Female VC Lab

Unlocking Private Markets: How Access and Innovation Are Changing Wealth Investing

Curious about the future of venture capital and how individual investors can break into private markets? On this episode of Female VC Lab, co-founder and president of XA Investments, Kimberly Flynn, reveals the game-changing innovations allowing retail investors to participate in private equity and venture capital. From the evolution of priva...

Discover how an accidental career leap led to investing across global gaming, consumer apps, and beyond. In this compelling episode of Female VC Lab, Barbara Bickham sits down with Phylicia Koh, GP at Play Ventures, to unpack the journey from startup growth roles to leading one of the most forward-thinking early-stage funds in gaming and consumer tech. Whether you’re a founder, investor, or aspiring VC, this episode is pac...

In this episode of the Female VC Lab podcast, host Barbara Bickham sits down with Kristina Chapple, General Partner at 11 Tribes VC. Kristina shares her journey into venture capital, driven by a passion for supporting founders beyond just financial returns. She discusses 11 Tribes’ unique thesis: investing not only in business outcomes but also in founder well-being, allocating capital specifically for founder resilience i...

Ready to discover how venture capital can drive real impact for emerging markets—and what true leadership looks like in the investment world? In this episode of Female VC Lab, host Barbara Bickham sits down with Eva Yazhari, Managing Partner at Beyond Capital Ventures, for an unfiltered conversation on building a mission-driven VC fund, why conscious leadership matters, and how investing in Africa and India’s rising middle...

Step into the world of impact investing with this captivating episode of Female VC Lab! Host Barbara Bickham sits down with Najada Kumbuli, Vice President and Head of Investments at the Visa Foundation, for an illuminating conversation on reshaping capitalism for the greater good. Discover how Najada’s journey from communist Albania to leading global VC strategies at Visa Foundation fuels her passion for social responsibil...

In this episode of Female VC Lab, host Barbara Bickham welcomes Erika Aquino, angel investor and head of m Squad, a global investment group based in Singapore with deep roots in the Philippines. Erika shares her unique journey into investing, starting with her father's legacy in tech entrepreneurship and evolving into her own path focused on impact and community.

Erika dives into her investment thesis, which centers on su...

Cheryl L. Evans joins host Barbara Bickham from the Milken Institute’s Global Conference to discuss longevity, retirement planning, and the emerging wealth transfer impacting women and future generations. Drawing on her background in securities law and financial education, Cheryl shares actionable insights about financial security, the necessity of lifetime income, and challenges and opportunities for younger generations i...

In this powerful episode of Female VC Lab, host Barbara Bickham sits down with Mary King, vice president at Aligned Climate Fund, to uncover how venture capital is accelerating the global clean energy transition. If you’re curious about the future of climate tech, energy innovation, and how investors are driving decarbonization, this episode is for you!

Mary pulls back the curtain on Aligned Climate Fund’s investment thesis...

In this episode of the Female VC Lab podcast, host Barbara Bickham sits down with Katelin Holloway, founding partner at venture capital firm Seven Seven Six. Katelin shares her journey from being an operator and executive to becoming a venture capitalist. She talks about her deep empathy for founders and the valuable insights she gained while sitting on the other side of the boardroom table. Katelin elaborates on the thesi...

In this episode of the Female VC Lab Podcast, Barbara Bickham hosts Marcia Dawood, a venture partner with Mindshift Capital. Marcia shares her journey into the world of venture capital, sparked by an unexpected introduction to angel investing. Realizing the gender disparity in funding, she teamed up with Heather Hennion to establish Mindshift Capital, focusing on investing in women-led companies globally. The conversation ...

In this riveting episode of Female VC Lab, we delve deep into the transformative potential of smart cities, particularly through the lens of AI and data-driven urban planning. Live from CES 2025, they unpack insights from a panel of experts in weather forecasting, urban design, and civic technology.

Join us as we explore how AI can predict extreme weather events far beyond historical patterns, and how it can help cities p...

E108 - Liz Kukka: Innovating Purpose and Impact through Tokenized Lending

In this enlightening episode of the Female VC Lab podcast, host Barbara Bickham sits down with Liz Kukka, CEO of Purpose For Profit. Liz dives deep into her groundbreaking work with Purpose For Profit, a tokenized lending fund dedicated to building affordable, mixed-income housing. 

Discover how they are leveraging blockchain technology to provide ...

Episode E107: Julia Krieger - Pari Passu Venture Partners

In this enlightening episode of the Female VC Lab Podcast, host Barbara Bickham sits down with Julia Krieger, the dynamic force behind Pari Passu Venture Partners. Julia shares her journey to becoming a venture capitalist, driven by her passion for building and creating. She reveals the innovative model of Pari Passu, which focuses on individual SPVs and robust sup...

In this compelling episode of "Female VC Lab," host Barbara Bickham sits down with Keara Sauber, the dynamic CEO of Sauber Capital. With over 20 years of experience in the healthcare and technology sectors, Keara discusses her seminal journey from big pharma to venture capital. She shares her unique investment thesis, focusing on biotech diagnostics, women's health, and the importance of supporting female founders.

Listen i...

In this episode of the Female VC Lab Podcast, host Barbara Bickham sits down with Kt McBratney from Renew Venture Capital and Purpose Rounds. They dive deep into the critical role of venture capital in addressing societal challenges and supporting historically overlooked founders, particularly women and underrepresented groups. Kt shares insights on the importance of intersectionality in funding, the need to challenge excl...

Welcome to Episode E104 of the Female VC Lab Podcast! In this engaging episode, host Barbara Bickham chats with Anne Gherini, the Chief Marketing Officer at Sierra Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on the future of enterprise. Anne shares her transition from being an operator to becoming a venture capitalist, highlighting her passion for early-stage investments and the dynamic nature of her role. She di...

Welcome to another episode of the Female VC Lab Podcast! In today's episode, we're thrilled to host Katie Quilligan, an investor at Bank Tech Ventures. Katie shares her inspiring journey from working on the operator side at companies like American Express to becoming a venture capitalist driven by the passion to support women entrepreneurs. She dives deep into the unique investment thesis of Bank Tech Ventures, a strategic...

Corinne Bortniker is a Director at Cohen Circle where she supports SPAC deal execution and venture capital investments. Previously, Corinne was a Vice President at Wells Fargo Securities, focused on Technology, Media, and Telecom Equity Capital Markets. She has extensive experience executing equity capital markets transactions, raising proceeds for public and private companies. Prior to Wells Fargo Securities, she was an E...