Face to Face with Investors - TCA Venture Group
Face-to-Face with Investors
Where Conversations Become Opportunities!
Seed to Pre-Series A with proven traction and ready for your next chapter?
This is your event.
Join us for our signature "Face to Face" round table sessions — intimate, high-impact conversations with active investors who are here to engage, not just listen. You'll walk away with real-time feedback from experienced capital partners, meaningful connections, and the kind of candid insight that only comes from being in the room. For the right founders, this could mean more than just a conversation — it could mean a follow-on meeting with investors ready to go deeper.
You've got 3 minutes — make them count. Step up, make your case, and either walk away with a reason to meet again or honest feedback on what's missing and exactly what investors are looking for.
Agenda
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Check-in & Networking
Connect with fellow founders, investors, and entrepreneurs while enjoying light refreshments and the beautiful Soka University campus.
5:00 pm - 5:10 pm: Opening Remarks
George Carpenter President, TCA Venture Group
Mary Patrick Kavanaugh, Director of Innovation, Entrepreneurship
5:10 pm - 5:40 pm: Navigating AI Disruption: New Opportunities and Risks in VC
2027 is the year that AI disrupts everything — including startups and the people who fund them. This discussion will examine promising opportunities, sectors facing increased competition for capital, and how investors are adapting their portfolios to navigate the evolving landscape.
Ann Metzger, Founding Partner Emeritus, 360 Collective
Justin Cohen Managing Partner, Collinear Capital
Jeff Bocan, Okapi Venture Capital
Moderator: George Carpenter President, TCA Venture Group
5:40 pm - 6:10 pm: Push Through or Pivot?
Every founder eventually faces the question: keep pushing, or change direction? These moments matter because they can define a company’s trajectory and future. Our panelists have wrestled with that call as founders, investors, and board advisors. When is an obstacle just a bump in the road, and when is it a true warning sign? When should you stay true to your original vision? We hope the discussion helps you navigate those moments in your own journey.
This panel features successful entrepreneurs who now sit on the other side of the table as investors. They’ve been in your shoes as operators which gives them a perspective many investors may not have.
Jerome Tse CEO, Berri Organics
Grant Van Cleve, TCA Venture Group
Moderator: Steven Liu MD, TCA Venture Group
6:15 pm - 7:45 pm: Face to Face with Investors Round Tables
This is where the real work happens. Join an intimate, casual roundtable with active investors in your industry — whether you want to make your case for a follow-on meeting, get a strategy question answered, or hear directly what investors are looking for and what might be missing from your story.
Founders choose their room based on industry focus, and every entrepreneur in the room benefits — not just from investor insight, but from the candid, collaborative energy of fellow founders in the trenches alongside you.
You've got 3 minutes. Use them however serves you most.
This is not a formal pitch session — it's something more valuable: an honest, face-to-face conversation with people who can move the needle.
Investors include: Dave de Csepel, George Carpenter, Ray Chan, Silvia Restelli, Jeff Kuan, Glenn Rogers, Grant Van Cleve, Hans Imhof, Steven Liu, Ann Metzger, JJ Richa, John Samuelson, Kal Kalimada, Mallory Shickora, Med Armani, Muru Annamalai, Quan Nguyen, Ray Chan, Robin Pimentel, Sagar Patel, Gardner Smith, Dr. Thomas Lee, Volker Huther, Jerry Heikens, Dhaval Kapadia, Lisa Walker, Marisa Warren and many more!
Hosted by TCA Venture Group and Soka University Bridge to Business
Soka University Black Box Theatre
1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
[By attending all attendees agree to release, indemnify, hold harmless, defend, and pay defense costs for all organizers and sponsors from any and all liability or claims and consent to use and sharing in any media of any photos or videos taken.]
By completing your registration and purchasing a ticket, you consent to receive TCA Venture Group news, updates, and related communications via email. You may unsubscribe at any time