In-Person Event

Startup Founder & VC Forum: How to Engage & Pitch Investors 101

Hear deep insights from one of the startup community's top leaders

Date
Jul 30, 2025
Time
07:00 pm - 09:30 pm
Address
Rowling Hall at UT Austin, 300 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Austin, Austin, TX, USA
Event Banner Image
Join us on July 30, 2025, for a high-impact session designed to help early-stage founders decode the art of investor engagement. Learn directly from VCs and seasoned founders how to build relationships, tell your story, and pitch with confidence.

Whether you're raising your first round or simply want to build relationships with investors the right way, this forum will give you the inside edge.

Join us for a founder-focused session with real VCs, angel investors, and experienced startup leaders who’ve been on both sides of the table. You’ll walk away with practical strategies for:

  • Finding the right investors for your stage and vision

  • Making a strong first impression in meetings and warm intros

  • Structuring your pitch to communicate traction, vision, and credibility

  • Avoiding the biggest mistakes founders make when fundraising

This is not a generic panel—it’s a tactical, high-signal workshop + networking opportunity designed to sharpen your fundraising game and expand your investor network.

Ideal for: early-stage founders, pre-seed and seed entrepreneurs, and anyone preparing to raise capital in the next 6–12 months.

Additional Resources:
Find more Startup Events, learn about Finding a Co-Founder, or visit our Insights Blog for more startup tips.

About Founder Institute:
The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 7,000 entrepreneurs raise over $1.75BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.

Speakers

Trey

Trey Ikard

WIV Ventures

Paola

Paola Retes

VP @ LiveOak Ventures

Marisa

Marisa Vickers

Associate Director @ Founder Institute Austin

Mike

Mike Sherbakov

General Partner @ The Veteran Fund

Platinum Partners

Local Partners

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The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 7,800 entrepreneurs raise over $1.85BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.


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