Immigrant Founders: 🍷 Wine, Pitch, Network, & Learn from Unicorn Founder Sharmin Ali & VC Teresa Ge
​💡 What’s the Unspoken Reality of Immigrant Founders
​Make sure to arrive on time we will be starting 4:30pm sharp!
​Most people only see the outcome:
the company name, the traction, the headline, the visa that “worked out.”
​What they don’t see is everything underneath.
​The uncertainty.
The tradeoffs.
The distance from home.
The pressure to make it work—not just for yourself, but for everyone who believed in you.
​For immigrant founders, the journey isn’t just about building a startup.
It’s about building stability, identity, and belonging at the same time.
​This is the space where ambition meets constraint.
Where resilience is learned, not branded.
Where progress often happens quietly, without applause.
​This night is for founders living that reality—to share what they’re building, speak honestly about the struggle, exchange real knowledge, and connect with others who understand it firsthand.
​💠What This Gathering Is Really About
​This isn’t a polished demo day.
It’s not a hype room.
​It’s a fireside-style conversation and rapid pitch social for immigrant founders who are deeply committed—founders who are sacrificing comfort, certainty, and sometimes geography to build something meaningful.
​We’ll talk about:
​What it actually takes to keep going when the path is unclear
​Lessons learned the hard way—across visas, fundraising, hiring, and identity
​What’s working right now, not what sounds good online
​How community changes the journey when you stop doing it alone
​Because for immigrant founders, progress is rarely linear—but it is shared.
​🙋 Who This Is For
​Immigrant founders building startups, products, or communities
​Builders navigating uncertainty, pressure, or isolation while still showing up
​Founders who want honest conversation over polished narratives
​People who value knowledge-sharing, real feedback, and mutual support
​Anyone who wants to connect with others who understand the cost—and the courage—of building far from home
​Agenda:
​4:00 pm - 4:30 pm: Registration: Networking w/ Drinks + Wine!
​4:30 pm - 5:15 pm: Fireside Chat: Sharmin Ali
​5:15 pm - 5:45 pm: Earned, Not Claimed: How Immigrant Founders Turn What They’ve Lived Into What Investors Fund, Teresa Ge is the founder of Succedia Ventures
​5:45 pm - 6:30 pm Startup Lightning Pitches
​6:30 pm - 7:30 pm: Networking w/ Drinks + Wine!
​Sharmin Ali is a 3× founder, bestselling author and keynote speaker who has built and scaled multiple companies, raised over $200M, and helped create over 10,000 jobs globally. Today, she is building in the AI space, focused on how artificial intelligence is transforming how humans work, make decisions, and scale organizations. Known for her bold perspectives and high-energy storytelling, Sharmin brings a unique lens at the intersection of AI, leadership, and the future of work- challenging leaders to rethink how they hire, train, and empower talent in an AI-driven world. Her talks blend real-world experience, sharp insights, and actionable frameworks, leaving audiences both inspired and equipped to navigate change.
​Investor Bio
​Teresa Ge is the founder of Succedia Ventures, an IP-led venture studio backing deep-tech and health companies at formation. An immigrant founder herself, Teresa is a published author in three languages, a USC Marshall MBA, and the community builder of Legacy Lounge, an invitation-only Silicon Valley community of 500+ founders, operators, and investors.
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​Drink Sponsor:
​OoMee is a marine plant beverage powered by Seabiotics™, our proprietary blend of marine plant fibers that helps naturally curb cravings. Thanks to founder Alissa Miky.
​Hosts:
​Funding Breakthrough Lab is a 501(c)(3) women-led nonprofit pre-accelerator with a mission of creating a supportive community to build a better tomorrow. We empower founders with education, networks, and resources to unlock their potential while championing diversity, inclusion, and authenticity. Founded by Natalie Pan, an engineer, community builder and executive coach. Apply for the next cohort starting March 21st 2026 here https://fundingbreakthroughlab.org.
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​Are you an internationally backed startup coming to the US to raise funds? ​​OpenSphere maximizes your visa-approval chances with our personalized AI-powered assistance and legal guidance. Immigrants can book a free consultation 🛂
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​Space Sponsored by Kranz Consulting
​Kranz Consulting helps founders and investors navigate the complexities of building and scaling high-growth businesses with confidence. With 30 years of experience and 300+ consultants nationwide, Kranz delivers trusted expertise in fractional accounting, CFO advisory, technical accounting, and strategic finance, giving you the financial foundation and seasoned guidance you need to compete and win.