Fireside Chat: Why Founders Should Be Open to Alternative Sources of Funding.
Carrie Colbert, Founding and General Partner of Curate Capital, brings a unique perspective to funding sources beyond traditional venture capital. Learn why founders should explore alternative funding options as Carrie Colbert shares her expertise in influential investing, crowdfunding, and angel investing. She’ll provide valuable insights on leveraging these diverse funding avenues to set your company up for long-term success.
About Carrie
With over 25 years of extraordinary business experience, Carrie Colbert seamlessly blends creativity with business savvy, redefining the venture capital landscape while championing women entrepreneurs.
Hailing from a small Texas town, Carrie was the first in her family to earn a college degree, graduating at the top of her class in the College of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in petroleum engineering. Later, while working she also earned an MBA from UT Austin. Working in the energy industry for almost 20 years, Carrie spent most of that career at Hilcorp Energy Company, now the largest privately-owned oil and gas producer in the US. The entrepreneurial culture of Hilcorp set the stage for her transition to her next professional chapter.
With over 100,000 followers across all channels, Carrie leveraged her social media influence to connect with and invest in women-owned brands. In 2021, she founded Curate Capital, a venture capital firm focused on investing in women by women. Curate Capital invests in awe-inspiring women building the products, services, and technology the consumer wants for herself, her family, her home, and her life. Curate invests across multiple consumer packaged goods (CPG) verticals, including health & beauty, food & beverage, home & family, and fashion & apparel.
In 2022, Curate Capital closed its first fund at $15 million—50% above target—with nearly 80% of investors being women, including leading influencers with over 10 million followers. Looking ahead, Curate is poised to launch its second fund in 2024, continuing its mission to revolutionize the venture capital landscape and support female-owned businesses. Carrie’s commitment to empowering and supporting women has garnered recognition in esteemed publications like Forbes, Fast Company, TechCrunch, Houston Business Journal, Innovation Map, and many more.