Founders

Founders, Global Perspectives

How Serena Ventures Built a Portfolio With 60% Diverse Founders

Samuel Wendel
Serena Ventures partner Alison Rapaport Stillman thinks VCs need to get out of their comfort zones. Take trading cards, something Alison has never cared about—that is until alternative assets boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Suddenly, she found herself learning about trading cards, trying to understand the market and find opportunities. “That’s my job, to make the unfamiliar familiar” she s...
Founders, Global Perspectives

Andreessen Horowitz’s Naithan Jones on Finding the Next P. Diddy

Samuel Wendel
Andreessen Horowitz partner Naithan Jones sees a disconnect in the way venture capitalists identify and value entrepreneurial talent. He points to a time he once spotted Mark Zuckerberg and Diddy c...
Founders

1-Year In: Female Founders Reflect on the Impact COVID Has Had on Their Businesses

Gesche Haas
It’s not always easy to steer away from what feels comfortable. During the past year, COVID-19 has glaringly amplified the importance of flexibility. In many instances, doing a complete 180 from th...
Founders

500 Startups Welcomes 7 Companies into Batch 13 of Somos Lucha LatAm

Rene Lomeli
500 Startups is excited to announce the latest batch of our LatAm program, focused on providing mentorship for Spanish-speaking early-stage companies based in the region.  Batch 13 companies, wh...

More from Founders

April 28, 2021
April 28, 2021

How Serena Ventures Built a Portfolio With 60% Diverse Founders

Samuel Wendel
Serena Ventures partner Alison Rapaport Stillman thinks VCs need to get out of their comfort zones. Take trading cards, something Alison has never cared about—that is until alternative assets boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Suddenly, she foun...
April 16, 2021
April 16, 2021

Andreessen Horowitz’s Naithan Jones on Finding the Next P. Diddy

Samuel Wendel
Andreessen Horowitz partner Naithan Jones sees a disconnect in the way venture capitalists identify and value entrepreneurial talent. He points to a time he once spotted Mark Zuckerberg and Diddy chatting in a room in Silicon Valley. Some VCs migh...
March 30, 2021
March 30, 2021

1-Year In: Female Founders Reflect on the Impact COVID Has Had on Their Businesses

Gesche Haas
It’s not always easy to steer away from what feels comfortable. During the past year, COVID-19 has glaringly amplified the importance of flexibility. In many instances, doing a complete 180 from the status quo wasn’t just an option—it was an absol...
March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021

500 Startups Welcomes 7 Companies into Batch 13 of Somos Lucha LatAm

Rene Lomeli
500 Startups is excited to announce the latest batch of our LatAm program, focused on providing mentorship for Spanish-speaking early-stage companies based in the region.  Batch 13 companies, which hail from Mexico (4), Chile (1), Peru (1) and ...
February 08, 2021
February 08, 2021

Batch 27 Presents at 500 Startups’ Digital Demo Day

Samuel Wendel
Digital Demo Day has returned for a second consecutive year, with 500 Startups showcasing Batch 27 to a global network of investors, corporates and press.  Twenty-nine companies delivered pre-recorded presentations in a live streamed event, wit...
February 08, 2021
February 08, 2021

The Inclusion Impact Index Project: A Call for Founders to Participate

Andres Wydler
We know that entrepreneurs across the United States – women, men, Black, Latine, Veterans, LGBTQ+ and more – are contributing enormously to the success of our economy. But do we know how much? And how many more jobs could they have created or rais...
January 05, 2021
January 05, 2021

Thinknum Co-Founder Gregory Ugwi on Growing Only as Fast as You Learn

Jenna Birch
Lagos-native Gregory Ugwi started his career as a strategist (or “strat”) at Goldman Sachs in 2008. “As a strat, you write code and build data models while working with salespeople and traders,” he said. “You’re supporting them.” Ugwi liked everyt...
December 16, 2020
December 16, 2020

Female Founders Share Their Most Powerful Tips for Increasing Their Company’s Runway Without Compromising Growth

Gesche Haas
It’s no secret that startups need both money in the bank and customer growth to succeed. While it can be a delicate balance to strike, the following eight female founders have done just that — proving it’s possible and sustainable to increase a co...
December 15, 2020
December 15, 2020

BLCK VC’s Brian Hollins Talks Opportunities and Resources for Black Investors

Samuel Wendel
Black investors and founders are still vastly underrepresented in the world of venture capital, but there are signs of positive momentum. Take it from Brian Hollins, a founding board member of BLCK VC, a nonprofit helping aspiring Black investors ...
December 14, 2020
December 14, 2020

Why We’re Publishing Our Diversity & Inclusion Statistics

Christine Tsai
Diversity has always been part of 500 Startups' DNA. We know great companies are born of great ideas, and great ideas come from founders of varied race, gender and geography. While institutional investors have historically overlooked diverse leade...
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