Past Events

All Past Events

• Small Group Discussions — Nov-Dec, 2020
  WAFFA is piloting a peer community of female founders, investors and industry leaders to share best practices, challenges and advice. This will be peer driven so please bring your questions and there will be facilitators present. These round tables will be kept intentionally small to foster community and we will cap participation at ~10. If […]
• WAFFA & Boss Women Collective Present: How She Got There – Venture Capital | November 16, 2020
  https://youtu.be/lcnfIZSh6Rg Join WAFFA and Boss Women Collective for an exciting conversation with a panel of leaders in the Venture Capital industry. These inspirational womxn will share their stories on how they got to where they are today, key skills needed to be successful in a venture-focused role, how to break into a role focused on […]
• Roundtable: Starting a Business in a New Environment — October 22, 2020
  In today’s changing climate, entrepreneurs, communities, and markets across the globe are redefining the way they work, build relationships, and bring ideas to life. Whether you are entering a new physical environment or — like the rest of the world — are learning to navigate this new, increasingly digital environment, it is helpful to hear […]
• An introduction to government contracting and government financing — Oct 8, 2020
  Join us to explore ways that Government and emerging and small businesses can work together and benefit each other. Think of government and innovation, government and small businesses as diametrically opposite? Think it again!  Join me to explore ways that Government and emerging and small businesses can work together and benefit each other, by a fireside […]
• A dialogue with Elaine Pofeldt about creating a business that you love — Sept 24, 2020
  Please join us to have a dialogue with Elaine Pofeldt, the author of “The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business,” to explore how existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, esp. women, can find and create a business that you love, is profitable, and offers the freedom and flexibility to take care of other aspects of your life! The talk will […]
• When a Moment Sparks a Movement — Sept 23, 2020
  Human and climate health are deemed the great equalizers, but Ita Ekpoudom and Davida Herzl highlight the racial disparities in both. After the devastating murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others, Ita Ekpoudom, #WhartonWoman and Partner at GingerBread Capital, wrote a deeply personal and moving essay about what happens when systematic racial […]
• Unapologetically Shellye: A Candid Discussion on Advancing Your Career – September 9, 2020
  https://youtu.be/8vCRGp4kz7I Join WAFFA for a discussion with Shellye Archambeau, a #WhartonWoman and one of tech’s first Black female CEOs, on her new book Unapologetically Ambitious. Growing up, Shellye faced more hurdles than most as she managed her personal and professional responsibilities while climbing the ranks at IBM and in her subsequent roles as President of […]
• WAFFA SHOPPING LIVESTREAM – BUY & SUPPORT FEMALE-FOUNDED BRANDS — August 20, 2020
  Join WAFFA and the greater Penn/Wharton community to support and buy from Wharton female-founded brands. Want to support Wharton alumni-founded businesses but don’t know how?  Tune in with WAFFA and the broader Penn/Wharton community for an exciting livestream shopping event featuring some of our favorite Wharton female-founded brands. See the latest products, hear from the founders themselves, […]
• Update from Wharton Campus: Introducing Venture Lab!– July 23, 2020
  Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship is expanding and rebranding as Venture Lab! Join us to learn about the resources available to alums. Event Video Presentation About this Event Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship is re-branding as Venture Lab! Hear an update from the leaders of this program on campus. They’ll discuss the vision for supporting entrepreneurship on campus, including […]
• Lo Toney: I am a VC and a Black Man in America — June 24, 2020
  Join us for a conversation with Lo Toney, Founding Managing Partner at Plexo Capital, where we’ll discuss his recent medium post, “I am a VC But Still a Black Man in America”. After the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others, there have been protests across the US and the world, […]
• New Startup Mindset with Sandra Shpilberg — July 16, 2020
