Hosted in 25 cities across 5 continents, and culminating in a final competition and 3-day immersive educational bootcamp in Silicon Valley, SoGal Foundation is excited to host the largest global startup pitch opportunity for women and diverse entrepreneurs worldwide. Finalists selected from each regional round will win a slot in our final global competition for guaranteed face-time with top venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, curated educational programming, unparalleled 1:1 mentorship, press exposure, and a chance to win investment capital. Over half a million (and counting) investment dollars have already been allocated to the final competition from our friends at SoGal Ventures and Draper U.

In 2018, women raised less than 3% of VC funding and comprised only 11% of decision-making roles at US-based VC firms. In our effort to narrow the gender investing gap in the state of Florida, SoGal is pleased to host a half-day forum to showcase the most promising women and diverse-led technology startups across the state and facilitate connections amongst investors, exited entrepreneurs, and other business leaders. Given Florida's fourth-place rank in the US for the number of accredited investors, we see an incredible opportunity to grow the pipeline of future investments for women-led companies. Please join us in taking part in this mission! 

Agenda:

Elizabeth Galbut (Native of Naples, FL) and Pocket Sun, Managing Partners of SoGal Ventures, will provide deep-dive insights on considerations and strategies for beginning angel investing. SoGal has invested in 50+ early-stage startups in the U.S. and Asia with a focus on diverse founding teams, especially women.

Accredited investors will learn about angel investing through real-time observation of a pitch competition to a panel of judges, and hear from the most promising women and diverse-led startups across the state of Florida, who were hand-picked for this event.

Schedule:

9:00AM - Breakfast + Registration
9:45AM - Event Kick-Off with SoGal Tampa Chapter Lead, Allie Felix
9:45AM-10:15AM - Fireside Chat: Angel Investing Insights with Elizabeth Galbut and Pocket Sun, Managing Partners of SoGal Ventures
10:15AM-10:45AM - Audience Q&A with Elizabeth Galbut and Pocket Sun
10:45-11:00AM - Networking Break
11:00AM-12:30PM - Pitch Competition with Women and Diverse Founded Florida Startups