Community-Building Forums – Get Into the Investor Mindset

Accelerating Business Leadership and Entrepreneurship

January ABLE Community-Building Forum: Get Into the Investor Mindset

Thursday, January 20, 8:00 – 9:00 AM PST

Context

What do investors truly care about? How do you demonstrate results and sustainability? How do you increase your chances of success in securing an investment and a relationship with the right investor? Understanding the difference between the entrepreneur and investor mentalities can be game-changing.

Learn how to sort through the priorities of an investor, strategies for risk mitigation, and approaches to promoting your enterprise effectively. This forum is dedicated to preparing the ABLE entrepreneurs for the upcoming February graduation and pitch sessions.

MODERATOR

Joyce Chung, Managing Director, Garage Technology Ventures

Panelist 1

Nasir Qadree, Founder and Managing Partner, Zeal Capital Partners

Panelist 2

Monique Woodward, Founder and Managing Partner, Cake Ventures

Bios

Joyce Chung has over 10 years of operating experience in technology companies and 15 years of venture capital investing experience. She was a founding partner of Cardinal Venture Capital, a $125 million early stage venture fund. Prior to forming Cardinal Venture Capital, Joyce managed venture investments for Adobe Ventures. Joyce also held operating roles at Adobe Systems, Sony Corporation, and Cambridge Technology Group. She received an S.B. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Joyce is currently focused on environmental and social philanthropy and is on the Board of Trustees of The Nature Conservancy of California and chairs the Investment Committee of Elemental Excelerator.

Mr. Nasir C. Qadree is Founder and Managing Partner of Zeal Capital Partners, a venture capital firm that partners with entrepreneurs to bridge America’s wealth and skills gaps. He defines the firm’s focus, leads investment activities, and manages post value creation strategies and support mechanisms for its portfolio companies.Prior to Zeal, Qadree served as Associate Director for AT&T’s $400 million Aspire Social Investment Fund, where he oversaw direct investments in education and employment technology companies, and led the tech giant’s investment readiness program and its partnerships with national accelerators across the U.S.

Monique Woodard is an early stage investor at the intersection of technology and newly powerful consumer groups. As the Founder and Managing Director of Cake Ventures, Monique invests in the future of technology being driven by major demographic trends. She invests in companies with global ambitions who are creating technology products that meet the needs of tomorrow’s internet users.

Accelerating Black Leadership and Entrepreneurship is an enterprise accelerator program designed to strengthen, energize, and support small businesses and nonprofit organizations led by Black entrepreneurs in the United States.

The ABLE Network-Building Forums are a learning series that provide a space for Black founders in the ABLE program to learn directly from and have community conversations with industry experts.