125 Ventures

?? VC Include Fellowship Spotlight: 125 Ventures ?? Our Founder and Managing Partner, Lorine Pendleton, was featured in the VC Include Fellowship Spotlight, where she shared her vision and the mission behind our fund 125 Ventures, investing in the intersections of technology and sports (with a particular focus on women’s sports), media, and entertainment and her thoughts around the biggest growth areas in the next few years - AI and data analytics, the unprecedented growth in women’s sports, the rise of the content creator economy and communities, and live and immersive events. She shares her journey from entertainment law to venture and fund management. Our fund and Lorine were selected as a 2024 VC Include Fellow. VC Include provides a platform, resources, mentorship, and a community of underrepresented fund managers. It's empowering the next generation of investors and me to drive innovation and create equitable opportunities in the asset management industry.?Check out this spotlight: https://lnkd.in/esFvrmPy #VentureCapital #DiversityInVC #InclusiveInvestment #VCInclude #125Ventures cc: Heidi Diamond Crystal Fisher https://lnkd.in/eBF2HvCg

Our Founder/Managing Partner Lorine Pendleton is speaking tomorrow on a Beyond The Billion? (launched as The Billion Dollar Fund for Women?) panel with a star-studded panel with Shelly Porges, Jenny Fielding, Elisa Miller-Out, and Anna Snider at the Culture Shift Labs NYC Summit. #CultureShiftingSummit #BeyondtheBillions #WomenVCs #WomenInvestors https://lnkd.in/geGCh4u7?

We are proud to announce that our Founder/Managing Partner,?Lorine Pendleton,?was selected by?PEI?and?Venture Capital Journal?as one of their Women of Influence in 2024 for Private Markets in the Venture Capital Category! She was selected as one of 42 women out of 500 nominations and one of only seven women in venture capital. This list includes some of the most successful women in the private fund markets. Lorine Pendleton never set out to become a venture capitalist. As a lawyer and business development exec, she stumbled upon an interesting fact 11 years ago – that less than 1% of venture capital went to Black founders, and only 2% went to women founders. When she heard that stat, she decided to change things. Her investment journey started with Pipeline Angels, where she learned how to invest as an angel investor, then Portfolia, where I launched two high-performing funds, Rising America I and II, investing in 30 companies with four excellent Black and Latina women partners, and now this fund 125 Ventures, investing in the future of sports (with a particular focus on women’s sports), media, and entertainment. Also, her role as a Chair at TIGER 21, she is fortunate to learn from some of the world's most successful fund managers and entrepreneurs. I’m working to change the world one investment at a time. https://lnkd.in/eEPWBHj9 Thank you, PEI and VCJ, for recognizing her work. #PEI #VentureCapitalJournal #WomenofInfluence #VC #WomenInvestors #ChangeAgent #RepresentationMatters

Did you know that over $230 billion in Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) remain underutilized? Well, you can invest your DAFs and philanthropic capital to invest in top emerging managers. Join me and my friends at Inspire Access and Halcyon Ventures for an exclusive virtual event to learn how to unlock your donor-advised funds and philanthropic capital to invest in top emerging managers. RSVP Here: https://lnkd.in/ernxdBPF Event Highlights: ? Basics of Donor-Advised Funds & their untapped potential ? Impact investing & alternative options for your DAF ? Real-life case studies from emerging fund managers ? Practical steps to start investing your DAF for greater impact ?? Date: Tuesday, October 1st ?? Time: 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT Don’t miss this opportunity to make your philanthropic capital work harder for the impact you want to see! #DonorAdvisedFunds #EmergingManagers #Philanthropy #DAFs Patrice Brickman Leah Brickman Dahna Goldstein Kate Goodall

????Heading to Black Wall Street in Tulsa - Talking Sports, Tech and Venture This Week ?? ?? I'm excited to speak at the Sports, Tech, and Venture Summit in Tulsa in a few days on September 6 - 7th with my panel "Building a Thriving Tech/VC Ecosystem." The Players Company,?Tulsa Sports Commission, and?Serac Ventures are hosting this great summit. I'll be representing our fund 125 Ventures, which invests in the future of sports, media, and entertainment innovation. It will be my first time visiting Tulsa, which has a long history and is home to Black Wall Street. Tulsa is a vibrant hub for?entrepreneurs, startups, and innovation. It also has hosted many sports championships and sports-related events. I'm looking forward to spending time in this exciting city. Big thanks,?Darrel Frater ??, for the invite! You can learn more and RSVP for a free ticket here: https://lnkd.in/gXntQt-z cc: Heidi Diamond, Crystal Fisher, Brett M. Johnson, and Michelle Mammen #Tulsa #Sports #BlackWallStreet

?? ?? A Great Labor Day Weekend and Summer Ending with Tennis ???? Our Founder & Managing Partner Lorine Pendleton attended the US Open. She was invited by Patti Clement, CPRIA and hosted by Chubb, the official insurance sponsor of the US Open. Fun fact about the US Open: it was first sporting event in the world to offer equal pay (purses) for its male and female competitors in 1973, when Billie Jean King threatened to boycott the event. Since then, the three remaining Grand Slam events followed suit, starting with the Australian Open, first in 1984 but consistently since 2001, and the French Open and Wimbledon in 2007. We at 125 Ventures are bullish about the future of women's sports with the increase in fan engagement, merchandise and ticket sales, media rights, and brand sponsorhsips. That's why it is one of our investment areas. #USOpen #WomensSports #EqualPay #125Ventures

