VC x Founder Fundamentals: Pitch Deck & GTM Teardown

You asked for it, and we’re delivering. We’re bringing Katie Weiss back for a hands-on masterclass that will make you throw away your current pitch deck and build a new one that investors will actually pay attention to.

Most founders think they have a clear value prop until they face a seed-stage VC. In a market that now demands operational efficiency over pure growth at all costs, your pitch deck and Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy need to be airtight.

Join Startup Grind for a Pitch Deck & GTM Teardown with Katie Weiss, Principal at ff Venture Capital. Since 2008, ffVC has been a cornerstone of the NYC venture ecosystem, with a portfolio (including AI, Robotics, and Manufacturing) that advances to Series B at 5x the industry average.

Drawing on her background as a program builder at Salesforce and her leadership of ffVC’s AI Point Solutions (AIPS) program, Katie will pull back the curtain on the specific metrics and narrative structures that get checks signed in 2026.

Who Should Attend

The Seed-Stage Founder: You are currently refining your deck for a 2026 raise and want to see how a professional investor audits slides in real-time.
The Hard Tech Builder: You are navigating the complex GTM cycles of AI, Robotics, or Energy and need a playbook that goes beyond standard SaaS models.
The Transitioning Operator: You’re a PM or Engineer moving from MVP to a production-grade business and want to understand the defensibility markers VCs look for.

Key Takeaways: What You'll Learn

🎯 The Real-Time Audit: Watch as Katie tears down sample deck structures to show what earns a follow-up meeting and what leads to an immediate 'no.'
📈 GTM for the New Economy: Get specific on Go-To-Market strategies for AI and automation, moving past the hype to demonstrate actual unit economics and scalability.
🤖 Operational Defensibility: Learn how to present your internal use of AI as a competitive advantage that reduces costs and increases your firm's value.
⚠️ The Outreach Playbook: Beyond the deck, learn the modern protocol for founder-to-VC outreach, timing, and valuation conversations.

Your ticket includes drinks, food, and a seat at the table for one of the most tactical sessions we've hosted this year.

You'll also meet dozens of other high-performing entrepreneurs who are creating their next big thing. Seriously, it's some of the best founder networking in the city.

Space is limited. Secure your spot and get ready to refine your pitch deck.

Getting a ticket guarantees admission. No waitlisting.

Agenda

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Speaker

Katie Weiss - ff Venture Capital (Principal)

Katie Weiss, Principal at ffvc, has over 15 years of experience working with seed, early-stage, and growth companies. At ffVC, Katie leads the firm’s due diligence process, sources new investment opportunities, manages the “AIPS” program, oversees the firm’s platform, and serves on various boards. Prior to ffVC, Katie held business development, channel sales, and venture capital roles at Sales…

Hosted By

Joshua Ness, Director, Startup Grind

Joshua Ness is Executive Director at Startup Grind NYC and a Senior AI Strategy Advisor with the Fulbright Program. He provides opportunities and access for startups to build and scale their companies. He advises new entrants in tech-driven sectors from startup to scale-up, and provides guidance on enterprise partnerships and venture opportunities. He is an international technology development specialist with Fulbright in the field of AI in public sectors, and a Professor of Technology at City University of New York.

Tova Feldheim, Cofounder

I am a strategic advisor and marketing expert with 20+ years in B2B SaaS, brand building, and customer discovery. Specializing in aligning human behavior with technology to build products that resonate and marketing that converts. I've worked with enterprise clients and early-stage startups alike to refine messaging, strengthen go-to-market efforts, and accelerate growth

Paul GUILLARD, Chief of Staff / BizOps / Project Manager / BD

I moved to NYC in April 24. I am currently coaching and advising early-stage founders on ideation, Business Model x Ideal Customer Profile x MVP, GTM and Fundraising.
Received my authorization to work in Nov so now also looking for a full time job as BizOps / Chief of Staff / Strategic Project Management for B2B SMB or Series A+
Before that, an Engineering Degree and 2 years of SMBs consulting in France, 10 years in APAC doing Strategic Project Management, Sales and BD; and 4 years in Spain for an MBA at IESE (consistently ranked Top10 in the world by FT) and working on some startups.

Prianka Ball,

Currently working in data at a early stage startup. Ex founder and looking for my next startup building adventure.

Rebecca Liang,

Ex-founder | Ex-VC | 5 yrs @ Startup Grind Shanghai

Community over Competition

Shanghai → Hong Kong → Singapore → New York

Mo Salah, Country Manager

Mo has over a decade of experience in accelerator management, including overseeing accelerators for the Central Bank of Oman, Omantel, and UNIDO and organizing entrepreneurship and tech conferences. He has served organizations like TechStars, Seedstars, Startup Grind, and others, driving impactful initiatives across MENA, Africa, and the US.

