The foremost industry leaders, founders, and investors have convened to discuss the core drivers of startup success. The event began promptly at 7:30 a.m. ET, setting the stage for a day filled with insightful discussions and valuable networking opportunities.
The conference really illuminates the new environment for entrepreneurs as they face tougher challenges along with greater complexities and greater opportunities in the world of startups. Powerful speakers, lots of sessions that would stretch your imagination to envision them! Along the way, they’ll pick up concrete takeaways that can help move their initiatives in a new direction. Central to this year’s agenda are discussions on funding strategies, mental resilience, pitching techniques, and industry trends that are shaping the future.
Key Insights from Industry Leaders
Ellen Chisa, now a co-founder of Boldstart, led one of the best sessions —enthralling the audience for an hour. She imparted some invaluable wisdom for young startups that truly resonated. She drove home the points of picking the right kind of capital, moving quickly with experiments and avoiding the classic traps. Chisa’s journey offered a playbook for founders looking to build a strong footing for their companies from the get-go.
In addition to Chisa’s insights, Dr. Rosmarin from Harvard University led a compelling session on transforming fear and doubt into focus and drive. This conversation focused on the psychological hurdles so many entrepreneurs experience, providing actionable tools to help you flourish in the midst of anxiety. It was at this moment that founders figured out how to use their emotions to drive performance instead of detracting from it.
Kristen Craft is Vice President and Business Partner Manager at Fidelity Private Shares. She shared her vision for the venture capital universe in 2025. She stressed that this unique environment fosters more strategic, higher-impact deals. She encouraged founders to tailor their pitches to market needs to be more appealing to potential investors. Craft’s session really highlighted how critical it is to stay attuned to changes in the venture capital landscape.
Navigating Funding and Pitching
Tiffany Luck of NEA joined to provide her expertise on creating the ideal venture capital pitch. Her session equipped attendees with practical frameworks and strategies to better articulate their business value propositions. Through an emphasis on clear communication and powerful storytelling, founders began to understand what it took to attract investors and raise institutional funding.
In his panel discussion, Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures shared what they look for in companies at the highly, highly pre-seed stage. He added that it’s critically important to show that you have the ability to grow and scale. Hudson’s observations provided founders a new, clearer frame of reference to understand what venture capitalists are looking for when analyzing early-stage investments.
Rick Grinnell of Glasswing Ventures enlightened attendees to strategies for winning capital tailored specifically for AI-native startups. His session addressed the unique challenges and opportunities within the AI sector, equipping founders with knowledge to navigate this rapidly evolving field. These lessons from Grinnell further confirmed for us the need to show clear value in any tech-driven business or venture.
Legal Considerations and Market Trends
Spencer Ricks and Naomi Smith from Latham & Watkins helped demystify the process of stepping over legal landmines for startups. Their session focused on key legal factors that founders should be aware of as they grow their companies. By emphasizing proactive legal strategies, Ricks and Smith aimed to prepare entrepreneurs for potential pitfalls that could arise during their growth journey.
Cathy Gao of Sapphire Ventures recently shared her advice for raising a truly strong Series C+ round. She walked through the most important metrics that investors look for when they are evaluating companies at this early stage. Gao’s emphasis on demonstrating consistent growth and strong market position resonated with many founders seeking to elevate their fundraising efforts.
Umair Javed, CEO of tkxel, shared examples of how AI will fundamentally change the landscape of business expansion and growth. His session focused on the ways startups can use artificial intelligence to improve their efficiency and customer-facing processes. Javed’s vision inspired attendees to make innovation a cornerstone of their creative designs and enterprise strategies.
Rob Biederman of Asymmetric Capital Partners brought the discussions to a close. He shared the most important trends that are going to define the venture capital landscape in 2025. He provided an overview of emerging sectors that promise significant investment opportunities, equipping founders with knowledge about where to focus their efforts moving forward.