Speaker Series
VCG invites guests speakers from our partner VC firms to share their stories, motivations, and industry knowledge with our members. Our Speaker Series also constitutes an integral part of our comp process, in which undergraduates interested in joining VCG learn from experts and gain real-world experience.
See below for select speakers from our Spring 2022 Speaker Series
Xfund
Patrick Chung and Jadyn Bryden
2/8/22
After introducing themselves and their VC firm, Xfund's Patrick and Jadyn dove into how they evaluate founders and the benefits of working in VC. Patrick and Jadyn search for founders who have lived through the problem their startup solves, are persistent during challenging times, and think differently (not just your stereotypical CS major!). They love working in VC because they have autonomy over their work schedules while also being able to help founders innovate and change the world.
Boston Seed Capital
Estelle Palandjian
2/15/22
Our guest speaker from Boston Seed Capital, Estelle, shared an insightful presentation on her experience entering the world of venture capital. She discussed the benefits of working at a small firm and detailed some of the values she follows when evaluating companies.
Underscore VC
Brian Devaney
2/22/22
When Brian Devaney from Underscore VC joined us in Sever Hall, he discussed the changing landscape of the venture capital industry. Devaney emphasized that, in February when the venture industry had enormous amounts of capital flowing in, founders had more flexibility than ever before to evaluate which VC firms to partner with based on their value add to the startup.
Republic
Abhi Shah
3/22/22
Abhi Shah is a Senior Investment Associate at Republic, one of VCG's partner firms. Visiting Harvard in March, he shared insights into Republic's unique format as an equity crowdfunding platform and what he looks for when conducting due diligence. He also answered several questions regarding investing in crypto and NFTs.
BoxGroup
Claire Goldsmith
4/5/22
Claire Goldsmith, an investor at BoxGroup, walked us through what goes on at BoxGroup on a daily basis. Claire answered questions regarding collaborative checks, working alongside other firms, and investing in Airtable. She also shared the investment process behind one of their most recent deals, Alma, an up and coming digital health platform.