CSUMB's Women in Venture Capital Initiative
California State University: Monterey Bay (CSUMB) has received dozens of accolades for its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equitable access. Ranked as the top-performing West Coast public university for social mobility by U.S. News & World Report, this school stands out for its commitment to student success regardless of their socioeconomic or cultural background. As part of its commitment to inclusivity, CSUMB’s Venture Capital 101 for Women program empowers women to explore investment opportunities, strengthen their financial expertise, and successfully break into the venture capital industry regardless of their prior experience in finance. Building on this initiative, CSUMB will host the Women in Venture Capital Initiative on March 18. This event will be led by CSUMB's College of Business and hosted by executive advisors Hilary Bryant and May Roen.
The venture capital industry remains highly exclusive—an estimated 40% of VC investors are graduates of Harvard or Stanford, while female-founded companies received only 2% of venture capital funding in 2021. CSUMB recognizes this gap and seeks to bridge it by providing a space for women to network with like-minded peers and gain insights into the venture capital world.
The event starts at 5:00 PM when doors open for attendees to settle in and connect. The event will feature a panel discussion at 6:00 PM, offering insights from industry experts, followed by a networking session at 6:45 PM, where participants can engage in meaningful conversations over food and drinks.
Hilary Bryant
One of the distinguished speakers, is a prominent community leader and entrepreneur with over twenty-five years of experience in local government, technology, and civic engagement. Bryant was elected to the Santa Cruz City Council in 2010, later serving as Vice Mayor in 2012 and Mayor in 2013. During her tenure, she championed business growth, played a pivotal role in bringing the Santa Cruz Warriors basketball team to the city, established the Public Safety Citizens’ Task Force, and initiated the first Open Data Ordinance. As a tech entrepreneur, Hilary co-founded Buoy Labs, a water-saving technology startup acquired by Resideo Technologies in 2019. Currently, she serves as the Donor Services Director at the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, assisting donors in achieving their philanthropic goals. Her passion for youth opportunities and environmental protection is evident through her involvement on several nonprofit boards, including Digital NEST and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
May Roen
The next impressive speaker, May Roen, is a seasoned strategic finance executive with over twenty years of experience in high-tech growth software and Software as a Service (SaaS) companies. She has extensive expertise in finance operations, international business expansion, fundraising, investor relations, and financial strategy. Throughout her career, Roen has been part of teams who have raised over $65 million in venture funding from Seed to Series B rounds, managed acquisitions, and established international subsidiaries. Currently, she serves as the CFO of Lookback, a user research platform spun off from Spotify. In addition to her role at Lookback, Roen is a financial advisor for IndyKite, a Web3 identity management company, and co-founder, CFO, and board member of Pathogenomix, a bioinformatics sequencing SaaS platform that received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation.
After 16 years of executive leadership in finance across multiple industries and Fortune 100 companies, followed by four years of active angel investing, she founded Pachamama Ventures. Through Fund I, her latest investment vehicle, she invests in early-stage climate tech companies. She is passionate about collaborating with visionary entrepreneurs developing solutions to address climate change, the defining challenge of this generation.
A seasoned entrepreneur and leader, she drives innovative product development, builds strategic alliances, and navigates complex business and technological initiatives. With expertise in 3D sensing, digital twins, nanotechnology, and semiconductors, she fosters innovation and competitive advantage. Her entrepreneurial impact spans startups and corporations, with governance experience in both private and public companies.