  Join WAFFA for a conversation with Sandra Shpilberg Founder and CEO of Seeker Health, Wharton alumnae, and author of New Startup Mindset. She will share how she started, built, and excited her digital health startup, all while not following the Silicon Valley formula, and not being the formula Date: July 16th, 2020Time: noon PST / […]
• The Art of Angel Investing with Angela Lee (37Angels) — June 25, 2020
  Angela Lee, founder of 37 Angels, joins WAFFA for a discussion on the Art of Angel Investing. About this Event Angela Lee, founder of 37 Angels, joins WAFFA for a primer on the Art of Angel Investing. She will be covering how investors diligence early stage companies and questions to ask yourself before investing in startups. […]
• Startups and product management with Ha Nguyen, Partner at Spero Ventures — June 11, 2020
  Join WAFFA for a conversation with Ha Nguyen, Partner at Spero, Board VP of Women In Product, former PM, and Wharton grad. We will discuss what frameworks founders should learn from product management and ask Ha to share what she sees as the difference between a CEO and PM at an early startup. We will […]
• Voice of an Angel: A candid conversation about early-stage investing — June 17, 2020
  COVID is having a profound impact on the fundraising landscape. Join Carol Curley for a conversation on the future of early-stage investing! COVID-19 is having a profound impact on the fundraising landscape for startup founders. Fundraising is a daunting proposition without an economy-altering pandemic; now it’s even more challenging. Carol Curley joins WAFFA to demystify […]
• Do what matters with Kobi Yamada — June 6, 2020
  Join WAFFA for this incredible parent/kid event with the New York Times best-selling author Kobi Yamada. Kobi is the author of many inspirational books such as What to do with an idea? and What to do with a chance?. The event will start with Kobi reading one of his books followed by a lot of […]
• How to navigate a change environment with Steve Blank — May 25, 2020
  Join WAFFA for a conversation with Steve Blank, the father of Modern Entrepreneurship and the Lean Startup movement. We will discuss what startups should do to keep themselves alive in these uncertain times and how to conduct customer discovery in today’s new environment. We will also talk about how uncertain times bring enormous opportunities to create value […]
• Future Of Work– May 20, 2020
  Join WAFFA on May 20th @5pm PT/ 8pm ET to discuss how the Future Of Work would look like, in a post COVID world. Topics covered: + How COVID-19 is impacting (executive) placement + How tech companies are planning “back to work” + How digital services are changing the way we work + New Definition […]
• SURVIVING AND THRIVING AS A DTC BUSINESS DURING COVID-19 — May 13, 2020
  COVID-19 is having a profound impact on all types of DTC businesses – from affecting multiple parts of the supply chain to changing consumer behavior. Join us for a panel moderated by Jason Stoffer (WG’05), Partner at Maveron to hear how these outstanding founders are navigating this new climate. Featuring: Rachel Cohen (WG’12), co-founder and […]
• Love in the Time of Corona w/Arum Kang, CEO & Co-Founder of Coffee Meets Bagel — April 30, 2020
  Join us for a tactical discussion on navigating love in a Covid-19 world with Co-Founder & CEO of Coffee Meets Bagel, Arum Kang (W’04). Join Wharton Alumnae Founders and Funders Association and Arum Kang W’04, Co-Founder & CEO of Coffee Meets Bagel for a “Quarantalk” on love in the time of coronavirus. Across industry, user numbers are slightly down […]
• Product-market fit in a changing market with Andy Rachleff — May 5, 2020
  Join WAFFA for a conversation with Andy Rachleff, co-founder and CEO of Wealthfront, co-founder of Benchmark Capital, and a Penn alumnus. We will explore the two most important questions a founder needs to answer: How do you find product-market fit and how do you know when your company has found it? And how to do […]
• Intelligent Growth in a Down Market with Iris Choi, Partner, Floodgate — April 23, 2020
  Iris Choi, WG’04, is a Partner at Floodgate, an early-stage VC. She’ll share her perspective on how startups can navigate a down market Join Floodgate Partner Iris Choi, WG’04, to discuss what founders should strive for in a down market. She’ll explain Floodgate’s approach to Intelligent Growth and what VCs are looking for in this environment. Date: April 23rd, […]
• Brand Strategy AMA with Superkin & Bartlett Brands — April 10, 2020
