​Come hear from LPs that evaluate emerging managers on what they’re looking for and seeing in the market right now. Our panel will feature of a mix of folks dedicated to creating opportunities for new investors and those that have real concerns about the viability of smaller managers as long term partners.
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​New to VC is an educational series for a group of relatively new investors who want to be exposed to the best venture and startup thinking. Each event is attended by accredited investors and non-partner VCs that skew intentionally, but not exclusively, toward underrepresented backgrounds.

​Speakers:

​Leena Bhutta, Chief Investment Officer of Doris Duke Foundation

​Leena serves as the Chief Investment Officer of Doris Duke Foundation, an organization committed to building a more creative, equitable and sustainable future. Leena leads the investment team managing the $2 billion portfolio for the foundation and serves on the management committee, contributing to the strategic direction of the broader organization.

​Leena started her career in technology investment banking at Goldman Sachs. She transitioned to the buyside as an investor in global equity markets at Joho Capital, an Asia-focused hedge fund managing $5 billion in AUM. After several years as a direct investor, she pivoted to investing for mission-oriented organizations by setting up an investment program for Hollyhock Foundation, a private foundation set up by the founders of Joho Capital. She joined the Doris Duke Foundation in 2019 and transitioned tothe Chief Investment Officer role in 2022.

​Ben Zilnicki, Investor at GC1 Ventures

​Ben has over a decade experience building venture capital programs for family offices and institutional clients. Alongside his investment management experience, Ben has held a variety of finance and corporate strategy roles, where his work ranged from advising Fortune 500 companies on strategic acquisitions to scaling critical finance functions for early stage companies. He currently leads diligence efforts for GC1 Ventures, a family office with a hybrid portfolio of funds and direct company investments.

​Betsy Zimmerman, Co-founder and General Partner at First Close Partners

​Betsy is a Co-founder and one of two General Partners at First Close Partners (FCP), a woman- and LatinX-led Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds. Founded in 2020, FCP invests in seasoned as well as emerging venture capital funds across the globe, where the venture firms are majority-owned and operated by underrepresented managers.

​Prior to First Close, Betsy was a partner at GrapeArbor Ventures, a multi-family office, which has made over 200 investments into startups as well as over 100 venture capital and growth equity funds, primarily in the US, Europe and Africa. There, she was involved in all aspects of managing the firm’s portfolio, including evaluating, investing, managing and analyzing portfolio performance, as well as creating and implementing the firm’s proprietary investment data analytics. Betsy spent the first decade of her career in global asset management at Prudential, where she held a variety of roles including as a buy-side equity research analyst as well as in corporate M&A, analyzing and recommending strategic initiatives including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. 

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Sponsors:

​​Haymaker is a public relations firm based in New York, which works with the most exciting high-growth companies operating in the U.S., including Oatly, G2, Gympass, and Pipedrive.  

​​Cooley LLP — Our lawyers advise venture capital firms, corporate VCs, growth equity firms, family offices and high-growth companies on 1,700+ private financings each year. We understand all angles and offer support at all stages of investment. Our integrated, cross-disciplinary team can take you from fund formation to investment to exit, partnering with your internal resources to guarantee seamless collaboration and offering the specialty platform you need to support your portfolio companies.

KPMG — Whether you are looking to reach new heights, embrace technology, plan for an exit, or manage the transition of wealth or your business to the next generation, KPMG Private Enterprise advisers can help you drive your business forward through each stage of the business journey. Your success is our legacy.

​This is event is hosted by nextNYC. To learn more about nextNYC and/or sign up for their newsletter, visit http://next.nyc