Inside Venture Capital: A Conversation with VC Partners
Inside Venture Capital: A Conversation with VC Partners
Join us for an exclusive event featuring Gabriel Schlumberger, Alim Giga, and Eli Kia, as they share insights into the world of early-stage investing.
Gain firsthand knowledge on how top VCs evaluate startups, what makes a successful founder, and where the venture landscape is headed. Whether you're an aspiring investor, entrepreneur, or just curious about venture capital, this is a unique opportunity to hear directly from industry leaders and ask your burning questions.
Our Panelists
Gabriel Schlumberger - Managing Director, USC & Techstars Startup Accelerator
Gabriel is the Managing Director of the USC & Techstars Startup Accelerator, where he mentors and invests in early-stage founders. Before joining Techstars, he was the CEO of Fitz Frames, where he built the first vertically integrated, fully custom-made-to-measure eyewear company, raising $6.5M across three funding rounds and securing a patent for its proprietary fitting system. Prior to Fitz, he led a business transformation at Violet Grey, securing a $9M Series C round and optimizing e-commerce operations. Earlier in his career, he was an embedded startup leader at The Walt Disney Company, launching three internal ventures across digital apps, toys-to-life products, and short-form video. He also worked in animation at Pixar and Blue Sky Studios, contributing to Oscar-winning films like Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles.
Alim Giga - Partner at Alumni Ventures
Before joining AV, he worked at American Express Ventures and GE Ventures, focusing on enterprise, B2B, fintech and AI/ML investments. Prior to investing, Alim worked in tech at Google, where he generated revenue for advertisers and managed a $100M book of business. He also spent time at PayPal in product marketing and Instart Logic, a startup backed by a16z and KPCB, where he focused on business development and partnerships. He holds a BS in Business and Accounting from the University of Southern California where he graduated magna cum laude, an MS in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from The Wharton School.
Eli Kia - Investor at Fortify Ventures
Eli writes early-stage checks into human health, future-of-work, and infrastructure startups. Eli leads fund operations and investing at Fortify, and is currently working on Distilled Intelligence, Fortify's four-day pitch competition. Prior to his role at Fortify, Eli was an Associate at Seaside Ventures, on the founding team of Handle Delivery, and an early hire at Duffl (YC W20).