Building a successful startup is fraught with fast-paced challenges and thrilling triumphs.
Hosted by Startup Grind and moderated by Brian Sparkes, who hosts Silicon Valley Impact on 92.9 FM, this panel will explore the ups and downs of the startup journey from the perspective of two inspiring founders and two visionary investors.
Representing the founders’ experience, we’re excited to welcome:
- João Batalha, Co-founder of Amplemarket, an AI Copilot for B2B sales, and co-founder of Fermat’s Library, a platform for scientific paper annotation. João is an alum of Y Combinator and MIT, where he conducted research in cryptography and machine learning.
- Capella Kerst, Founder and CEO of geCKo Materials, which manufactures bio-inspired, NASA-certified dry adhesive inspired by the way gecko’s feet grip surfaces, leaving no residue, and detaching as quickly as it attaches after seconds, minutes, or years. geCKo Materials was named 2024 Startup Grind Disruptive Startup of the Year and Runner-Up at the TechCrunch Battlefield 200 in October. (Watch the demo on The Pitch Show.)
Sharing the investor perspective:
- Ryan Chandra, who leads Data & AI investments at Accenture Ventures and is focused on emerging technology companies driving actionable impact for Forbes Global 2000.
- Jenny Kay Pollock, Co-founder of community and podcast Women and AI. Jenny supports female founders as an investor, advisor, and fractional CMO and is a sought-after speaker for Anita B.org and Miss CEO.
Join us to discuss how founders can define their mission, create real impact, secure funding, and refine a pitch.
For complimentary tickets, enter the code “CANOPY” when purchasing your ticket.