Women-Owned Venture Capital Firm from NY Commits $300,000 to Pittsburgh Tech Startups

Invest In Women x Pittsburgh is a Chloe Capital signature program, in partnership with Ascender, and supported by the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

[RELEASE] May 24, 2022 – Pittsburgh, PA – Chloe Capital, a New York based venture capital firm that invests in women-led technology companies, is excited to share the success of Invest In Women x Pittsburgh (chloecapital.com/pittsburgh). The accelerator program’s final showcase was held on April 27, 2022, in Pittsburgh, PA in partnership with Ascender, a nonprofit incubator for Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurs, and supported by the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

Despite recent progress, in 2021, businesses solely led by women attracted just 2.2% of all capital raised by venture-backed firms in the U.S., while the global venture capital industry had a record shattering year, with a total of $643 Billion in investments made, according to Pitchbook and Crunchbase.

“We’re elated to have been a part of this event and to contribute to the growing startup culture in Pittsburgh alongside Chloe Capital and the Richard King Mellon Foundation,” said Nadyli Nuñez, executive director at Ascender. “Every city should have an #InvestInWomen program. Such immense benefit directly to founders in an efficient and effective way. This program is a game-changer for our local entrepreneurs.” 

Five women entrepreneurs from the Pittsburgh area were chosen to participate in Invest In Women x Pittsburgh. This unique fundraising experience was designed to move capital to women and minority founders in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. The cohort received the opportunity to connect with investors and industry leaders for critical feedback on how to scale their companies. In addition, a select group of Ascender startup members received pitch prep from Nuñez and mentoring from Chloe Capital’s Managing Partner, Elisa Miller-Out. 

Leading up to the in-person experience, Pittsburgh-based entrepreneurs were invited to participate in virtual workshops to equip them with essential skills and knowledge for growing their businesses. Some topics included DEI recruiting and funding application writing tips for startups.

To round out the program, the Pittsburgh community was invited to the Founder Showcase held at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater to celebrate the local entrepreneurial community and hear live pitches. In addition to networking, attendees heard from Ascender member and founder of Sustainible, Talpha Harris; and SaLisa Berrien, trustee and graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, and founder of COI Energy. Berrien shared her experiences on being a Chloe Capital portfolio company after receiving an investment from Chloe Capital following her participation in Diversity in ClimateTech this past fall, a partnership with Cornell University and NYSERDA.

At the end of the evening, Chloe Capital announced to the audience a total of $300,000 in investments to three founders creating technology for good: Alison Alvarez of BlastPoint, Holly Adams of GoWell Benefits, and JJ Xu of TalkMeUp.

Additional members of the accelerator cohort to join the Chloe family included Lauren Golembiewski of Voxable and Nehal Bhojak of Lumis

“We’re excited to be moving capital to women-led companies in Pittsburgh and contributing to this vibrant, growing tech ecosystem,” added Miller-Out.

Invest In Women x Pittsburgh was made possible by the generous support of the Richard King Mellon Foundation and extensive community of investors. Featured investors included Silvia Mah (Stella Impact Capital), Gabriela Isturiz (The Fund XX), Brandon Greer (HubSpot Ventures), Matt Harbaugh (Mountain State Capital), and Lu Zhang (Fusion Fund). 

“We are excited to support these founders and help them accelerate their ventures through this partnership with Ascender and Chloe Capital,” said Sam Reiman, director of the Richard King Mellon Foundation. “From using AI in customer intelligence and workforce training to disrupting the insurance tech industry, we’re optimistic about the entrepreneurial future for women in our region.”

