Featured Venture Capital Experts

Pre-seed VC in b2b SaaS, digital consumer health, fintech and web3 at Hustle Fund. I spend a lot of time in and around vertical SaaS and AI, healthtech, marketplaces and consumer. I was formerly the COO of a b2b SaaS content marketing agency. Hustle Fund has invested in >650 companies to date including Webflow, Gamma, Flex, Niural and Agree.com.

James Vanreusel spent 8 years with a Wall Street investment bank. He generated around $8 Million in annual sales through his relationships with hedge and mutual funds, before moving into private equity and asset management. After leaving Wall Street, he became a CFA Charterholder and went on to found three microfinance banks in the South Pacific. He also created a holding company based in Singapore that delivered growth at 600%. In 2014, he moved to San Francisco and set up Vanreusel Ventures: a team of CFO consultants and financial analysts, working with for-profit and non-profit clients across the US. They help emerging companies to grow and scale, by building teams and systems that will expand with the business. All while developing the finance skills and mindset of the CEO. The result is a framework to see the business through the early years, in readiness for its first full-time CFO. The #1 Key To Creating A Thriving Business is James’ first book – drawing on the first 20 years of a career that’s taken him deep into the world’s financial markets. Here is a link for your free book: https://vanreuselventures.com/free-book/

Iris Duan is a dynamic venture partner and operational leader specializing in early-stage investments, decentralized technologies, and sustainable innovation across international markets. As a Venture Partner at a $50M+ AUM VC firm, she successfully chaired weekly investment committees, managed cross-border deals, and fully returned Fund 1 with a 2.4x MOIC. Her investment focus includes renewable energy, cloud computing, medtech, and Machine Learning. Concurrently, as COO and Co-founder of Immutable Labs, Iris drove the creation of an operating model generating $25M in revenue, leading the integration of advanced packaged technology across edge computing, FLLMs, secured oracles, and explainable AI, delivering significant compute and cash reductions. Fluent in English and Mandarin, Iris leverages a global perspective from her experience in Zurich, Beijing, and Milan, blending deep financial acumen (BBA in Finance, Minor in Economics from Emory University) with practical, high-growth startup leadership. Her expertise lies in translating complex client needs into tangible business requirements, orchestrating R&D, and building robust client bases that support hybrid cloud and idle computing solutions. Iris is a two-time TEDx speaker and a passionate advocate for social enterprise, having led non-profit consulting teams focused on strategic PR and market research for diverse international clients.

Raising capital is broken for most teams: investor lists are random, decks read like brochures, and leadership spends months in “fundraising mode” without leverage or real investor demand. Whether you’re a startup, a private company, a listed business or a fund, the outcome is the same: Weak terms, dragged‑out timelines and an uncomfortable dependence on luck and introductions. As Partner at spectup, a capital advisory firm with $120M+ raised across startups, private and public companies and funds, the focus is to fix exactly that. What I do: → Structure capital raises and private placements so the deal is clear, credible and easy to underwrite → Build institutional‑grade materials (pitch decks, memos, narratives) that stand up in IC rooms → Run targeted investor outreach using a tech‑enabled engine and an active capital network My background: → Operator side: worked inside a unicorn (N26) and with BMW’s startup / innovation programs, seeing how growth and corporate decision‑making actually work → Capital side: years of working directly on fundraising, investor materials and dealflow for companies and funds across multiple stages This mix means your story, numbers and “fundability” are pressure‑tested before you walk into high‑stakes investor conversations. I’m also the host of Deal Makers (& Fakers): → A podcast where founders, operators and fund managers unpack the real stories behind their raises → Deals that closed, deals that died, and the signals serious capital actually responds to right now

Jay Sunde is an accomplished entrepreneur with deep experience across multiple industries. He began his career in financial analysis, producing complex forecasts and strategic projections for regional and national companies in commercial real estate, residential real estate, and healthcare. Driven by an entrepreneurial mindset, Jay founded a custom homebuilding company in his mid-20s and grew it into a multi-million-dollar business, developing both custom and speculative homes throughout central North Carolina. During the 2008 housing crisis, he successfully pivoted by acquiring two pool and spa retail and service companies. He scaled both operations, overseeing all aspects of the businesses, and later exited through sales in 2012 and 2018. Since 2009, Jay and his wife, Danielle, have partnered to launch, grow, and acquire preschools, daycares, and elementary schools across the Southeast. Along the way, they also acquired the commercial real estate occupied by their schools and built a growing portfolio of residential real estate holdings. Today, their education platform generates more than $5 million in annual revenue, employs over 70 team members, and serves nearly 500 families. Jay is active in numerous entrepreneurial and small business organizations and, for the past eight years, has consistently mentored and advised founders, business buyers and sellers, and individuals seeking greater financial and time freedom through business ownership.

