Breaking Barriers of VC, EDITION 10

Welcome to Breaking Barriers of VC, Edition 10.

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Pretty cool to have officially hit double digits in posts—even if we’ve been a little quiet lately. The Spring-to-Summer pipeline in NYC has been wild. Events have exploded, more builders are showing up, and the ecosystem feels more alive than ever, with something happening nearly every night.

We’re seeing a new wave of entrepreneurs who spent the winter deepening relationships now stepping into spring/summer fundraising mode—hoping to close rounds before VCs jet off to Europe. And the SF-to-NYC founder pipeline? Hotter than ever.

Here’s what we’ve been up to lately… oh, and TechWeek just happened…oh and we just co-launched a new members club… scroll down for more.

🎙️ Latest Podcast Episode: A conversation with Natalie Barbu, founder of Rella.
If you're a social media influencer, brand manager, or just curious about the future of creator tools—this one’s for you. Take a listen!

Upcoming Events for Breaking Barriers of VC:

1) June 10th, BBVC presents, A B2B SaaS Founder/Investor Dinner

2) June 17th, SPANVentures. x Girl Math Capital present, a Dinner

4) June 18th, SPANVentures. presents, a dinner for GP/VC/LPs

5) July 22nd, BBVC Presents, a Founders Dinner

May/June 2025 Deals

like to see early-stage deal flow? Join the Syndicate

1) Amie: Amie isn't just an app—it's an invitation to a modern membership experience that celebrates women who inspire, create, and lead. Designed for the ambitious and forward-thinking woman, Amie is where meaningful connections intersect with elevated living. (reach out if you’re interested in investing)

2) Arête: Arête is a personalized discovery platform for emerging designers globally. They leverage novel ML techniques to recommend relevant items for each user based on a combination of individual tastes, occasions, and evolving trends. They are an efficient and exclusive way to discover the next big thing in fashion. (reach out if you’re interested in investing) get access to exclusive designers by downloading the app

3) EDEN: Eden simplifies enterprise data infrastructure, providing a universal, high-performance layer for seamless access, synchronization, and security. We eliminate the complexity of fragmented data environments, enabling organizations to scale, operate across clouds, and maintain data integrity effortlessly. (reach out if you’re interested in investing)

4)Otis AI: OTIS AI is an AI-driven platform that enables SMBs to run end-to-end digital ad campaigns with ease. I’ve personally used the platform and can attest to how much time and effort it saves while delivering real results. It’s a powerful and intuitive platform built for efficiency and effectiveness. (reach out if you’re interested in investing)

TechWeek 2025 - Better than Last Year?

TechWeek 2025 just wrapped, and I’m left with two very different, competing thoughts.

On the one hand, this year felt like the moment NYC tech has been building toward. The scale was massive; over 1,000 events across every corner of the city. From Brooklyn brownstone salons to rooftop summits in Midtown, to VCs co-hosting dinners in hidden speakeasies, the energy was undeniable. We’re not just participating in a tech movement anymore, we’re defining one. Silicon Alley isn’t a catchy label anymore; it’s a lived reality. NYC is the place to be for builders, investors, and everyone in between.

But on the other hand, the experience felt disorganized, frustrating, and oddly gatekept. What should’ve been an energizing celebration of our ecosystem ended up feeling more like a scramble for access. The sheer volume of events should have been a good thing—and in many ways, it was. It shows the vibrancy of the community, the increasing buy-in from investors and founders alike, and the appetite for real connection. But when you scale that large without meaningful infrastructure or thoughtful curation, the experience can unravel fast. This year, as last year, there was no clear structure around who should attend what. Founders, especially early-stage ones, were left to sort through chaos: WhatsApp groups, indirect invites, and Twitter (X). It was overwhelming.

Personally, I made a deliberate decision this year: I wasn’t going to even bother opening up the TechWeek master calendar. I only attended events I was directly invited to and honestly, it was a great decision. I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything. As an investor, the events I joined were curated, high-signal, and filled with people I was excited to build with or network. It saved me time, energy, and made the week far more intentional. But I realize that’s a privilege, and that realization makes something else very clear—TechWeek is starting to feel like a game of access. That’s a problem for founders. For people who actually need the week to be productive, it’s become increasingly hard to know where to go, what matters, and what’s worth the time. The return on time just isn’t obvious when you're sifting through 1000+ events without a map.

And then, of course, there was Partiful. Look, before I go in, I want to give credit where it’s due—shoutout to a16z for continuing to host one of the most high-profile events of the year. That kind of commitment from a leading VC is great for the community. But let’s be honest: Partiful is great for three things—housewarmings, engagement parties, and birthdays. That’s it. As a tool for running a professional, city-wide tech conference? It completely missed the mark. It doesn’t integrate with calendars well, the SMS updates made it feel like we were back in the early 2000s (and I was in elementary school back then), and it created a fragmented experience for hosts and guests alike. Every community builder, event organizer, and VC I spoke to had the same reaction: Why are we forced to use Partiful? It became a running joke throughout the week. So here’s a simple solution for next year: just go back to Luma. Or literally any platform that was designed for professional event coordination…so Luma.

All that said, I don’t want to overlook the good. The sheer density of programming shows how strong our ecosystem has become. It’s inspiring. It’s invigorating. But we can’t confuse volume with value. NYC tech and venture is clearly surging and becoming one of the dominant hotspots in the world. If we want TechWeek to actually be useful, especially for founders and operators, we need to treat it like a product. Right now, the product-market fit just isn’t there. We need smarter tools, better structure, and clearer intention around what these events are for and who they’re serving. Until then, it’ll be a game of who-knows-who—and that’s not the inclusive, high-impact future this ecosystem deserves.

Thoughts?

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