erick Gavin, fellow entrepreneurs of the Built in Miami program and the Venture Miami team. We are about to make history together! #CIVIT #HousingRevolution #SharedLiving #HousingInnovation #Coliving #HousingCrisis #SustainableLiving #MiamiTech #TechInnovation #JoinUs

I attended an insane meeting called Headstarter Pathways to Tech where we saw Dustin Beadle, Nabeel Alamgir🦄, Logan Havern, Shariar Kabir and Miguel Acero and couldn't help but share some key takeaways from them 📝 🔹Start conversations with compliments and thoughtful questions. It's all about building connections, as Headstarter CEO Yasin Ehsan 🚀 suggested. 🔹Understand the history of computer science and algorithms - it's not just about the latest trends! Thanks for this pearl of wisdom, Dustin Beadle from LTIS. 🔹Don't underestimate the power of collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution skills in tech 💼 🔹Your nationality or passport doesn't define your career potential. Focus on networking, leadership skills and continuous learning. Remember: hard work, hustle and persistence are crucial in achieving career goals in tech 👩💻 Do you know something very interesting? Ruby made a partnership with Headstarter and they are going to take couple of fellows from this program as their interns without any interviews. It's a great opportunity for all the fellows Feeling motivated? Headstarter uploaded the video of the meeting too if anyone wants to watch. Video Link: https://lnkd.in/eyxDAneK Let's make our mark in the tech industry 💪 #TechIndustry #CareerGoals #Networking #CommunicationSkills #Headstarter

Join the ranks of elite founders and join PearX, our accelerator for founders - Capital $250k to $2M - Founder to founder: Our team has started and sold 10 companies to the likes of Cisco, Instacart, Plaid, and Zynga. - Recruit the best talent: Our dedicated PearX Recruiter, Nate, will find your founding engineer, co-founder, or whatever critical hire your team needs. pear.vc/talent-services - Access Pear Studio: Everyone in PearX receives dedicated office space in Pear Studio SF, our 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art office Pear.vc/pear-studio - Build a scalable sales motion: Our go-to-market team, Pepe and Ana, will guide you through the critical steps of sales: nailing ICP, prospecting, customer discovery, messaging, and more.  pear.vc/go-to-market - Fundraise strategically: 90% of companies that go through PearX raise capital from institutional investors. - Join the best community: Joining PearX means joining a community of like-minded founders. We kick off each cohort with Camp Pear: a 3-day retreat for the entire cohort to come together, learn key company building tactics, and get to know one another. https://lnkd.in/gqsi8xAU

#TBT to last year’s #Austin Startup Week at Capital Factory—what an incredible experience! It was my first time diving into Austin's vibrant tech community, meeting innovative minds, and learning about the power of networking, community and collaboration. Little did I know that experience would shape how I approach tech and business today. At Crombie, we live by an empathy-driven philosophy. It’s not just about creating technology solutions; it’s about truly understanding the needs, challenges, and goals of our clients, partners, and employees. That first trip to Austin really opened my eyes to the importance of empathy in every part of business. In tech, it’s easy to get caught up in features and functionalities, but the real magic happens when we focus on the human side—offering solutions that are tailored to the unique experiences of the users. Empathy goes beyond technical expertise. It’s about building meaningful relationships, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that both the business and the people involved thrive together. That’s what makes Crombie’s approach so special—we're all about creating technology that aligns with people’s real needs and impacts lives in a positive way. Can’t wait to see what the next Austin Tech Week brings! 🚀✨ #EmpathyDriven #StartupLife #CapitalFactory #TechForGood #CrombieTech #HumanCentered #Innovation #TBT

Attention early-stage tech founders seeking $1M in investment: only one month left to apply to PEERLESS! Now to kick off our exclusive founder events... Later this week, I'll be sharing our incredible lineup of speakers for our special founder talks, officially kicking off on November 15th. These sessions, led by top founders, will be available only to those who have completed their applications. We'll cover essential topics—from moving from concept to IPO, to knowing when it’s the right time to expand your offering—all from founders who’ve been there and done it. Don’t miss it—submit your application at peerlesspitch.com. While PEERLESS has been dreamed up by AlleyCorp and Management Leadership for Tomorrow, we've been able to bring this to life because of our Lead Partners - J.P. Morgan, Google, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, Citrin Cooperman. Each of these partners will also play a key role in leading programming for our cohort, focusing on critical topics in legal, accounting, and banking, all tailored to the unique needs of startups. Never hesitate to DM me with questions. Can't wait to see what world changing things you're creating. #peerless #pitchcompetition #VC #techfounders

It’s NY Tech week and my new favorite thing is teaching underrepresented founders how to talk back to investors. So many of them ask me for help fundraising, and I get it. I may not always think of myself as an expert, since I’m lucky enough to surround myself with people who are much more experienced at it than I am. But we did do it successfully once, raising more than $3M along the way with little more than a deck, a dream, and an incredible founding team. Of course, we’re all aware that this success puts us in the teeny tiny cohort of startups who raise without a traditional-looking founding team. So what’s the common theme in my advice to non-traditional founders at the early stage? Push back. It’s easy to get intimidated by investors. They’re smart, aggressive, and ask really hard questions. It can be hard to remember that YOU are the expert on your market. They are generalists. Even if they have strong opinions on your market, it’s OK to tell them when you think they’re wrong. In fact, if you have the conviction and confidence (plus evidence to back it up), disagreeing with your prospective investors can even be seen as an advantage. When a VC asks you a question at the pre-seed stage about your path to $100M in ARR, it’s OK to say “dude, we’re a pre-seed company. I know what our path is to get to a million, and we will have a lot to figure out after that.” Now, this only works if you have a track record that can support your confidence. Or if you don’t know the answer, but you DO know HOW you’re going to figure it out, talk about the path from experimentation to scalability. It’s better than making up a bunch of stuff that you’ll probably throw out eventually, and VCs will respect your focus and defense of your precious little time. Plus, they can usually tell if your confidence is lacking in your answer, anyway. This investor market is a tricky one, but never forget that they (investors) need you (founders) just as much as you need them. And hey, if you’re an up and coming female or underrepresented founder, and you need some help (or just a pep talk) I’d love to help. Happy Tech Week everyone!!