Session #3 Attracting Capital: Building a Winning Go-to-Market Strategy

(2 hours 5 min.) Thursday, February 15^th, 2024

4:00pm – 4:05pm           Opening Remarks & Speaker Introduction

Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee

4:05pm – 4:40pm           Positioning Your Firm to Win in a Competitive Environment

In the crowded and competitive field of fundraising, it is critical to hone your messaging, define your brand and clearly articulate your competitive advantage. In this session, you will hear from leading experts on how to effectively differentiate your strategy and learn how to attract potential LPs' attention. You will also discover how to pitch to different investor types and how to most effectively tell your story to investors who hear pitches all day, every day.

What is your “edge”?

• • Key Differentiators
  • Building Your Story: Team, Market Opportunity, Investment Strategy, and Track Record
  • The Role of Friends & Family
  • Engaging your Initial Limited Partners

                   Speaker: Nia White, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Arc Capital Advisors

4:40pm – 5:15pm           Crafting Your Brand: How You Stand Out in a Crowded Marketplace

When launching a new firm, it is crucial that your marketing materials pass institutional muster. With one chance to make a first impression, your messaging must be concise, consistent and appropriate for your target LPs. Your design and materials should also look professional. Participants will hear from an industry expert on how to ensure consistency in messaging and design across your marketing materials.

Speaker: Susan Kirshner, Founder, Words Plus Numbers, LLC

5:15pm – 5:20pm           Virtual Break (3 min) & Next Panel Introduction (2 min)

5:20pm – 6:00pm           Been There, Done That: Perspectives from Successful Founders

Lessons learned the hard way, including the real cost of launching and operating an institutional-grade firm, how long it will actually take to raise the capital, the realities of no longer being a part of a much larger entity (with all of the resources and infrastructure it afforded you) are all covered in this session. NAIC member firms will share some of the harsh realities of being an entrepreneur and raising a fund in the ever-increasingly competitive universe of alternative investments.

Moderator: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee

Panelists:

• Benjamin Carson, Co-Founder and Partner, FVLCRUM
• Samara Mejia Hernandez, Founding Partner, Chingona Ventures
• Ken Saffold, Managing Partner, o15 Capital Partners

6:00pm – 6:05pm           Session #3 Closing Remarks

                                        Speaker: Carmen Ortiz-McGhee

6:05pm                             Session #3 Ends

6:05pm – 6:35pm            “Ask the Expert”: Susan Kirshner, Words Plus Numbers, LLC (Optional)