Contact

Elisa Miller-Out

Managing Partner, Chloe Capital

info@chloecapital.com 

***

About Chloe Capital

Chloe Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in women-led technology companies. In addition to investing with a gender and diversity lens, Chloe Capital partners with universities, foundations and corporations to host programs that help catalyze fundraising efforts for underrepresented founders. This collaborative approach to early stage investing has resulted in millions raised. Today, More than 20,000 people around the world have joined Chloe Capital’s Movement to #InvestInWomen. ChloeCapital.com 

About Ascender

About Ascender: Ascender, a 501(c)3 and vibrant community of innovators located in East Liberty, helps entrepreneurs start and build their companies by offering educational programming, mentorship, expert coaching, incubation, and a collaborative coworking space. Annually Ascender touches 500 entrepreneurs across many industries and works with both venture track and small businesses. Ascenderpgh.com 

About the Richard King Mellon Foundation

Founded in 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation is the largest foundation in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and one of the 50 largest in the world. The Foundation’s 2020 year-end endowment was $3.1 billion, and its Trustees in 2021 disbursed $152 million in grants and Program Related Investments. The Foundation launched a new ten-year Strategic plan in 2021, focusing funding on six primary program areas: conservation, economic development, economic mobility, health and well-being, organizational effectiveness, and social-impact investing. RKMF.org

Women-Owned Venture Capital Firm from NY Commits $300,000 to Pittsburgh Tech Startups2022-11-28T16:53:37+00:00

Five Pittsburgh-area Founders Pitch for Investments

Invest In Women x Pittsburgh is a partnership between Chloe Capital and Ascender, and supported by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, to help move capital to underrepresented founders in the Pittsburgh area. 

[RELEASE] April, 19, 2022 – Pittsburgh, PA – Chloe Capital, a Movement-driven venture capital firm, has selected five women-led technology companies to participate in INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH (chloecapital.com/pittsburgh) this Spring. This unique fundraising experience for underrepresented founders is in partnership with Ascender, a nonprofit incubator for Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurs, and supported by the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

Despite recent progress, a study by Boston Consulting Group shows that if men and women around the world were treated equally as entrepreneurs, our global economy would experience a $5 trillion boost. 

To help move the needle, five women entrepreneurs from the Pittsburgh area have now been chosen to participate in INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH. Each receives the opportunity to connect with leaders across industries, hear critical feedback on how to grow their businesses, and pitch for investments from Chloe Capital and the Firm’s community of impact investors. By the end of the program, Chloe Capital will make at least one investment in a company located in, or willing to relocate to, Allegheny or Westmoreland counties. 

Investors and community members are invited to the Founder Showcase, which will take place April 27, 2022 at 5 p.m. (et) at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, located at 5941 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA. 

Space is limited. RSVP > InvestInWomenPittsburgh.eventbrite.com

In addition to Chloe Capital, featured investors for INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH include Sylvia Mah (Stella Impact Capital), Gabriela Isturiz (The Fund XX), Brandon Greer (Hubspot Ventures), Matt Harbaugh (Mountain State Capital), and Lu Zhang (Fusion Fund). 

“Each investor has joined our Movement to Invest In Women by meeting the founders and exploring the investment potential of each company,” said Chloe Capital co-founder and partner, Kathryn Cartini. “On average, participants in a Chloe Capital program each go on to raise $2,000,000 within the year, catalyzed by visibility and introductions to our firm’s world-wide network.”

The founders selected to participate in INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH are:

ALISON ALVAREZ

CEO & Co-Founder, BlastPoint

BlastPoint.com

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

BlastPoint builds AI platforms for highly regulated industries so that they can better understand their customers and how to talk to them.

HOLLY ADAMS

CEO, Go Well Benefits

GoWellBenefits.com

Philadelphia County, Philadelphia, PA

Go Well Benefits makes health insurance enrollment and underwriting faster and easier with an end-to-end solution that links employee, employer, broker and insurance carrier.  

NEHAL BHOJAK

President & CEO, Lumis Corp.

LumisCorp.com

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

Lumis is committed to democratizing healthcare education,  and disrupting traditional clinical training through its immersive AR-based platform.

JJ XU

CEO, TalkMeUp

TalkMeUp.co

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA

TalkMeUp uses AI to aid workforce communication development at the enterprise level. Employees use their mobile devices. Managers get measurable insights.

LAUREN GOLMBIEWSKI

CEO & Co-Founder, Voxable

Voxable.io

Westmoreland County, New Kensington, PA
Voxable helps enterprise teams create and manage AI experiences at scale by automating conversational content creation, and streamlining collaboration.

