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WELCOME TO THE WORLD'S LARGEST
GATHERING OF PLATFORM LEADERS
The 10th annual VC Platform Summit is here.
Join us at the premier industry event of the year — with 500+ peers, 3 days of connection, and insights you won’t find anywhere else — produced exclusively for members of VC Platform.​
​​​​Expect candid conversations, small-group deep dives, and tailored connections that grow your network and career.
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Last year, we welcomed discussion leaders and participants from top-tier venture funds:​​​​​​​










2026 SUMMIT SPEAKERS
More to be announced.
MORE ABOUT THE EVENT
Our Summit brings together the ambitious operators who power the venture ecosystem. Across platform, operations, marketing, communications, talent, community, BD, data, AI, product, and IR, these leaders are redefining how firms create lasting impact.
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Venture capital isn’t a zero-sum game — and neither is this gathering. The Summit is built on collaboration, candor, and community. Over three days, you’ll dive into the most pressing trends, share hard-won lessons, and uncover new opportunities in an environment designed for connection and growth.​




2026 AGENDA
More sessions to be announced.​
Agenda is subject to change.
MONDAY, APRIL 13
1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Pre-Registration
Beat the line and pick up your name badge before the Summit officially begins.
5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Sunset Reception, Powered by Sequoia
Join us to meet fellow Summit participants over light bites and entertainment overlooking the San Diego Marina – just in time for sunset.
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Breakfast
Fuel up before a power-packed day of learning and connecting.
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Welcome Remarks
10:00 am - 10:45 am
The Next Era of Platform: From Support Function to Value Engine
Leslie Crowe, Bain Capital Ventures
Maria Palma, Freestyle Capital
Dale Chang, Scale Venture Partners
Charlie Wilson, Stripe
11:00 am - 11:45 am
Breakouts
PEER DISCUSSION CIRCLES
[Marketing] How Should a Marketing Team of One Really Prioritize Across Exec Comms, Events, and PortCo Support?
Caroline Caswell, Operator Collective
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[Marketing] How Are You Using Events to Build Trust and Community Engagement?
Eva Pullano, Tidemark
[Talent] How Should Talent Leaders Adapt Hiring and Development in an AI-Driven Market?
Ripley Hartmeyer, General Catalyst
Nkem Nwankwo, Greenhouse
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[Talent] How Are You Assessing and Developing Portfolio Company Leadership Teams in Practice? What Actually Works?
Nathan Fabian, WestCap
Brandon Roselius, WestCap
[BD & GTM] How Are You Activating Your Firm’s Network to Drive Portfolio GTM?
Eric Schwartz, Canapi Ventures
Shanna Hendriks, NEA
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[BD & GTM] What Role Should Platform Play in GTM Diligence and Early Commercial Readiness?
Gregg Rotenberg, DCVC
Nolan Bernard, Alloy Partners
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[Community, Network & Events] How Are You Designing Events as Repeatable Systems, Not One-Off Projects?
Kerry Bennett, Upfront Ventures
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[Community, Network & Events] How Are You Using AI to Measure the Impact of Your Events?
Liz Cherson, Bain Capital Ventures
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[Ops] Ops Triage in Sub-$500M Funds: What to Fix First When Everything Feels Urgent?
Jessica Stewart, Systemiq Capital
Elyse Crowston, Active Impact Investments
[Ops] How Are You Extending Your Platform Team’s Capacity Without Adding Full-Time Headcount?
Sarah Wolter, FinTech Collective
[IR] What Role Should Platform Play During a Fundraise—And What’s Actually Worth the Time?
Lindsay Knight, Chicago Ventures
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LEARNING LABS
How We Built a Platform OS: Portal, Automations, and Data Systems that Scale Founder Support
Aliénor Bossé, Speedinvest
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Beyond the Happy Hour: Engineering ROI-Driven VC Communities
Yael Eckstein, StageOne Ventures
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Before You Buy: A Framework for Evaluating AI Recruiting Tools That Actually Stick
Mario Espindola, SignalFire
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Building Portfolio Growth Engines as a Fractional Operator
Aaron Cort, Craft Ventures
Jonathan Metrick, Sagard
12:00 pm - 12:45 pm
Breakouts
PEER DISCUSSION CIRCLES
[Marketing] What Actually Drives Dealflow: Brand, Content, Events, or Direct Outreach?
Annie Shapiro, Inspired Capital
[Talent] How to Design Commission Strategies for Early GTM Teams?
Danielle Parks, Canapi Ventures
[Talent] What Does Good Look Like When Hiring Platform Talent—and How Do You Evaluate It Consistently?
