Ugly Talk: Seed and Pre-seed Investors Panel
Think you’re ready to raise? Think again. This event is where seasoned investors reveal what founders really get wrong when pitching, negotiating, and closing their first rounds. From rookie missteps to repeated red flags, learn what turns investors off—and what makes them lean in.
🧠 What You’ll Learn
The Pitch Problems: Discover what most founders overcomplicate, overlook, or miss entirely in their deck and delivery.
Investor Red Flags: Understand how small signals can derail your entire round.
Relationship Dynamics: Learn the follow-up, the updates, and even the ghosting—find out what behavior builds investor trust (and what burns bridges fast).
🎤 Who’s on the Panel
Andrew Ackerman - Head of REACH Labs, Second Century Ventures
Andrew is a serial entrepreneur turned early stage investor and innovation expert. He has invested in over 70 startups over the past 2 decades. Andrew is currently the Strategic Advisor & Head of REACH Labs for Second Century Ventures, consults on corporate innovation strategies (CVC, accelerators, venture studios, etc.), and is an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship. He was previously Managing Director at Dreamit Ventures where he launched and built both their Edtech and Urbantech (Proptech and Construction) verticals.
Andrew has written over 60 published articles for Fortune, Forbes, Propmodo, CREtech, Builders Online, Architect Magazine, Multifamily Executive, AlleyWatch, Edsurge, The 74 Million, et. al. and is the author of “The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey” (Routledge Press, Spring 2025) a textbook-disguised-as-a-novel on how to launch a successful startup.
Reid Hamilton - Managing Director of Founder Institute New York
Previously, he was a consultant for KPMG’s Venture Studio, where he helped them scale their venture-building process. Before that, he led two startup accelerators for Verizon, working on deep tech projects leveraging 5G technologies across AI, computer vision, robotics, energy, smart cities, and more.
Reid is a frequent consultant to startups and corporate innovation programs around the world and serves on the board of the NYC Innovation Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting New York’s innovation ecosystem.
Before moving into the startup ecosystem, Reid was a partner in a strategic consulting firm, advising executive leadership on corporate strategy, partnerships, and M&A.
Mellie Chow, MBA, P.Eng, PMP, CSM - an engineer-turned-entrepreneur-turned-investor with over 25 years of experience across industries including telecommunications, utilities, banking, healthcare, government, and food. She is a venture partner at Archangel and Axion Fund, and a due diligence consultant for Ben Franklin Tech Partners and the Ontario Center of Innovation (OCI).
She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from Kellogg (Northwestern) and Schulich (York University). Mellie is also a mentor with the Founder Institute (Keystone and Toronto chapters) and an Adjunct Professor of Competitive Product Strategy at the graduate level. She lives in Philadelphia but proudly calls Canada home.
Her recently published report, 2025 Connected-Consumer Trends in an AI-First World: The New Workload, outlines the Top 10 Consumer Tech Trends shaping product innovation and strategic decision-making in the next 3–5 years.
Moderator
Jamie Redington - is a Venture Capital Analyst and aerospace engineer with a diverse background spanning startups, engineering, and finance. He is currently a VC Analyst at C2 Ventures and the Co-Founder of FounderSquare. Jamie brings experience from across venture operations, equity trading, and engineering—from designing cutting-edge hydroponic systems at Redi-farms to trading equities at Chimera Securities.
👥 Who Else Is Going
Founders preparing to raise their first or next round
Startup operators who want to understand the investor POV
Angels, advisors, and mentors supporting early-stage startups
🎯 Why You Should Attend
Get a behind-the-scenes look at how investors evaluate deals (and people)
Learn how to avoid the most common—and costly—fundraising blunders
Walk away with insider advice that’ll make you a sharper, more compelling founder
Network with investors and fellow founders who are in the arena with you
🤝 Co-Hosted By
Founder Square – the community shaping the future of entrepreneurship in the heart of New York City
GREY Journal – media partner spotlighting modern entrepreneurs
Microsoft - Yep, that Microsoft, needs no introduction
💡 About Ugly Talk
Started in 2019, Ugly Talk has been turning business breakdowns into breakthroughs through unfiltered events featuring real-world founders. We’ve built a community across NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami—creating thousands of real connections, real lessons, and real results.
🎬 Get a Feel for the Room
Get a taste of past Ugly Talk energy:
•eCommerce Entrepreneurs – Soho, Shopify