Mo is a respected thought leader frequently featured in the media and is recognized as a speaker, mentor, and judge at industry events. He has participated in events and competitions, including UNDP, GSMA’s 4YFN, Techstars Startup Weekend, Seedstars accelerators, RiseUp Summit, Startups Without Borders Summit, Digital Arabia Network Summit, Startup Grind Global Conference, Techne Summit, Tech5, Adobe World Tour, and more. Mo has also been featured on various media channels like Bloomberg, BBC World, BBC Arabic, Al Jazeera, Sky News, MBC, Asharq, Al Arabiya, AJ+, Al Ghad, ONTV, BBC Radio, The National newspaper, and Inc. Magazine.

KT Goldthorpe,

I'm a NYC-based competitive development strategist and startup advisor with over 20 years’ experience guiding both global corporations and early-stage ventures.I specialize in foundational brand development—helping founders articulate their business’s inner narrative, align teams, and build brands that resonate from the inside out. I am a champion of helping early-stage startups strategically position themselves in crowded markets, using audience insights and agile frameworks like The Wayfounding Map to operationalize brand strategy for real growth.

After years advising corporate, agency, and startup teams—including roles like founding member and CMO at Thirstie—I’ve learned that standing out starts with building brand from the inside out. My programs are designed to help startups find their market fit and shape messaging that actually connects. I lead with practical coaching and actionable frameworks grounded in experience, and while my work hasn’t won awards, yet, it’s delivered meaningful impact and momentum for founders pushing their brands forward.

I’m also the creator of Champ, built to help founders and teams develop their startup strategy, so they are ready to compete at launch. Outside of work, I’m a two-time NYC Marathoner, a steady runner, and an active community builder—focused on making connections for women in startups accessible, collaborative, and fun for those who want to move fast and make purposeful change.

Payton Shafer,

Michaela Freedman,

Senior Account Executive in Healthtech with 7+ years of prior experience as a cannabis business and regulatory consultant. I help functional medicine clinics operate more efficiently and optimize lead capture through AI-driven solutions.

Theophila Lee,

Theophila is a strategic operator and consumer-focused leader with a passion for brand-building and investing.

She graduated from Dartmouth College in 2016 with a B.A. in Economics and began her career in management consulting, spending four years at L.E.K. Consulting and FTI Consulting advising clients across life sciences, retail, and technology sectors. She later joined the corporate strategy team at The Estée Lauder Companies, where she supported long-term growth initiatives for a global portfolio of beauty brands. Theophila earned her MBA from the Wharton School, where she focused on venture capital and consumer growth. While at Wharton, she interned with North Castle Partners, a consumer-focused private equity firm. Currently, she serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for Reitler, a law firm that serves VCs and founders

Bhavnish Walia,

Monica Coronel,

Monica Coronel is a product and technology leader, educator, and community builder working at the intersection of enterprise systems and early-stage innovation. With a background spanning global organizations, academia, and creative practice, she brings a thoughtful, human-centered approach to storytelling and operations. At Startup Grind NYC, she supports social and communications efforts, helping surface founder stories and create a more accessible, human-centered startup community.

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Global Partner

Carta (http://www.carta.com/launch?utm_campaign=20240423-nam-general-smb-startup_grind_partnership&utm_medium=social&utm_source=startup_grind)
Carta helps people manage equity, build businesses, and invest in the companies of tomorrow. Carta Launch is the only free cap table product, helping new founders get started. The company is trusted by more than 40,000 companies, over 7,000 funds and SPVs, and over two million equity holders to manage cap tables, compensation, valuations, liquidity, and more. For more information, visit carta.com.

Gold

Connectd (https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/alex-r2/us-startup-rr-event-sponsorship)
Connectd gives startups access to experienced fractional leaders, board advisors, and independent directors across 100+ industries and 80+ skillsets — matched to your specific challenges within 48 hours.

From go-to-market strategy to fundraising to scaling operations, one platform connects you with every expert your startup will ever need.

Onboard $46,000 of expert advisory talent for free — six months of pro-bono support to accelerate your growth.

Partners

OKX (https://www.okx.com/en-us)
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Vikas Gupta (https://qr-linkly.link/2eCaH)
Vikas Gupta is a Strategic Technology Advisor, transforming complex technical operations into compelling narratives for investor conversations. He ensures your startup is due diligence-ready by implementing the scalable infrastructure and security processes that top-tier VCs demand. By bridging the gap between MVP and enterprise-grade architecture, Vikas provides the technical legitimacy needed to win investor confidence and close rounds.

12 Tech (https://12tech.io/)
12 Tech is a software development company that helps startups turn ideas into production-ready products. We specialize in building scalable MVPs with strong cloud architecture and modern AI integrations, enabling founders to launch quickly and grow without re-engineering their systems later.

The Yard (https://theyard.com/)
The Yard is a coworking space at the intersection of innovation, creativity, design, & play -- with locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Philly, and DC -- with a variety of shared and private workspace options.

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Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities and 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind.

Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-new-york-city-presents-vc-x-founder-fundamentals-pitch-deck-amp-gtm-teardown/.