  Join Superkin Co-founders Miriam Williams (C’04 WG’15) and Tara Elwell Henning and their award-winning agency, Bartlett Brands. Superkin founders, Tara Elwell Henning and Wharton grad Miriam Williams, share their recent rebrand journey and reveal their brand superpowers in this fun-not-stuffy 60min zoominar. Hear why they decided to rebrand, how they came to select Bartlett Brands, […]
• 60 min break with WAFFA — March 27, 2020
  Join us for 60 min for our first online event. Take a break from this madness and meet other incredible women and men at this casual yet intimate event.  Date: March 27thTime: 5:30PM PSTLocation: onlineCost: FREE About WAFFA The Wharton Alumnae Founders & Funders Association (WAFFA) is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Our mission is to […]
• Navigating the CARES Act: A tactical discussion of the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans with CEO and attorney Amy Shah — April 8, 2020
  Date: April 8th, 2020Time: 3PM PSTCost: Free Event video  Resources noted during the session  http://www.hellowaffa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/The-CARES-Act.pdfhttp://www.hellowaffa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/PPP-Explained.pdf http://www.hellowaffa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-19-Economic-Injury-Loan-Application-Tutorial.pdf About Amy Shah Amy Shah is the CEO of Shah Management, a real estate investment and management firm focused on the acquisition and development of commercial, retail, multi-family, and developable land properties across Southern California. Amyalso ran proprietary lending […]
• Startups and Downs with Mona Bijoor — February 26, 2020
  The public imagination is captivated by stories about entrepreneurs–from wild successes to public failures. Founders like Richard Branson and Sara Blakely have become household names. However, the early days in an entrepreneur’s journey happen out of the public eye. In this period, founders struggle with failures and challenges both personal and professional. In her new […]
• LA Chapter Launch — February 26, 2020
  What better way to learn about entrepreneurship than first-hand from female founders who built their ventures from the ground up? Join Wharton Alumnae Founders and Funders Association (WAFFA) for an opportunity to connect with women professionals in Los Angeles. During the panel, you will hear from female founders about everything that happens behind the scenes and what […]
• Sex, Love and Leadership Workshop with Michele Taipale — February 13, 2020
  WAFFA Valentine’s Special: we are inviting female founders, funders, as well as supporters to join a 21st Century Workshop for success and fulfillment in the bedroom and the boardroom. Date: Thursday, Feb 13, 2020Time: 5:30pm – 6:00pm Check In & Mingle, 6:00pm – 8:00pm Interactive Session TimeLocation: CANOPY Jackson Square – 595 Pacific Ave, 4th FloorCost: WCNC Members: $15; Non- WCNC […]
• From URL to IRL: Building Community as a digitally native brand — March 5, 2020
  Hosted by Boss Women Collective & Wharton Alumnae Founders and Funders Association Join BWC and WAFFA for a panel discussion on how to power digitally native brands in a new retail landscape. On March 5, we’ll hear from incredible leaders at Google Shopping, Rocksbox, Part & Parcel, Birdies, and Re:store about how they form a […]
• Annual Dinner –December 3rd, 2019
  2019 Annual Celebration Dinner Let’s celebrate the year over cocktails, dinner, and fireside chats with: Tina Sharkey, co-founder of Brandless and Penn alumna, and  Grace Erickson, C0-Author of the Table Stakes Study and leader of Carta’s Table Stakes iniatitive Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2019 Time: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM Get your ticket here
• How She Built This with Hayley Leibson, Lunchclub—November 12, 2019
  HOW SHE BUILT THIS Tuesday, November 12, 2019 Please join Wharton Alumni Founders & Funders Association (WAFFA) for breakfast and conversation with Hayley Leibson, co-founder & COO of Lunchclub. Lunchclub is an AI superconnector that makes introductions for 1:1 lunch and coffee meetings. Lunchclub’s mission is to power a future of work where making new connections is easy, […]
• Saturday Park Walk — November 2, 2019
  Join WAFFA for one of our favorite the women-only picnic and walk at Glen Park. Meet other incredible women at this casual yet intimate event. We will gather at a picnic table by the Glen Park Recreation Center for some food and great conversations. We hope to see you all there. Register Online Date: Saturday, […]
• In New York City! The Business of Building a Brand—October, 3rd, 2019 in NYC