Championing visionary founders who dare to blaze a new path. Looking for funding? Fill out our pitch us form: https://tally.so/r/mYRD2B

I'm a Midwestern venture capitalist on a mission to empower founders with resources to maximize their growth, while generating lucrative returns for investors. My passion for learning and entrepreneurship has driven me to fuel impact for founders by connecting them to the resources, capital and advice that they need to succeed. Authenticity is at the root of my work, as I strive to develop meaningful relationships with entrepreneurs, peers and investors. With an outside-the-box approach to investing, I can speak to the future of venture capital, growing successful startups and fostering a stronger and more diverse investment culture in the Midwest.

Dr. Igor Ryabenkiy is an author, entrepreneur and investor. He signed his first angel check in 1998 and founded AltalR Capital in 2005 to support early stage companies across the US, Europe and Israel. With $600 million in AUM, AltaIR Capital has invested in over 400 tech companies across B2B SaaS, Future of Work, FinTech, InsureTech, and Digital Health. Its portfolio includes 10+ unicorns, most of which (Miro, Deel, PandaDoc, OpenWeb, Socure, Turing, Fundamental, etc.) were backed at an early stage. In 2025, AltaIR Capital was ranked among the Top 2.5% venture capital firms in EMEA by Dealroom as part of its Power Law Investor Ranking, which evaluates over 22,000 investors based on portfolio outcomes. Igor Ryabenkiy also founded AltaClub, a global investor community, and AltaLab, a program that helps founders think clearly and build better. He is the author of books Adventures in Venture Capital and Unicorn Focus.

Founder of Vungle (sold for $780M to Blackstone). Partner at Blue Field Capital and run my family office via Zain Ventures. Contributor to various publications on topics such as AI & Tech. I also do my philanthropic activities through the Zain Jaffer Foundation which produces documentaries and funds a variety of causes throughout the world.

Cross-border business structure specialist. Founder of Global Solo (structural risk diagnostics for solo founders) and AirPop (protective equipment). 10+ years navigating multi-jurisdiction entity, tax, and compliance complexity across US, China, and global markets.

If you are looking for any investment partners, development, sales, team building or coaching you can message me on LInkedIn or email- sarahmarienaska@gmail. SMHAVICE INVESTMENTS CORP SMH CAPITAL GROUP LLC EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP * TeamTraining & Delegation * Cross Functional Collaboration * Strategic Partnership Relations * Policies & Procedures * Communication & Organization CABIN SPECIALIST Corporate / Private Jet Aviation * Executive Service * Sales -Static Display & Demo * Crew Brief & Safety * Electronic Systems Oriented FITNESS MANAGER * Personalized Fitness Programs * Individual & GroupTraining * Sales & Marketing Strategies * Brand Development ACHIEVEMENTS- Executive - Sustained 10% annual net gain for ten years by consistently maintaining budget expenditures to 90% of guidelines. Fitness - Retained 96% client return by creating safe diet and nutrition plans and effective exercise programs for wide variety of clients. Private Aviation- Promoted to leadership / management position in first year with company.

Blake Morgan serves as Managing Partner of Mineral Vault following a career at Google, and, more recently, 10 years experience in mineral interest acquisition and management at Allegiance Oil & Gas and Anthem Oil & Gas. Mr. Morgan is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where he received an academic scholarship to obtain his degrees in Business Honors & Finance. He is a native of Midland, Texas.

Expertise in Consumer Finance, Marketing, Real Estate, and E-commerce. Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, which develops productive working relationships with individuals at all levels. Dedicated and motivated manager, who easily manages individuals and teams to produce optimum results. Strategic and analytical with experience developing and executing marketing plans, and managing digital and social media production. Creative writer with expertise in developing copy material, press materials, scripts, and content. Strong financial skills in managing P& L. Specialties: real estate, contract negotiation, banking and finance,marketing, merchandising, e-commerce,mortgage sales, recruiting, copy-writing,

Founder of Vungle (sold for $780M to Blackstone). Partner at Blue Field Capital and run my family office via Zain Ventures. Contributor to various publications on topics such as AI & Tech. I also do my philanthropic activities through the Zain Jaffer Foundation which produces documentaries and funds a variety of causes throughout the world.

Julian Weisser is the founder of Solo Founders, a program backing the world best solo builders; in 2025 he launched the Solo Founders Program in San Francisco—an incredibly competitive cohort (<1% acceptance) for six founders that’s already produced millions in funding and 35k GitHub stars. Julian previously co-founded ODF (On Deck Founder Fellowship) and now serves as ODF’s CEO, where alumni have launched 1,000+ startups and raised $2B+ from top investors. As an angel, Julian has invested in 400+ companies, with early bets including Loyal, Levels, Atmos, AstroForge, Secureframe, and Motion.