Sarah Rumball, Upfront Ventures
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​[BD & GTM] How Do You Turn Customer Intros Into a Repeatable GTM Engine — Not Just Ad Hoc Favors?
Blake Walls, GIC
[BD & GTM] How Are You Using Partnerships and Networks as Repeatable BD and Dealflow Channels?
Evan Witte, Battery Ventures
Sean Dazet, Oyster
[Community, Network & Events] How Do You Build an Expert Advisor Network That Founders Actually Use?
Abhishek Lahoti, Highland Europe
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​​[Community, Network & Events] Are Big Events Worth It—or Should We Invest in Smaller, Curated Touchpoints?
Randi Jakubowitz, 645 Ventures
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​[Ops] What Should Platform Teams Actually Measure and Track?
Shannon Shroyer, Matchstick Ventures
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[Ops] Where Are You Automating and Systematizing Venture Work—and Where Does Judgment Still Win?
Meredith Parsons, Offline Ventures
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[IR] How Are You Designing AGMs That Actually Drive LP, Founder, and Portfolio Value—Not Just Updates?
Isabelle Audette, Inovia Capital
Andee Constine, CRV
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LEARNING LABS
How We Structure GTM Support: Engagement Models That Are Actually Impactful Across the Portfolio
Brett Browman, Khosla Ventures
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Building World-Class Hiring Interviews
Brianna Rizzo, VMG
Rhoda Longhenry, True Search
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Helpful Doesn't Cut It: Designing The Right Platform Metrics​
Laurel Woerner, Infinity Constellation
The Human MOAT: The Personal Branding Framework for the Age of AI
Becca Chambers, Scale Venture Partners
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From Perks to Partnerships: Turning Vendor Relationships Into Real Portfolio Leverage
Phuong Mai, Quiet Capital
Derek Pham, Zendesk
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Lunch
2:15 pm - 3:00 pm
Leadership Development Talks
How to Say No Without Burning Trust (and Still Get Things Done)
Chris Sisserian, Manta Ray Ventures
Keji Mustapha, Partech
Jenn Sammarco, Everest
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Your First 90 Days in Platform: What to Prioritize, Systematize, and Avoid
Lauren Young, AlleyCorp
Allie Mullen, Planeteer Capital
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What’s the Next Step After Platform? Real Career Paths Inside and Beyond Venture
Kristen Ostro, Strut Consulting
Susannah Shipton, AlleyCorp​
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Platform as a Product: Designing Programs That Actually Drive Portfolio Outcomes
Monica Plaza, CapitalG
Erica Amatori, Left Lane
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Platform at the Board Table: Roles, Expectations, and How to Make It Work
Kyle Duffy, Gradient
Kerry Bennett, Upfront Ventures
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Founder & Leadership Team Compensation in the Age of AI
Michelle Coventry, CREANDUM
Jin Tan, Sequoia
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How LPs Evaluate Platform Value: What Actually Matters in Fundraising and Reporting
Hillary Tyree, Cendana
Ashley Cravens, Uncork Capital
Huff Millard, StepStone
Anna Ott, HV Capital
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Common Connections
Working Parents in Venture: Balancing Family, Travel, and Career Growth
Vanessa Camozzi, N47
Dhinuka Perera, OH.io
Marianne Bulger, True
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The Mighty Microfund: Platform Strategies That Punch Above Your Weight
Stephanie Rich, Bread and Butter Ventures
Katie Birge, M25
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New to Venture: Carving Out Your Role and Driving Early Impact
Kalani Byrd, Revenge Capital
Julia Baird, Golden Ventures
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Angel Investing for Operators: How to Start, Source, and Build a Personal Portfolio
Abhishek Lahoti, Highland Europe
Frank Mastronuzzi, Punch Financial
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Corporate VC Leaders: Navigating Strategy, Stakeholders, and Value Creation Inside the Enterprise
Lisa Costello, Prologis
Abbie Wolf, Counterpart Ventures
Matthew Lombardi, TELUS Global Ventures
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Fintech and Crypto Platforms: Operating in Regulated and Rapidly Evolving Markets
Stephen Dierks, Oak HC/FT
Jackson Hwu, Dentons
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Public Sector and Defense Investors: Working With Government, Procurement, and Compliance
Ben Van Buskirk, AE Ventures
Jon Cheatwood, IQT
Chloe Hemingway, General Catalyst
7:00 pm - late
Dine-Arounds
A series of community-hosted private dinners curated just for you.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Breakfast
Fuel up before your final day of Summit.
