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What’s the LP Perspective on Diversity Mandates?

May 4, 2022 • Virtual • 11:00 AM PST / 2:00 PM EST

Join Diversity VC and Sieo for a lively & interactive zoom that will explore the role of Limited Partners (LPs), how LPs evaluate General Partners (GPs) investment mandates, and the overall impact of mandates on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hear from both sides of the aisle - Limited Partners and General Partners - on how to tackle investment mandates.

Panelists

Joanna Lichter

Joanna is an early-stage investor at Emerson Collective, the family office of Laurene Powell Jobs that invests in companies positively impacting the world and helping people to live to their full potential. Prior to Emerson, Joanna was an investor at Founder Collective, a seed-stage VC fund based in New York. Before that, Joanna worked at Via Transportation, a global mobility and transit startup, where she led operations and strategy in Chicago. Joanna received her MBA from MIT Sloan and her B.A. in International Comparative Studies and Spanish from Duke University.

Kathryn Weinmann

Kathryn Weinmann is a VP at Norwest Venture Partners, where she is a multi-stage investor across consumer tech and B2B SaaS. Some of her notable investments include UPSIDE Foods (fka Memphis Meats), Praxis Labs, and Wyze. Prior to joining Norwest, Kathryn supported Business Operations at NerdWallet with a focus on small business lending. She is passionate about financial inclusion, serving for over 5 years as co-chair of the Technology Advisory Counsel at Mission Asset Fund, a non-profit fintech organization in the Bay Area.

Samer Yousif

Samer is Chief Program Officer at BLCK VC. He oversees the strategy and execution of BLCK VC’s programs and strategic initiatives to empower, educate, and connect Black existing and aspiring venture investors. Samer is BLCK VC’s first employee and previously served as Chief of Staff. As Chief of Staff, Samer worked closely with the leadership team to develop the growth strategy, build organizational infrastructure, and expand the organization’s capacity.

Samer is also Managing Director of the Investors of Color, a consortium of Black, LatinX, Asian, and Ally investors building wealth by investing in high-growth companies serving communities of color. Previously, Samer was a Program Officer at VentureWell, where he provided strategic and programmatic leadership for both U.S. State Department early-stage venture and angel network development initiatives.

We need your help.

Sieo and Diversity VC are launching a survey to evaluate diversity and intersectionality on the funder level. We’re hoping to gather sufficient data to prove or disprove our hypothesis that the increase in diverse fund managers does in fact result in an increase in underrepresented minority founders in our ecosystem. If you are a VC (from Seed - Series C), we would greatly appreciate your participation in our survey.

Access the Event Recording

Hosted by

Chief Business Officer

Aisling Carlson

Aisling (æʃlɪŋ - ASH-ling). Australian/Irish, by way of Hong Kong and Paris. Interests: cycling, the ocean, sci-fi novels, ethics, and pistachio gelato. In a previous life, Aisling worked for a VC and advisory firm in London and a hardware startup in LA. Aisling is the co-founder of Faura.co - a community for the intellectually curious.

President, Diversity VC US Director of Virtual Power Plant Operations, OhmConnect

Sarah Millar

Sarah is the President of Diversity VC US, a non-profit organization focused on increasing representation, equity, and inclusion in venture capital. She joined the Diversity VC team in 2018 to spearhead their first international chapter in the US. She currently serves as the Director of Virtual Power Plant Operations at OhmConnect, and previously spent five years with City Light Capital, a venture capital firm that invests early in impactful companies. She is also a Venture Partner with Republic, a platform providing access to startup, real estate, crypto, and video game investments.

Project Manager, Diversity VC and Director of Investment & Portfolio Management, ICA

Willis Wilson

Willis joined Diversity VC US in January 2022 to manage the development of Diversity VC and SIEO’s upcoming report on diversity in venture capital and serves as the Director of Investment & Portfolio Management at ICA, an impact investing fund based in Oakland, CA. Previously, he served as the Investment and Growth Strategist at Alpine Software Group (ASG) and a Consultant within Paradigm (ASG’s LegalTech vertical). Willis earned his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley where he was a quantitative researcher and active member of the UC Berkeley entrepreneurship and technology community. Both domestically and abroad, Willis has advised early stage startups on building strong business models, go-to-market strategies, accessing capital and exit opportunities.