UberPITCH is arriving in Richmond

At Uber, our business is innovation and today we’re partnering with rvatech to support Richmond innovators and entrepreneurs like you. Coming up with an idea is tough, but securing funding to take your startup from idea to reality can seem nearly impossible. Here’s your chance.

This Friday, July 22, local Richmond entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to achieve their dreams of funding — all at the touch of a button. With UberPITCH, participating riders will connect with some of the most successful venture capitalists in Virginia. Between 9am and 11am, riders who successfully complete a request using the PITCH option will be picked up by Uber and have 15 minutes to pitch their idea or business to the prospective investor already in the car. Oh, and the entire ride will have been absolutely free!

So practice your #UberPITCH, get your game face on, and take a look at the details below to get your once-in-a-lifetime shot at securing the funding your startup needs.

How it works:

1. Open your Uber app, tap the menu icon in the top left corner, and tap Promotions
2. Enter promotion code PITCHRVA or RVAPITCH
3. Request a ride in the now-available “PITCH” option on Friday, July 22, between 9am-11am
4. You will be picked up by Uber with an investor inside the vehicle and have 15 minutes to pitch your idea. After the 15 minutes are up, you will be dropped back off at the original pickup location

Demand is expected to be very high, so participants are encouraged to keep requesting

Participating UberPITCH Venture Capitalists

Tom Roberts, Harbert Growth Partners

Tom is a General Partner with Harbert Growth Partners (“HGP”), headquartered in Richmond, VA. HGP is the US growth equity affiliate of Harbert Management Corporation, an independent investment firm focused on fundamentally-based private and public market strategies, with committed capital of approximately $4.4 billion as of June 30, 2016. Tom was a founding member of the HGP team, which has raised in excess of $300 million in committed capital since 2004 and is actively investing out of Harbert Growth Partners IV.

Karen Booth Adams, Hot Technologies

Karen Booth Adams is the CEO of Hot Technology Holdings, an investment group that has launched 10 successful businesses in Richmond since 1993. She served as CEO for many of those companies and has led eight successful exits for the group. Karen currently advises Hot Technology’s management teams on strategic planning, operations management and M&A. Her diverse ventures have been in SaaS software, internet strategy and technology consulting, online retail, financial consulting, legal and e-discovery services, and social media marketing. Karen is a founding partner in firms such as Ironworks Consulting, Fahrenheit Technology, Genesis Consulting, PoshTots, PartnerJD, Fahrenheit Finance, RaceIt.com, Create Digital and others.

Paul Nolde, New Richmond Ventures

Paul brings more than a decade of sales and management experience in the banking and finance industries to NRV. Offering a unique blend of early stage capital structuring and business development strategies, he has a passion for engaging in, and advocating for the entrepreneurial community. Prior to NRV he served as the Small Business Capital Strategist for Virginia Community Capital, Virginia’s largest community development financial institution. Paul also served as Managing Director for a private venture firm in Richmond, VA, that took seed and angel stage equity positions in start-up market makers and maturing market disrupters in the technology sector.  He is a frequent panelist and speaker on angel-stage investment capital and serves on the advisory boards of several local start-ups.  At NRV, Paul is responsible for originating deal opportunities, analyzing investment proposals and supporting portfolio companies.

Satya Rangarajan, Private Investor

Satya Rangarajan serves as the Managing Partner of Enlightened Capital Management a social venture fund, and as Principal and Founder of Enlightened Mgmt Corp a strategic technology advisory group. He also serves as Co-Founder, CIO and COO of HDL, a provider of diagnostic testing and services that help physicians improve patient treatment through a personalized health plan.

Brad Cummings, CVA Angels

Brad was an entrepreneur straight out of the University of Richmond, helping run a sports statistics company. He then spent seven years at Capital One in various operational consulting roles. His work with early stage internet firms via Capital One ultimately led him to start Monument Consulting (exit in 2014) and Free Run Wine Merchants. Today Brad helps run an early stage angel group in central Virginia.

Cody Nystrom, SJF Ventures

Cody Nystrom is a Managing Director at SJF Ventures, a growth-stage venture fund with $145 mm under management. She joined SJF in the Durham, NC office in 2007 and is now based in Richmond. Cody represents SJF on the boards of Solera Health, Validic, Fit4D, Versify Solutions, Community Energy, Inc. and Vital Farms. She previously led the investment in CleanScapes before its successful exit in 2011 to Recology. Additionally, Cody serves on advising committees for Lighthouse Labs, Commonwealth Energy Fund and the Virginia Solar Development Authority.

Dan Henderson, CIT

Over the past 16 years, Dan has been a founder or early employee at four startups, with a track record of two exits; one to a public company. Dan joined CIT in 2013 and is responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence and closing seed and early stage investments. Dan came to CIT from BeClose, a venture-backed wireless home health company, where he served as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy. Prior to joining BeClose, Dan worked as Vice President of Marketing and Strategy at FastSoft, Inc, a web acceleration software startup; as the co-founder and President of Bhavan Media, a digital media company; and as co-founder and President of i-Vantage, an IT services consultancy. Dan earned his M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a B.A. from Oberlin College.

Greg Suskind, Triad

Mr. Suskind has over 20 years of experience in finance and investments and is currently the Chief Investment Officer of Triad, LC, a single family office located in Richmond, Virginia, where he is responsible for investment management, strategy, and planning across an array of asset classes. Prior to joining Triad, Mr. Suskind spent time as a Portfolio Manager at both U.S. Trust and Davenport and Company and worked in the Real Estate and Specialty Finance Investment Banking Group at BB&T Capital Markets. Mr. Suskind has a degree in Economics from Hampden-Sydney College and an MBA from the University of Richmond.

Brock Saunders, Summit Action

J. Brock Saunders is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Summit Action, an early stage growth equity firm, with investments in Thrive Market, Clover Health, Zenrez, and MakeSpace. Before to launching Summit Action, Brock was an active venture capitalist in a personal capacity, funding companies like Katerra, Boll & Branch, Coupang, Dig Inn, and Harry’s.