  It’s our first WAFFA event in the Big Apple! Join us for a panel discussion on the Business of Building a Brand with Wharton alumnae founders and funders! Thursday, October 3, 2019 6pm – 7:30pm Dorie Smith (WG’13), Co-Founder, Of Mercer Erum Hasnain (WG’13), Partner, Idea Farm Ventures Melissa Mash (WG’12), Founder & CEO, Dagne […]
• Han Shen, Founding Partner at iFly.vc — October 2nd, 2019
  Join WAFFA for an evening with Han Shen WG’09, Founding Partner at iFly.vc. This talk is part of our series “Know Your Numbers”. Han will share his journey founding iFly.vc, a thesis-driven fund focused on early-stage investment. Together with Han, we will explore the lessons learned both as a founder and a funder. We will […]
• Phin Barnes, Partner at First Round Capital — September 17, 2019
  Join WAFFA for a conversation with Phin Barnes, a Partner at First Round Capital, a sneakerhead and an WG’09. This talk is part of our series on “Know Your Numbers”. We will discuss everything from what numbers are interesting to VCs to how to create the right company culture. We will explore how to get […]
• Brian Weisfeld author of The Startup Squad — August 27th, 2019
  Kids and adults join WAFFA for an evening with Brian Weisfeld, founder and author of The Startup Squad, and a Wharton grad. The Startup Squad, is a multi-platform dedicated to empower girls to realize their dreams. Brian will be signing copies of the recently released first book in The Startup Squad series, which has been […]
• Sandra Shpilberg, Founder & CEO of Seeker Health – July 18, 2019
  Sandra will talk at this session about the state of the healthcare industry, which broadly encompasses any tool, service or product with which a patient may interact to seek a diagnosis or treatment, and the opportunity exists to bring technologies that are currently in adoption mode in other industries (tech, gaming) into healthcare. Healthcare follows […]
• Fireside Chat & Happy Hour at Women’s Fund, AVG – April 2nd, 2019
  Join us April 2nd at the Alumni Ventures Group office in San Francisco for a special fireside chat and happy hour with Gail Gilbert Ball, Senior Partner of the new Women’s Fund and Managing Director of Chestnut Street Ventures. Gail will speak about her journey to venture and the new AVG Women’s Fund. Don’t miss this opportunity to […]
• The New Old Fashioned -Smitten Ice Cream Founder Robyn Sue Fisher is Not Your Typical Silicon Valley Startup and is on a Mission to Make The World’s Best Ice Cream – April 30, 2019
  Balancing technology and old time ways, join Shannon Grant, Founder of Deus Capital and Robyn Sue Fisher, Founder of Smitten Ice Cream as she shares her story and her mission to make the absolute best ice cream. Breakfast will include ice-cream sampling, with a discussion on fundraising and Robyn’s journey on bringing a healthy, freshly […]
• Earliest Lessons in Perseverance with Oatly Co-founder Bjorn Oste – June 25th, 2019
  Enjoy breakfast and a discussion with Bjorn Oste, co-founder of oat milk brand Oatly and a leading ‘man in the movement’ on his unlikely path to creating the plant-based milk of the moment and on his way to building a billion dollar business. Register Online  Date: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 (previously scheduled for Wednesday, June 12, 2019) Time:  […]
• Know Your Numbers With Eurie Kim, Partner, Forerunner Ventures – June 6th, 2019
  Join WAFFA as we host an inspired happy hour with Forerunner Ventures Partner Eurie Kim, WG’09. Common advice for female founders is “Know Your Numbers.” Over the past 15+ years, Eurie has evaluated, invested in, and advised a breadth of companies in their quest to define business models, identify target markets, understand consumer behavior, and […]
• Alternative Sources of Capital Panel Discussion – June 27th, 2019
  Venture capital funding is not the only option to fuel the growth of your startup and for most startups is not the right option. This panel will explore alternative sources of capital and reflect on their strengths and weaknesses. Melinda Moore and Shruti Shah together with Shannon Grant will share how they are disrupting the […]
• Know Your Numbers With Storm Ventures – May 14th, 2019
  A common piece of advice for female founders is “know your numbers.” Gain confidence in the metrics you need to know with this new WAFFA speaker series featuring top VCs. In May, hear from investors at Storm Ventures. Storm invests in enterprise powerhouses like Marketo, Workato, and Mobile Iron. They’re experts in GTM, sales, and […]