- This event has passed.
April 24 @ 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm EDT
FreeBehind the Curtain: Insiders Guide to Investors
Tired of the “spray and pray” approach to startup fundraising?
Join us on April 24 for an evening designed to pull back the curtain and provide a rare glimpse into the minds of angel investors and VCs. Hear directly from a panel of investors as they share the pressures and motivations that drive their investment decisions. This event, hosted by Founders Network’s fnNYC Chapter, will give startup founders actionable intelligence on finding the right capital at the right time.
What You’ll Learn:
Investor Perspectives: Gain insider knowledge on how angels and VCs evaluate potential investments. Understand the key differences in their timelines, risk tolerance, and return expectations.
Actionable Insights: Discover practical takeaways to refine your fundraising strategy. Learn how to target the right investors for your venture and craft a more compelling pitch.
Q&A: Get answers to your individual questions. Gain valuable insights that will empower you to build stronger relationships with potential investors.
Following the panel discussion, founders will have the opportunity to mingle with investors during cocktail hour.
About the Speakers:
Kelley Mak is a General Partner at Work-Bench, where he focuses on investments in areas including security, cloud and developer tools.Prior to Work-Bench, Kelley covered the security market as an industry analyst at Forrester Research. Kelley also leads corporate engagement at Work-Bench, where he is the key point for the firm’s relationship with forward-thinking technology executives across the Fortune 1000 and web-scale organizations. He works closely with these leaders on enterprise technology trends transforming data and analytics, infrastructure, security, and the future of work. Kelley is a graduate of Boston College with a B.S. in Physics and Philosophy.
For approximately 11 years, Eric Berry served as the CEO and co-founder of TripleLift. Throughout this time, TripleLift consistently achieved profitability with a remarkable growth rate, boasting a “rule of” 70+ metric. The company’s success was further underscored by its recognition on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America for an impressive six consecutive years, spanning from 2017 to 2022.
After close to a decade of leadership, during which he operated with less than $17 million in invested capital, Eric Berry successfully sold TripleLift to Vista Equity Partners for just under $1.5 billion. This deal marked one of the most significant cash returns in the history of the New York tech scene.
In addition to this achievement, Eric Berry orchestrated the acquisition of the Swiss company 1plusX for $150 million, playing a pivotal role in the negotiation process and facilitating the seamless integration of the company on a global scale.
His entrepreneurial prowess has been recognized on various fronts, including an EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2019, alongside multiple prestigious “40 under 40” awards.
Eric Berry’s educational background includes undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science from MIT, as well as a J.D. from NYU School of Law. Prior to his tenure at TripleLift, he gained valuable experience as an M&A attorney at a prominent PE-focused law firm, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.
Mitchell Harounian is an accomplished investor with a portfolio spanning over 12 companies across various sectors. Currently serving as a board member at Genetica Technology, Mitchell brings extensive experience in strategic leadership and business development. Concurrently, Mitchell is an associate at TR Ventures and is completing a rigorous VC and PE program at Columbia Business School, further honing expertise in investment strategies and entrepreneurial ventures.
fnNYC Chapter Leadership Team
- Chapter Director: Doug Lessing
- Membership/Growth Chair: Dave Renz
- Membership/Growth Chair: Ford Seeman
Complimentary Ticket:
Are you a full-time tech founder? Be our guest! We’re making our events available to tech founders everywhere. Enjoy a complimentary ticket to come learn from fellow tech founders, partners and investors. Already used your complimentary guest pass? Request an invite to see if you qualify for membership.
About Founders Network:
Founded in 2011, Founders Network offers lifelong peer mentorship to over 600 tech startup founders globally. Our platform, programs and high-touch service facilitate authentic experience sharing, warm introductions and long-term professional relationships. Additional benefits include over $500k in startup discounts and promotion to 2,000 newsletter readers. Members are located in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, London and other tech hubs. Each month our Membership Committee admits a new cohort of full-time tech founders who are nominated by an existing member. Learn more about us here
Confidentiality Policy
All information shared within Founders Network is strictly confidential. We are built on a foundation of trust, and the community takes confidentiality seriously. Investors, members, and staff all share experiences and opinions off the record. In this roundtable forum, we continue to model our fnValues of Reciprocity, Humility, Authenticity and Inclusivity. Read more about our Privacy Policy here.
Testimonials
If you don't have a cohort group in something like Founders Network that you can develop long-term relationships with and discuss the same topics that come up with people that you already know, you're probably missing out on something very important.
David Plonsky
The number one advantage is the law of compound interest. The longer you stay in a very high-quality network the strong and more authentic relationships you build.
Chaitanya Vaidya
We know each other's business and we know each other's struggles. Having a personal relationship with other founders that is completely confidential and completely authentic gives you a lot of great advice.
Doug Lessing
FN manages my network for me by connecting me with other founders in my specific industry sector. I've been able to explore business development opportunities, partnerships, etc.
Becky Splitt
We just saw the first Mexican unicorn come to life this same week which is a fantastic idea. Being part of the Founders Network makes a lot of sense. We see that the Mexico City chapter is growing substantially.
Max Linares
There's a lot of great stuff going on even now in San Francisco. I've found Founders Network has been a great resource for me and for all of the founders I know during these tough times.
Jarie Bolander
It allowed me to meet people who had done this before that had the experience. I was able to explain an issue very briefly and they were able to give me a very detailed response on how they addressed it.
Terence Finn
I've used the platform to discover advice, connections, resources, discounts, on important services, connections to investors, and practice on how to pitch. The kind of conversations you can't get anywhere else on youtube or google searches.
Alexandra Greenhill
I see Founders Network as one of those necessary resources in the Chicagoland area.
Jason Jacobsohn
