In celebration of Women's History Month in March, we had the privilege of hosting a panel featuring three remarkable women who are alumnae of the VC Unlocked program. Trevor Loy of Stanford University, one of the key instructors of the VC Unlocked program, moderated the panel as the alumnae shared valuable insights into the world of venture capital. 

Azin Radsan van Alebeek (VC Unlocked 2022 alum) launched Emmeline Ventures in 2022. Their first fund has made  9 investments to date. Preceding Emmeline Ventures, the three GPs built a Fund 0 with vintage year 2021 that holds 14 companies - for a total of 23 companies in the portfolio. Azin emphasized that the lasting impact of the program's friendships, connections, and teachings remain present in her daily life. She regularly turns to the provided templates from the program for continued learning and growth. 

“At this moment, my relationships with my VC Unlocked cohort friends are probably one of the most important peer groups I hold.”

Shalanda Armstrong is also an alumna of VC Unlocked class of 2022, and is the Founder and Managing Partner of 100KM Ventures. 100KM is a fund focused on supporting early-stage companies led by diverse founders, and it was recently selected by TEDCO to manage $3 million of funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury State Small Business Credit Initiative.

One thing that set her experience at VC Unlocked apart was the unexpected relationships she built with her cohort and instructors. The program helped her understand deeply the ins and outs of venture capital (“VC”) in an authentic manner. While many perceive the VC industry to be glamorous, she stressed the difficulty of achieving returns for a fund.

“Raising capital for a fund is really hard, and that should not be overlooked. The program  really emphasizes ‘‘hey, this is not what you think it is, and if you are truly interested in this industry, this is how you become successful at it’."

Shalanda encourages emerging VCs to keep the long game perspective in mind. Nurturing relationships not only with founders but also with other investors and limited partners (“LPs”) has been significant for her.

Biola Alabi is the General Partner at Acasia Ventures, and is an active figure in the African ecosystem, recently opening the Acasia Lagos office, speaking at Lagos Demo Days and working closely with Angel Networks in Africa. Biola is an alumna of VC Unlocked Silicon Valley class of 2023.

As she shifted from being an angel investor to a General Partner, Biola shared the importance of confidence and operational excellence, highlighting the need to articulate one's operational background to establish credibility beyond mere investment history. She shared that VC Unlocked helped her navigate this transition, with invaluable insights and learnings.

“Especially for those of you that are starting out as angels, I think you should always always be looking for opportunities. Always find a way that you can add value to companies.”

She hopes to see more women transition from angel investors to LPs. She encourages those interested to consider investing in funds, even starting with small amounts or through special purpose vehicles (“SPVs”).

It has been an exciting journey watching these three alumnae continue to learn and grow their careers in VC. If you are interested in joining the 11th Cohort of VC Unlocked: Silicon Valley, nominations are open through May 31. Learn more about this year’s program: 500.co/venture-education/stanford-2024