9:00 am - 9:15 am
Opening Remarks
9:15 am - 10:00 am
Beyond AI Tools: How Venture Firms Actually Become AI-Enabled
10:00 am - 10:45 am
AI Lightning Talks
11:00 am - 11:45 am
AI Deep Dives
Designing an AI Strategy for Your VC Firm: From Mandate to Implementation
Anna Jacobson, Operator Collective
AI for Talent: Automating Recruiting Workflows
Cassie Chao Leemans, Craft Ventures
From Board Decks to Burn Rate in Seconds: Building a Secure AI Knowledge Layer for Portfolio Documents
Emma Wirt , Fika Ventures
We Broke Up With Dashboards: Building an AI Bot for Platform Analytics
Nicole Levin, Pebblebed
0 to 1: Running an AI Adoption Sprint Inside a VC Firm
Elyse Crowston, Active Impact Investments
12:00 pm - 12:45 pm
Tools
How We Run Our Platform on Airtable: CRM, Content, Fundraising, and Ops Workflows
Caroline Caswell, Operator Collective
Anna Jacobson, Operator Collective
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Building a Team Notion System: Wikis, Playbooks, and Workflows People Actually Use
Marissa Sterling, Burnt Island Ventures
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Designing a Dealflow CRM That Actually Works: Lessons From Scaling With Affinity
Kyle Turner, Affinity
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Building a Talent Stack: Tools and Workflows That Scale Recruiting Without a Big Team
Carolyn Carpeneti, Peterson Partners
Evan Walden, Getro
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Lunch & Closing Remarks
THURSDAY, APRIL 16
San Francisco Immersion Day (Optional)
For the first time, we’re offering a post-Summit immersion in San Francisco to extend your experience and take advantage of the nearby SF ecosystem.
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The San Francisco Immersion Day is designed as a soft landing after Summit—supporting focused work, intentional meetings, and organic connection.
Schedule:
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8:30 am - 10:00 am: Networking breakfast & panel discussion
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10:00 am onward: Open co-working (optional)
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12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Optional catered lunch
Open to all Summit attendees, space is limited — just check the box during registration to receive more information.
OUR SPONSORS









FAQs
Do I have to be a member of the community to attend?
Yes, this is a members-only event. Apply here to be considered. Membership is only available to individuals who meet our community criteria and are current full-time members of a venture capital firm in a platform-focused role. Interns, part-time employees, and investment-focused professionals are not eligible for membership in the community or to attend the Summit.
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What is the cost of attending the Summit?
The cost of attending the Summit ranges from $599 to $799 based on fund AUM.
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What is your cancellation or refund policy?
Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferrable; if your employment circumstances change after registering (i.e. you no longer meet membership eligibility), we reserve the right to revoke your ticket. All hotel bookings are subject to property policies.
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What does my ticket include?
Your ticket gives you access to all parts of the Summit, including all meals and drinks. Attendees are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.
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Is there a hotel block available?
Yes, there is a limited room block available at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina (our host venue) for summit attendees at a highly discounted rate of $329.00 per night. The hotel block booking link will be presented on the confirmation page after completing registration (pending availability).
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Will this event be held virtually?
No, we will not offer a virtual option to attend. ​
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What is the agenda for the Summit?
The agenda is crowdsourced by our community and has been published above.
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Where is the event taking place?
Summit will take place at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. Other components of the event - such as our curated dinners - may take place offsite in San Diego.
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Can I be a speaker at the Summit?
The number of speaker requests we receive always exceeds the number of available speaking slots. In the registration process, you can highlight your area of expertise. We will reach out to you if we see alignment between your area of expertise and demand from attendees. ​
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My colleague wants to attend instead of me, can I transfer my ticket?
The Summit is open to anyone who is a current member of the VC Platform community. If your colleague is not a member, please have them first apply to join the community. Membership is only available to individuals who meet our community criteria.
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Can I host a side event at the Summit?
If you're interested in hosting a side event or informal gathering during the Summit, we ask that you please inform us first by email (summit@vcplatform.com). Events hosted in partnership with or by external companies or service providers are strictly prohibited. Individual or firm-hosted events are acceptable, but we ask that you seek approval first. This helps us avoid conflicts with other events already planned and with our community's sponsor commitments.
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Are there discounts or scholarships available for tickets?
We offer a limited quantity of Early Bird tickets. Our goal is that all attendees will have the ticket cost covered by your firm given the value of the content, learning, and networking you'll receive at the Summit and the return it will produce for your firm. If your firm is unable or unwilling to cover your ticket, please reach out to summit@vcplatform.com. There are highly limited scholarships available to ensure that as many people can participate as possible, regardless of cost.
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I have other questions that weren't answered!
Email us at summit@vcplatform.com and we'll get back to you as soon as possible!
























