Graham & Walker

We are on a roll with announcements this week! ?? Graham & Walker has been named one of Inc's top Founder-Friendly Investors for 2024! ?? We're beyond excited to be recognized for doing what we love: championing founders with heart, hustle, and hands-on support. ???? A massive thank you to our incredible community and especially to the founders who drive us to be better every day. Here's to the journey ahead—and making it even more founder-friendly! ???? Article will the full list in comments. #FounderFriendly #GrahamAndWalker #VCWithHeart #InclusiveInvesting #FutureIsInclusive Leslie Feinzaig Divya Kakkad

BIG NEWS: We're thrilled to welcome Eric Ries to our Board of Advisors! You may know him as the creator of the Lean Startup methodology; he's also a multi-time founder and investor whose expertise will be invaluable to our next stage of growth, and one of those rare Silicon Valley insiders who works tirelessly to make our industry more inclusive, future-focused, and self-aware. Eric, we're so proud to have you in our corner! About Eric: Eric Ries is the founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE). The LTSE is building a new national securities exchange designed to transform the public company experience for businesses that are built-to-last. He is an entrepreneur and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup, and of The Startup Way. Eric is the creator of the Lean Startup methodology, a global movement in business, practiced by individuals and companies around the world, and the inspiration behind his founding of the LTSE. He has founded a number of startups, including IMVU, where he served as CTO, and he has advised on business and product strategy for startups, venture capital firms, and large companies, including GE, with whom he partnered to create the FastWorks program. Eric has served as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Harvard Business School, IDEO, and Pivotal. In 2015, he ran a Kickstarter campaign to produce The Leader's Guide, which went on to become one of the top Kickstarter book campaigns of all time. He lives in the bay area with his wife and three children.

??? “As an investor, their sexism, their racism, their whatever-ism, that's my profit opportunity” *mic drop* At Graham & Walker, we believe that inclusion is a powerful driver of innovation. Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting Roy E. Bahat, head of Bloomberg Beta, for a fireside chat where he shared his insights on how investing in diverse, inclusive companies isn’t just good for culture—it’s good for business. Thank you, Roy, for an inspiring conversation about how we can shape a future where work works better for everyone. Watch the clip to hear more of his perspectives! ?? #VentureCapital #InclusiveInvesting #FutureOfWork #GrahamAndWalker #BloombergBeta

Congratulations Jessica Chen Riolfi, Chris Goodmacher, Nanthakumar Muthusamy and the team at Uprise - Embedded Financial Advisory on your seed round! We are proud to be a small part of your big mission! Link to TechCrunch’s coverage in the comments ?? CC. Graham & Walker

Exciting News! ?? A huge congratulations to Leslie Feinzaig our founder and GP of Graham & Walker for being named one of Puget Sound Business Journal’s Women of Influence for 2024! ?? This prestigious recognition is a testament to her leadership, vision, and the incredible impact she’s had in our community and beyond. We are so proud to celebrate her and all the other remarkable women honored this year. ???? Check out the full list of inspiring women making waves here: https://lnkd.in/gHPxRenZ #WomenOfInfluence #Leadership #Inspiration

?? We’re coming to LA Tech Week! ? Join us for a G&W special happy hour for female founders and investors on Thursday, October 17th, 2024! This is a fantastic opportunity to share your journey, seek mentorship, and explore investment opportunities. Let’s amplify our voices, build meaningful connections, and support one another on our entrepreneurial journeys. ?? Tag your fellow founders and investors to spread the word! We can't wait to see you there! ?? Date: Thursday, Oct 17th, 2024 ?? RSVP Here: https://lnkd.in/gKiGFWAf #LATechWeek #FemaleFounders #WomenInTech #NetworkingEvent #Empowerment #InvestInWomen

Huge thanks to Sepideh Mousakhani from Cooley LLP for joining us at the Graham & Walker + Amazon Web Services (AWS) Fundraising Bootcamp! Your session on the different funding instruments was incredibly valuable, and we’re so grateful for the time and expertise you shared with our early-stage founders. It was a great addition to our program and provided important insights for those navigating the fundraising landscape. #fundraising #femalefounders #entrepreneurship #startups #GrahamandWalker #AWS

?? In a recent fireside chat, Charles Hudson, Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, shared his unique approach to investing in founders. He emphasized focusing on an individuals' potential for leadership rather than their current social capital or existing networks. As Charles put it, ‘If I'm really underwriting people based on their potential for leadership, it doesn’t actually matter to me that much what they are building because I'm trying to find the expert, not be the expert.’ ?? A thought-provoking perspective on how we might better allocate capital to visionary leaders. #VentureCapital #LeadershipPotential #InvestingInPeople

?? Happening next week > From Idea to Customers: Start Off Right. ?? Ready to turn your idea into a thriving business? Join us for an exclusive workshop?led by Sam Chandler Director of Customer Success at Startups, Zendesk. Learn how to determine if you're truly on to something worth building as a founder or just someone with a great idea. The secret? Your customers! Get actionable steps to make that crucial transition and learn how to invest in your customers to elevate your business to new heights. ?? September 11th, 11a PT/ 2p ET ?? RSVP: https://lu.ma/i6yaq36z