Show Notes Get ready for an electrifying deep dive into the future of investing and technology with IBM’s Global Head of Venture Capital, Emily Fontaine! Recorded live at the Milken Institute Global Conference, this episode of Female VC Lab unpacks the powerful role that corporate venture capital (CVC) is playing in shaping startup success, AI, and Quantum innovation. You’ll hear firsthand how IBM’s investment strategy goes beyond capital—fueling strategic partnerships, market access, and cuttin...
May 08, 2026•10 min•Season 2Ep. 120
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 private funds to emerging opportunities and risk-mitigating strategies, this e...
Apr 03, 2026•14 min•Season 2Ep. 119
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 packed with insights on embracing serendipity, the evolution of VC, and the a...
Jan 17, 2026•19 min•Season 2Ep. 117
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 initiatives such as coaching, therapy, and even marriage counseling. Kristi...
Sep 19, 2025•18 min•Season 2Ep. 116
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 classes creates incredible opportunities for transformation. Tune in to h...
Jul 25, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 115
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 responsibility, small business empowerment, and inclusive innovation. Find out what’s...
Jun 27, 2025•16 min•Season 2Ep. 114
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 supporting women and minority-owned startups in sustainability, wellness, the...
May 23, 2025•13 min•Season 2Ep. 113
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 in today’s economic landscape. ★ Support this podcast ★...
May 16, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 112
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: investing in companies taking real action to decarbonize our infrastruc...
Apr 25, 2025•12 min•Season 2Ep. 111
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 thesis-agnostic approach of Seven Seven Six, highlighting how the firm meets th...
Mar 28, 2025•10 min•Season 2Ep. 110
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 delves into their investment thesis, targeting innovation in tech, fintech...
Feb 14, 2025•10 min•Season 2Ep. 109
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 prepare for unprecedented challenges. Learn about the revolutionary concept ...
Jan 18, 2025•32 min•Season 2Ep. 108
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 below-market-rate loans, offering a transparent and revolutionary way to fund...
Dec 13, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 107
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 support systems to ensure the success of their diverse portfolio. Barbara and ...
Dec 06, 2024•13 min•Season 2Ep. 106
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 in as Keara delves into emerging sectors like longevity and distinguishes ...
Nov 01, 2024•28 min•Season 2Ep. 105
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 exclusionary systems, and how opening up investment opportunities can empower ...
Oct 04, 2024•17 min•Season 2Ep. 104
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 dives into Sierra Ventures' investment thesis centered on B2B software and d...
Sep 20, 2024•12 min•Season 2Ep. 103
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 fund backed by over 100 community banks, and their mission to bridge the ...
Aug 16, 2024•19 min•Season 2Ep. 102
Keri Findley, is the founder of Tacora Capital, an Austin, Texas based firm which does asset-backed private credit to venture-owned companies. Providing loans to youngish companies is an important part of the VC ecosystem, and Keri takes pride in helping young entrepreneurs grow their startups. ★ Support this podcast ★
Jul 26, 2024•9 min•Season 2Ep. 101
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 Equity Capital Markets analyst at Cowen Inc. Corinne holds a B.A. in Busine...
Jul 19, 2024•8 min•Season 2Ep. 100
Mary Ellen Iskenderian is President and CEO of Women’s World Banking, the global nonprofit devoted to giving more low-income women access to the financial tools and resources they need to achieve security and prosperity. Ms. Iskenderian has led the Women’s World Banking global team, based in New York, since 2006 and also serves on the Investment Committees of its two impact investment funds. Previously, Ms. Iskenderian worked at the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of th...
Jun 28, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Madhu is a managing partner and co-founder of Rocketship.vc. Prior to Rocketship, she was Chief Data Officer for Gojek, contributing to its growth into a $10 billion unicorn. She served as an operating partner at a $150M PE fund building startups across Southeast Asia and was a member of Intuit’s Quickbooks Lending Platform founding team. ★ Support this podcast ★
Jun 21, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 98
Nicole Valentine is the FinTech Director of the Center for Financial Markets at the Milken Institute with over a decade of financial services, international Mergers & Acquisitions, technology and innovation experience. She leads the FinTech Program with a focus on access to capital, financial inclusion, compliance and transparency. ★ Support this podcast ★
Jun 14, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 97
Michael Phillips is a trailblazer in the realm of social entrepreneurship and impact, devoting his life to the relentless pursuit of empowering individuals for positive change. Serving as the Chief Operating Officer at T.D. Jakes Enterprises, he spearheads innovative initiatives across Content Creation, Cultural Change, Community Development, and Capital Investments. ★ Support this podcast ★
Jun 07, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 96
Alice Pomponio is Vice President of Innovation and Impact Investing at American Cancer Society and Managing Director of BrightEdge —ACS’s mission-driven venture capital and impact investment arm. She’s an impact investor, social innovation entrepreneur, and patient advocate with extensive experience in life sciences and business and passion for health equity. ★ Support this podcast ★
May 31, 2024•14 min•Season 1Ep. 95
Seasoned entrepreneur and resource mobilizer for positive social and environmental change. ★ Support this podcast ★
May 17, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 94
As CEO of the Investor Leadership Network Secretariat since 2020, Amy Hepburn is charged with designing and delivering the long-term strategy of the ILN and representing the Network in collaboration with global stakeholders. Amy is a recognized impact investing expert and social entrepreneur with deep expertise on gender lens social investments and the care of children in crises. In this capacity, she has spent 20 years driving social change globally in the private, non-profit, and public sector...
May 09, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Genia Xasis is the CEO & Co-founder of Berkana.VC, a global community aimed at enhancing gender diversity in VC and tech. She assists seed and Series A companies with raising capital in MENA and is an angel investor focusing on pre-seed, female-led companies with an emphasis on impact and AI. Holds a PhD in Biochemistry. ★ Support this podcast ★
May 02, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 92
Jess Mah built her first 6-figure business while still in middle school and has since created three companies that are each valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Among the companies she’s founded are inDinero, a fintech company that helps businesses manage their accounting and taxes; Astonishing Labs, is a biotech firm focused on revolutionizing human health with groundbreaking innovations; and a litigation tech company that has empowered over a thousand individuals to pursue justice, o...
Mar 21, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Jess Hunichen and Emily Ward are the Co-Founders of the global Talent Management Agency, Shine Talent Group, founded in 2015 with offices in Los Angeles, Toronto and London. Built on the premise of collaboration over competition, Shine has grown a reputation for being an ally to both talent and brands bringing impactful campaigns and creative solutions. In 2023 Jess and Emily launched Shine Ventures as a vehicle to share their experience and invest in bold founders with potential for global reac...
Mar 07, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 90
