Corporate Venture Capital: Building Engines for Strategic Growth
🚀 Corporate Venture Capital: Building Engines for Strategic Growth
build? Buy? Partner? There are more than three ways to generate organic growth and shape the future.
Corporate venture capital programs can be a powerful fourth option. done right, it can provide the insights, pipeline, and entrepreneurialism required to stay ahead of the pace of disruption, without disrupting your korf business
So what does it take to build a high-impact CVC arm inside a corporation? what are the critical best practices to get it right? What are the mistakes that companies often make?
Building a CVC program isn’t just about writing checks to startups. It’s about aligning investment with strategy, managing risk without stifling innovation, and designing a structure that delivers more than financial returns. It delivers insight, agility, and long-term advantage.
🎯 This Month’s Session
We’re excited to welcome Todd Cassler, Partner and Chief Growth Officer at Cerity Partners, as our guest speaker.
With over two decades of experience at the intersection of finance, strategy, and institutional partnerships, Todd brings a unique perspective to how Fortune 500 companies are using CVC not only to fuel growth but to future-proof their businesses. From leading global sales and strategy at firms like John Hancock and Manulife to advising innovation-driven enterprises, Todd has had a front-row seat to how large organizations are embedding venture investing into their DNA.
In this session, he’ll share what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to launching, scaling, and sustaining corporate venture programs and how leaders can navigate the balance between innovation, governance, and growth.
🗓️ Agenda:
🔹 Welcome & Introductions – Meet fellow professionals and set the stage.
🔹 Group Conversation – What does a successful CVC program really look like?
🔹 Talk & Insights from Todd Cassler – Lessons and best practices from inside leading corporations.
🔹 Q&A and Takeaways – Ask your questions and leave with useful next steps.
📌 Join us to explore how smart corporate venture investing can become one of your most powerful tools for strategic growth.