“Each year Ascender impacts hundreds of entrepreneurs across many industries,” said Nadyli Nuñez, executive director at Ascender. “Now with the help of Chloe Capital and the Richard King Mellon Foundation we’re highlighting some of our region’s top performing, technology companies, that are also women-led. The talent is impressive.” 

On top of hearing from the founders, INVEST IN WOMEN x PITTSBURGH will feature speaker Gabriella Gonzalez, program officer from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. Gonzalez is a senior thought leader in the future of work, workforce development, and economic development.

SaLisa Berrien, trustee and graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, and founder of COI Energy, will also share insight on being a Chloe Capital portfolio company. Berrien participated in INVEST IN WOMEN x CLIMATETECH in October 2021. She received a Chloe Capital investment following that program. Berrien has over 25 years of experience in the energy industry assisting clients with process improvements, energy efficiency, grid reliability, clean technology, and big data analytics.

Economic development has been a primary focus of the Richard King Mellon Foundation since its founding, and the Foundation’s new Strategic Plan includes a specific focus on entrepreneurship, as an essential pillar of its economic-development efforts. The Foundation’s plan notes that “small businesses are the backbone of our economy,” and the “Foundation’s investments aim to support efforts to allow entrepreneurship to thrive, to build the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and to support efforts for under-represented groups to jumpstart or grow entrepreneurship efforts.” The Foundation’s funding of Chloe Capital’s “Invest in Women x Pittsburgh” initiative fits squarely within that plan.

Investors and community members are invited to the Founder Showcase, which will take place April 27, 2022 at 5 p.m. (et) at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in Pittsburgh. 

Space is limited. RSVP > InvestInWomenPittsburgh.eventbrite.com

Contact

Kathryn Cartini

Partner, Chloe Capital

kathryn@chloecapital.com 

***

About Chloe Capital

Chloe Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in women-led technology companies. In addition to investing with a gender and diversity lens, Chloe Capital partners with universities, foundations and corporations to host programs that help catalyze fundraising efforts for underrepresented founders. This collaborative approach to early stage investing has resulted in millions raised. Today, More than 20,000 people around the world have joined Chloe Capital’s Movement to #InvestInWomen. ChloeCapital.com 

About Ascender

About Ascender: Ascender, a 501(c)3 and vibrant community of innovators located in East Liberty, helps entrepreneurs start and build their companies by offering educational programming, mentorship, expert coaching, incubation, and a collaborative coworking space. Annually Ascender touches 500 entrepreneurs across many industries and works with both venture track and small businesses. Ascenderpgh.com 

About the Richard King Mellon Foundation

Founded in 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation is the largest foundation in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and one of the 50 largest in the world. The Foundation’s 2020 year-end endowment was $3.1 billion, and its Trustees in 2021 disbursed $152 million in grants and Program Related Investments. The Foundation launched a new ten-year Strategic plan in 2021, focusing funding on six primary program areas: conversation, economic development, economic mobility, health and well-being, organizational effectiveness, and social-impact investing. RKMF.org

Five Pittsburgh-area Founders Pitch for Investments2023-01-25T16:02:10+00:00

#InvestInWomen: Pittsburgh Applications Open, MyWellbeing Investment & Free Course Expires Dec 31

Hear that rattle? Chloe Capital is fueling up the engines to take our Invest In Women national tour to Pittsburgh, PA! In partnership with Ascender, and supported by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, five women-led technology companies from Allegheny or Westmoreland counties will be selected to participate in our online + in person fundraising experience. Applications are open. Hop onboard before the deadline.

#InvestInWomen: Pittsburgh Applications Open, MyWellbeing Investment & Free Course Expires Dec 312023-01-25T16:02:50+00:00

Chloe Capital Brings Invest In Women Tour to Pittsburgh

Invest In Women x Pittsburgh is a partnership between Chloe Capital and Ascender, and supported by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, to help move capital to underrepresented founders in the Pittsburgh area. 

[RELEASE] December 2, 2021 – Pittsburgh, PA – Chloe Capital, a Movement-driven venture capital firm, along with Ascender, a nonprofit incubator for Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurs, with support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, will host Invest In Women x Pittsburgh (chloecapital.com/pittsburgh) this Spring. 

