Relationships form the foundation of any business, and a solid foundation requires cultivating a strong network of people who advise, empower and invest in you and your startup dreams. But knowing how to break into certain networks and where to even begin to make those connections can be challenging — especially when you’re first starting out.
If that dilemma strikes a chord, don’t miss this session. You’ll learn how and where to start making essential connections — with angel investors and beyond — that every founder needs to grow their company.
You will always need a tight community of people willing to provide feedback and introduce you to others in their network for funding, partnerships or new clients. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that three experts — Nik Milanović, Joshua Ogundu and Gefen Skolnick — will guide you through the process at TechCrunch Disrupt on October 18-20.
Fintech enthusiast Nik Milanović is the founder and editor in chief of This Week in Fintech and the general partner of the Fintech Fund. In a past life, he was the head of Business Development at Google Pay, VP of Strategy at Petal and the director of Strategic Partnerships at Funding Circle.
Joshua Ogundu is the CEO and co-founder of Heart To Heart, a voice-first dating app that lets people get to know each other through the stories they tell and the conversations they share. Previously, Ogundu served as a product operations lead at TikTok, where he worked primarily on the Trust, Safety and Accessibility products that led to TikTok’s Take A Break videos and its photosensitive epilepsy warning and toggle.
Ogundu began his tech career by founding LykeMe, an identity and interest-based social network he launched the week after graduating from Michigan State.
Gefen Skolnick, founder and CEO of Couplet Coffee, is a first-generation immigrant, proud queer woman and coffee lover. She worked as the co-director of technology for the largest women’s U.S. hackathon, built her own apps and participated in multiple fellowship programs.
She became a lead partner at a venture fund backed by the founders of Tesla, Reddit and Twitch before creating her own coffee brand and locking in funding using just Twitter. And she did all of it by age 23.
Through Twitter, Skolnick built a community for underrepresented founders, which has nearly 3,000 members. Her passionate advocacy for underrepresented minorities grabbed the attention of 30 angel investors, including Away co-founder Jen Rubio.
Read between the lines, and you’ll understand what these leaders bring to the early-stage startup table — and why it’s valuable. Milanović’s passion for fintech helped him build connections and transition into investing. Ogundu knows how engaging conversations lead to authentic connections, while Skolnick’s deep connection with marginalized communities expanded her social network to impressive effect.
Join and engage with Nik Milanović, Joshua Ogundu and Gefen Skolnick at TC Disrupt this October. Then go forth and put their wise advice into practice during the event, expand your network and make those relationships work for you.
TechCrunch Disrupt is back in person to re-engage the startup ecosystem on October 18-20 in San Francisco with a special online day on October 21 featuring analyst commentary, video replays and surprise special guests! Register before June 3 and save up to $1,500. And if you’re a student, recent grad or government, military or nonprofit employee, all-access passes for you are less than $100 for a limited time!