Melissa Barall, CFA

Gaingels is a leading venture investment syndicate in support of and representing the LGBTQIA+ community and allies in the venture capital space. Gaingels also supports its companies with a diverse talent and capital pipeline and provides an internal diverse board member recruitment advisory to help bring more diversity and representation within private boards. Gaingels invests in companies with diverse/LGBTQIA+ founders and C-suite leaders at all stages of growth, as well as in other high-growth companies resolved on building more inclusive teams. Gaingels is an ardent supporter the Diversity Term Sheet Rider Initiative to increase access to venture funding events for non-traditional check writers, and regularly co-invests with select VC leads across a variety of sectors, from technology, to B2B, healthcare and consumer, in competitive and over-subscribed rounds from Seed to Growth/pre-IPO. For more information visit www.gaingels.com.

Hustle Fund is a venture capital firm investing in hilariously-early pre-seed founders. Learn more about Hustle Fund and pitch us here: hustlefund.vc If you are here to learn about ANGEL SQUAD, youve come to the right place. We help teach professionals how to invest in startups alongside Hustle Fund. Learn how we do this here: https://hustlefund.vc/squad

Securities are offered through Finalis Securities LLC Member FINRA / SIPC. KCC Capital Corp is not a registered broker-dealer, and Finalis Securities LLC and KCC Capital Corp are separate, unaffiliated entities.

With $250 million committed in Assets Under Management (AUM), Kassandra Global Investments is strategically positioned to substantially impact emerging markets. This capital infusion lets us focus on high-growth sectors across these dynamic regions, driving both financial returns and sustainable development. We are strategically poised to deploy over $1 billion in the next few quarters across a diverse range of high-potential asset classes, including fine art, energy, mining, residential and commercial buildings, hospitality, commodities, and sports with an average 20% IRR.

Viveo Capital Partners is an Independent Sponsor Firm focused on acquiring SMBs across multiple asset classes in the $3-10M EBITDA range, with a specialty in med spas and longevity centers. VCP grows companies both through organic means and acquisitions and is a trusted partner for amplification.

Techstars helps founders scale their startups into world-changing businesses. Founded in 2006, Techstars is on a mission to invest in startups to enable more capital to flow to more entrepreneurs around the world in order to deliver exceptional returns to our investors. We do this by operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, as well as by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. Our results show why Techstars is Better for Founders than any other global accelerator: On average, 74.5% of Techstars companies will raise money within 3 years of their program; 18.5% of Techstars portfolio companies have exited 5 years after their program and 31.1% after eight years. (PitchBook June 2023)

Upper Echelon is the evolution of Deal Flow Xchange - rebuilt for the next era of private capital. A private network for investors and founders who value trust and long-term alignment. Right now, theres a lot of noise in the market. Everyone can build fast, everyone can create a beautiful website, and everyone has a strong pitch deck. But very few have clarity, credibility, or real relationships. That’s where we come in. We vet investors, we prepare founders, and we create a shared environment where conversations move efficiently because everyone in the room is aligned. Founders who enter our ecosystem go through the Founder AI Lab - an 8-week process that sharpens positioning, offering, and operational clarity, so they show up prepared. Founders who go through this program can list their opportunities for potential interest from the investor base. Investors inside the Inner Circle, a higher tier within Upper Echelon, know that every conversation is with someone who has already passed the trust and alignment threshold. This is a small, highly curated network of high-caliber co-investment deal flow and elevated conversations. We also allow private networks to plug into our capital architecture to create a better ecosystem of private deal flow sharing and collaboration. So instead of chasing deals, filtering noise, or running endless meetings - people here move quickly from first conversation to real conviction. If someone values trust, clarity, and long-term partnership - Upper Echelon is where they belong.