

Yorkseed House Investor Panel - Beyond The Check
โYorkseed House Investor Panel @ SXSW 2025
โ๐ Date: Sunday, March 9, 2025
โ๐ Time: 1:30PM โ 2:30 PM
โ๐ Location: Yorkseed House @ The Lively & Grit Daily House
โ206 San Marcos St, Austin, TX 78702
โYorkseed House pop-up home based @ The Lively & Grit Daily House from 9:30am - 5pm.
โJoin us at Yorkseed House for a powerhouse investor panel featuring top investors sharing unfiltered insights on what makes founders truly investable.
โ๐ก Panel Topic:
โBeyond the Check: What Investors Look for Beyond Capital Returns + How to Win Over an Investor in 5 Minutes
โInvestors donโt just write checksโthey back founders who can execute. This candid, high-energy discussion will dive into:
โโ How investors assess startups beyond financial returns (team, vision, sustainability, impact)
โโ What makes a pitch stand out in the first 5 minutes
โโ Common deal-breakers and must-have traits for investable founders
โโก Panel Format:
โ๐ค 30-Minute Moderated Discussion โ Investor insights on what separates great founders from the rest
โ๐ฅ 8-Minute Rapid-Fire Q&A โ No-BS answers on pitching, funding, and red flags
โ๐ 7-Minute Audience Q&A โ Ask investors your burning questions
โ๐ Featured Panelists:
โTiffany Yu โ Investor | Founder | Disability Advocate
โAngel investor in underestimated founders (Esusu - valued at $1bn+, The Cru - acquired by Luminary, Making Space, Lotus)
โLP in Backstage Capital, Fearless Fund, and Park Rangers Capital
โLeading voice in disability inclusion, author, and SXSW speaker
โSophie Taitt โ Media Consultant | Angel Investor
โAngel investor in female-founded businesses via The Helm
โFormerly with Netflix & BBC, now investing in early-stage ventures
โJuliana Garaizar โ GP at Portfolia | VP of Climatetech Global Ventures
โNamed Investor of the Year by Houston Innovation Map
โFormerly led Greentown Labs, Texas Medical Center Venture Fund, Houston Angel Network
โKathryn Kuan โ Angel Investor | Futurist
โJane-of-all-trades and Investor with Keiretsu Forum, the worldโs largest investor network
โAdvising early-stage startups on product-market fit and due diligence preparation
โSearching for companies transforming how core human needs are met with innovation and emerging technology
โBreen Sullivan โ Founder, The Fourth Effect | Angel Investor | SXSW Advisory Board
โFounder of The Fourth Effect, an AI-powered platform connecting women with companies seeking diverse leadership
โRecognized for leadership in fostering inclusive innovation in the business world
โFeatured in Forbes and Bloomberg
โBrian Zisk โ Entrepreneur | Investor | Industry Innovator
โBrian is a long time entrepreneur and investor whose startup the Green Witch Internet Radio featuring Olive the Cartoon AI DJ was the first breakthrough technology launched at SXSW in 1999, selling to a public company 9 months later.
โHe is an Angel investor, and a General or Venture Partner in various funds including Exponential Creativity Ventures and the SF MusicTech Fund.
โHe is well known for supporting and respecting entrepreneurs, telling almost everyone who pitches him no at the first meeting instead of stringing them along.
โCome pitch your Music Technology Startup at his SXSW session on Wedneaday: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2025/events/PP153440
โModerator / host:
โJessica Sophia Wong โ Founder, Yorkseed | Venture Partner & Startup Strategist
โFounder of Yorkseed, a global platform connecting startups and investors across 20+ city hubs and major tech conferences
โNYC Chapter Director at VNTR Capital and advisor for BAJ Accelerator, hosting high-impact venture events worldwide, including at SXSW, Web Summit, and Davos
โ๐ธ Come early to enjoy networking, an open bar, and food before the session starts.
โ๐ฑ What is Yorkseed?
โYorkseed was born from a silly joke that went viral during SXSW 2023, and Yorkseed was born in April the same years, but what started as an inside joke quickly turned into a thriving global community of founders, investors, and executives. Since then, Yorkseed has grown into:
โโ A global network of 10+ conference hubs & 20+ city hubs
โโ Exclusive investor & founder events worldwide
โโ A community fostering meaningful startup connections
โYorkseed is also a community partner for major conferences worldwide, including:
โ๐ Asian Financial Forum (Hong Kong) โ A premier global finance and investment summit
โ๐ Global Sales Tech Festival (Barcelona) โ A key event in sales innovation and tech
โ๐ CC Forum (High-Profile Impact Investing Forum) โ Where global leaders discuss finance, sustainability, and impact And moreโฆ
โNow, weโre bringing the Yorkseed magic back to SXSW (well less than 24 hours of planning) โand you donโt want to miss it!
โ๐ RSVP Now! Space is limited. Join us for a powerful day of networking, insights, and inspirationโsee you at Yorkseed House! ๐
โYorkseed is a global venture capital network for founders and investors, facilitating connections between founders and investors, while also creating global hubs to enhance investor and founders outreach and bridge the gap between the USA and the rest of the world.
โโโโโWhether you're an entrepreneur looking for support or an investor looking to invest in emerging companies, Yorkseed.co is the perfect place to connect with like-minded individuals, share knowledge, and explore opportunities in the startup ecosystem. Join us in building a global network of investors and founders and shaping the future of the startup community.
โโSXSW Original Unofficial Master Side Event and Housing List. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1d-maOelsjyCU6DcqotWkUtNOG89WNdw4-qX0vT8AsrY/edit?usp=sharing
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