An initiative for underrepresented entrepreneurs in the Pittsburgh area, Invest In Women x Pittsburgh is designed to support women-led technology companies tackling real-world problems in the financial, health, workplace, education and climate sectors. Chloe Capital, Ascender and the Richard King Mellon Foundation are partnering to create a collaborative and inclusive fundraising experience through a series of online events leading up to a 48-hour in-person program in Pittsburgh in April, 2022. The program will feature a Founder Showcase, which will be open to the public. 

“We’re committed to addressing inequality, quality of life and economic development in Pittsburgh, and we’re ready to showcase our region’s talent, resources and opportunities with Chloe Capital’s global network,” said Nadyli Nuñez, Executive Director at Ascender. “Invest In Women x Pittsburgh is a win for underrepresented founders, investors around the world, and our community.” 

“Leaders of community-focused organizations and foundations like Ascender and the Richard King Mellon Foundation are a driving force behind innovation in Pittsburgh. We’re excited to collaborate on an initiative that fuels the global expansion of underrepresented founders by moving capital to women in Pittsburgh,” said Myneco Ramirez, Chloe Capital Chief Experience Officer. “With the face of venture capital and entrepreneurship changing, this collaboration is a great example of how the public and private sectors can work together to do well by doing good.”

The virtual events include information and recruiting sessions, along with workshops led by top coaches in productivity, diversity and inclusion, finance and more. Participants will receive knowledge and skills to innovate globally while operating in the Pittsburgh area. Five high-growth technology companies with women executives will then be selected to participate in a 48-hour, in-person fundraising experience designed to connect underrepresented founders to investors and other industry leaders as part of Chloe Capital’s growing Movement to Invest In Women.

By the end of the program, Chloe Capital will make at least one investment in a company located in, or willing to relocate to, Allegheny or Westmoreland counties. On average, participants in a Chloe Capital program each go on to raise $2,000,000 within a year, catalyzed by visibility and introductions to the firm’s world-wide network. 

This partnership with Chloe Capital and Ascender on the Invest In Women x Pittsburgh program will generate meaningful opportunities for women entrepreneurs in the Pittsburgh region to connect with investors, and with people and resources across our region to accelerate their growth,” said Sam Reiman, director of the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

Activities for Invest In Women x Pittsburgh are as follows:

    • Applications Open: November 1, 2021
      Seed to Series A women-led technology companies seeking funding apply here: ChloeCapital.com/funding
    • Online Information Session: January 19, 2022 (open invite)
    • Online Information Session: February, 2022 (open invite)
    • Online & In-person Information Session: March, 2022 (invitation only)
  • Applications Close: February 11, 2022
  • In-person Fundraising Experience: April, 2022 (invitation only)
  • Founder Showcase: April, 2022 (open invite; space is limited)

Contact
Kathryn Cartini
Partner, Chloe Capital
kathryn@chloecapital.com

***

About Chloe Capital
Chloe Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in women-led technology companies. In addition to investing with a gender and diversity lens, Chloe Capital partners with universities, foundations and corporations to host programs that help catalyze fundraising efforts for underrepresented founders. This collaborative approach to early stage investing has resulted in millions raised. Today, More than 20,000 people around the world have joined Chloe Capital’s Movement to #InvestInWomen. ChloeCapital.com 

About Ascender
About Ascender: Ascender, a 501(c)3 and vibrant community of innovators located in East Liberty, helps entrepreneurs start and build their companies by offering educational programming, mentorship, expert coaching, incubation, and a collaborative coworking space. Annually Ascender touches 500 entrepreneurs across many industries and works with both venture track and small businesses. Ascenderpgh.com 

About the Richard King Mellon Foundation
Founded in 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation is the largest foundation in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and one of the 50 largest in the world. The Foundation’s 2020 year-end endowment was $3.1 billion, and its Trustees in 2020 disbursed $130 million in grants and Program Related Investments. The Foundation focuses its funding on six primary program areas, delineated in its 2021-2030 Strategic Plan. RKMF.org

Chloe Capital Brings Invest In Women Tour to Pittsburgh2022-01-11T21:16:37+00:00
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