Gwen Umbach

Exciting news, just announced by Google's CEO at the White House. Flourish Fund has been awarded a $2 million grant from Google.org to accelerate our work to reimagine the foster care system. These funds will fuel innovative solutions - leveraging technology, collaboration, and bold ideas to better serve vulnerable children and families. This fall, we’ll also launch an Innovation Challenge to invite fresh approaches into this work.  We're so grateful to Hector Mujica and team for their support. Partnering with one of the world’s most innovative organizations will be a force multiplier for our ability to transform this system! https://lnkd.in/eenJwDZg

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Capital formation isn’t just about fundraising; it’s about building trust through transparency and clarity. I just wrapped moderating a panel at SVB’s Venture Connect conference, joined by Erlina Yeo Terwelp, Geoff Taylor, Brian Chen, and Stephen Bluestein. The goal: an interactive discussion on how GPs can build enduring partnerships with LPs in today’s fundraising environment. Key themes and takeaways from the conversation: • Relationships are paramount: Provide access to multiple investment team members across levels. Authentic, consistent engagement is foundational to long-term partnerships.  • Show your fund math: LPs want to see how ownership stakes and exit expectations map to net returns—at the actual fund size. Scaling isn’t a strategy unless supported by fundamentals. Help LPs draw clear conclusions. • Transparency builds trust: Be transparent on valuation methods, revenue multiple assumptions, even succession planning. Consistency and openness go a long way. • Investing in venture: LPs are active, but the bar is higher. Two deliverables I’ll be focusing on in our next cycle: 1. Elevating the operations DDQ. Now the second most-viewed item in any data room, right behind the investor deck. 2. Ensuring our deck clearly communicates fund math. From ownership to exit to net DPI—at the fund size we’re marketing. This experience reaffirmed that transparency and trust-building are critical, especially when the fundraising environment is as bifurcated as the markets we’re investing in. Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank, Bobby Donnelly, and Mark Lau for the opportunity, and to everyone who joined the discussion! 

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Where does consumer VC fit in Seattle’s tech-heavy landscape? On this week’s Sound Investments, I talk with Jason Stoffer, Partner at Maveron, one of the few funds in the Pacific Northwest focused exclusively on consumer. We cover: 🔹 Jason’s path into venture capital 🔹 How Maveron spots breakout consumer brands 🔹 The role of AI in shaping the next wave of consumer opportunities 🔹 Trends in edtech, wellness, and retail If you’re curious about where the next consumer breakthroughs will come from - or how a fund like Maveron thrives in a city dominated by enterprise and cloud - this one’s for you. 🎧 Listen here: https://pod.fo/e/319e2a #VentureCapital #ConsumerTech #Innovation #Seattle #Startups

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Hearing "no's" while raising capital for your business can be exhausting. Hue. co-founder/COO Sylvan Guo is familiar with the ups and downs of fundraising, but after closing on a $4.5 million seed funding round and also securing a $150,000 equity-free grant in 2024, she's learned a few keys to success. The 2023 Tory Burch Fellow offered her expert opinion on venture capital funding, the importance of grants and how to care for your team throughout the process. #ToryBurchEntrepreneurs

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Last week in San Diego, I had the opportunity—along with a few fellow NuFund Venture Group members—to meet SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, thanks to the Angel Capital Association's policy initiatives. Commissioner Peirce was thoughtful, candid, and deeply engaged in discussing the challenges and opportunities we see as early-stage investors. We covered capital formation, regulatory clarity, and the U.S.’s role in global innovation—a conversation that feels even more relevant following her February 4th announcement. 📄 Read her full statement here: https://lnkd.in/dJg75Zvj The SEC’s new Crypto Task Force represents a shift in approach: rather than enforcing regulations without a clear roadmap, the SEC is working first to define where its authority begins and ends before shaping long-term rules. 🔍Why is this important? For over a decade, regulatory uncertainty has been one of the biggest barriers to innovation in blockchain, crypto, and decentralized technologies. Without clear guidelines, founders and investors have been forced to navigate shifting policies—slowing progress and pushing innovation offshore. This new approach could change that. If the SEC successfully creates a predictable, well-defined regulatory environment, we could see: ✅ More founders choosing to build in the U.S., strengthening the country’s leadership in blockchain, smart contracts, and decentralized systems. ✅ A wave of new investment opportunities as venture capital firms gain more confidence in regulatory stability. ✅ The integration of decentralized technologies with AI-driven systems, unlocking new business models where next-gen automation meets distributed governance (DAOs) and autonomous decision-making. The SEC is actively seeking industry input: 📌 Submit feedback via email: crypto@sec.gov 📌 Request a meeting from form: https://lnkd.in/dph6Q2XQ Regulation done right can fuel innovation, not stifle it. If this process delivers, we could look at a new era for early-stage investment, where decentralization and AI-driven solutions create the next wave of transformative startups. Imagine the possibilities: 🤖 Algorithmic Governance – AI-enhanced DAOs could streamline decision-making, making decentralized governance more efficient and data-driven. 🛠 Tokenized AI Services – Future AI startups could tokenize their services, enabling community ownership and distributing value among developers, data providers, and users. 🌍 Global Collaboration – DAOs could break down geographic barriers, accelerating cross-border AI research and innovation—all under a clear U.S. regulatory framework. Having a predictable regulatory environment could make the U.S. the epicenter for these cutting-edge models. #Startups #Crypto #VentureCapital #Regulation #AI #SeedFunding #SECTaskForce #Innovation #DAO #Blockchain #Web3 Richard Gabbert, Ashok Kamal

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🚀 setting the record straight: 16VC & our journey so far i know there have been a lot of discussions and concerns around 16vc over the past few months. since these conversations are resurfacing, i wanted to take a moment to address them openly and transparently. 📌 the backstory back in august–september 2024, we had an ambitious plan—to launch our first accelerator program. the goal was to support founders with hands-on guidance and mentorship. there have been claims that i am not from a top-tier university. that’s true—i pursued my education online instead of attending a traditional university. but real-world experience has shaped my understanding of venture capital, running startups, and building an angel network. 💰 the visa & refund situation one major point of discussion has been around the ₹52,000 fee that some candidates paid. to clarify: ✅ this was never a job fee. it was for a planned venture studio (RI5E) in berlin, where we wanted to send talent from india instead of hiring in germany. ✅ we aimed to sponsor visas under the germany opportunity card, but due to long wait times and bureaucratic delays, we couldn’t proceed as planned. ✅ we eventually had to operate through deel, but costs became unsustainable. ✅ regarding refunds, part of the amount is being processed by the embassy, while we are actively working to fulfill the remaining refunds from our u.s. operations. we understand the frustration and are committed to resolving this as soon as possible. 🌟 moving forward i understand skepticism. i understand why people have questions. that’s why i am open to discussions and constructive conversations. if you have any concerns, feel free to dm me or comment below—i’m happy to address them personally. i appreciate the trust and support from those who understand the journey of entrepreneurship. let’s build forward. 🚀 #transparency #startupjourney #16vc #venturecapital #buildingforward

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