????The 2024 Olympics Is Here, and Breaking Barriers as Gender Equality is Finally Achieved in these Games ????♀??? Today, the Olympics Paris 2024 officially kicks off with the opening ceremonies. For the first time in Olympic history, an equal number of men and women will compete. The number of women participating in the Olympics has been on a steady upward trajectory, from 34% at the 1994 Games to 48% at Tokyo 2020, culminating in an unprecedented 50/50 split at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. The Facts: ??This milestone marks a significant achievement for women's sports and female athletes, who have recently seen a meteoric rise in visibility and engagement. Team USA track and field athlete Chari Hawkins shared her thoughts: "For so long, the spotlight often felt uneven, and frankly, it wasn't uncommon to hear whispers about the legitimacy of women's athletics. Having an equal number of competitors on the field this year completely changes that narrative, and I am honored to be a part of it." Hawkins is sharing a sentiment that female athletes across the globe are currently feeling and continuing to fight for equal opportunities and representation. ??The International Olympic Committee – IOC has been striving for equality for years, with the creation of the Women and Sport Working Group in 1995. Female athletes made up a mere 2.2% of total athletes in the 1900 Olympics, the first Olympics they were allowed to compete in a balanced representation in 28 out of 32 sports at Paris 2024. New mixed-gender events are being added to promote diversity further. It’s been a long road to equality. Why this is important: ??These changes are a net positive for the athletes and potential sponsors and brands. Partnering with female athletes or teams can now attract millions of new viewers, a previously untapped audience. Even commercials during female team events can drive significant growth and sales, thanks to the increased interest in the Olympics. ??At 125 Ventures, we believe gender equality in the Paris Olympics is a monumental step forward for women's sports. This achievement is one of many signs that women's sports and their players are on the rise, both culturally and economically. From the Olympics to the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association)'s breakout stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and industry leaders like The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger and Willow Bay recently acquired Angel City Football Club, which is now the most valuable women’s sports franchise, the future looks incredibly bright for women's sports. We’re excited to see where this journey leads next. cc: Heidi Diamond, Crystal Fisher, Logan Santin, Trina Eastman, Getsemani Rodriguez, and Michelle Mammen #Womenssports #Olympics #GenderEquality #ParisOlympics https://lnkd.in/g6pz_6ks

????Women’s Sports Continues to Grow With a Record-Breaking $2.2B Media Rights Deal for the WNBA, But Was it Enough? ???? Last week, the WNBA secured a groundbreaking national media rights deal worth $2.2B over the next 11 years, averaging $200M annually starting in 2026. For context, this figure represents the?ENTIRE league revenue for the 2023 season - broadcast rights, sponsorships and partnerships, merchandising, ticket sales, in-arena sales, licensing agreements, digital and social media, and local revenue. This deal forged with the NBA (who owns about 60% of the WNBA) partnering with Disney, Amazon, and NBC marks a monumental leap from the current $50M per year agreement set to expire after the 2025 season. Yet, some reactions are less enthusiastic. There are concerns about how the revenue will be distributed, especially since the NBA is securing a $76B media rights deal with Amazon, which Warner Brothers Discovery is attempting to match. WNBA players and union leaders are advocating for a fairer share of the revenue, given the WNBA’s league's impressive growth metrics. This new deal leaves room for additional partners. The league is already in talks to sell two other rights packages, which could net an additional $60M annually. Yet the WNBA is locked into this $200M/year deal for 11 years just as it’s on the cusp of growth, with more games in this first half of the season averaging over 1M audience viewers more than any full season in the league history. Last season, not a single game drew more than 900K viewers. Just this past weekend, the WNBA All-Star Game netted 3.44M viewers, up 305% from 2023. The league secured a revaluation clause in this deal to evaluate the current value against the league’s growth in three years. Now, talks have shifted around the WNBA athletes' salaries and whether they can expect to get a substantial pay raise with the surging interest and multi-billion-dollar deals being made. We at 125 Ventures expect the growth of media rights deals for women’s sports to continue and will continue to track these media rights and WNBA growth developments. What are your thoughts? Was this a lowball deal? cc: Heidi Diamond, Crystal Fisher, Brett M. Johnson, Michelle Mammen, Logan Santin, Trina Eastman, Getsemani Rodriguez #WomensSports #WNBA #NWSL #MediaRights #125Ventures #LorinePendleton https://lnkd.in/eBqgrjPs

?? Welcome to Our Summer 2024 College Interns! ?? We're thrilled to welcome our talented and enthusiastic summer interns to the 125 Ventures team! ?? Each intern brings unique skills, fresh perspectives, and a passion for venture capital. This summer, they will immerse themselves in the fast-paced world of VC, working on exciting projects and gaining hands-on experience in the VC industry. Meet our Summer 2024 Interns: Trina Eastman – Brooklyn College. Major: Business Management. (Part of the Summer Youth Employment Program with PENCIL, Inc.) Getsemani Rodriguez – Reed College. Major: Economics and Minor: Chinese. Part of the Venture Partners Fund program Logan Santin – Baruch College. Major: Marketing. (Part of the Summer Youth Employment Program with PENCIL, Inc.) Join us warmly welcoming and cheering them on as they embark on this exciting journey with us. ???? #Welcome #SummerInterns #VC #FutureLeaders cc: Heidi Diamond and Crystal Fisher

Our Founder/Managing Partner was invited to speak at the White House last Wednesday with a group of VCs, presenting policy recommendations to increase access to capital and investments for women, diverse, and LGBTQ+ founders. cc: Heidi Diamond Crystal Fisher Michelle Mammen