Beyond the Exit: An Evening with Gayle Crowell
Beyond the Exit: An Evening with Gayle Crowell and J.P. Morgan
A Private Fireside Chat & Custom-Made Dinner
From a first-grade classroom to a $400 million technology acquisition—and a career spanning 26 corporate boards.
Behind an extraordinary career are decisions, risks, and turning points that rarely make it into a professional biography.
Diversify invites a highly curated group of venture-backed female founders and high-growth leaders to a private evening with Gayle Crowell, veteran technology executive, former CEO, and board director.
Gayle began her career as a first-grade teacher in Nevada before moving into technology and rising through leadership roles at companies including Oracle and ViewStar. As president, CEO, and chair of RightPoint, she led the company before its acquisition by E.piphany in 2000, in a transaction reported at approximately $400 million.
Her journey continued well beyond that exit.
Gayle was offered the CEO position at Google in its early days—an opportunity that adds another fascinating chapter to a conversation about ambition, pivotal decisions, and choosing your own path.
She spent more than 15 years advising portfolio companies at Warburg Pincus, helping leadership teams navigate growth, build stronger businesses, and make consequential decisions. Across her career, she has served on 26 public and private corporate boards, chairing audit and compensation committees along the way, with expertise spanning AI, SaaS, and technology-driven growth.
Often the only woman in the boardroom, Gayle developed a commitment to mentoring women and opening pathways into executive leadership and board service. In 2026, she was recognized with How Women Lead’s Fearless Leader Award.
For female founders building their own companies today, her journey offers a compelling perspective on reinvention, ambition, and influence—and on creating a career whose impact extends beyond any single company.
The Experience
Guests will settle into a living room for an intimate fireside chat with Gayle while fresh, house-made Neapolitan-style pizzas from Vera Pizza Naturale are prepared custom and on demand.
Each pizza will be made with naturally leavened sourdough by a pizzaiolo with Vera Pizza Napoletana training, creating a warm, relaxed setting to enjoy dinner, connect, and participate in the conversation.
The fireside chat will explore the journey behind Gayle’s accomplishments: her transition from education into technology, her experience leading a company through an acquisition, and the relationships and decisions that shaped her path into the boardroom.
There will be space for candid questions about:
Building credibility when your background follows an unconventional path.
Leading through uncertainty and making consequential business decisions.
Navigating growth, investors, boards, and acquisition opportunities.
Establishing your voice as the only woman in the room.
Defining ambition and choosing your next chapter after a major milestone.
The evening is intentionally intimate, with room for honest stories, thoughtful questions, and connections that can continue long after dinner.
Who This Is For
This gathering is designed for a select group of:
Venture-backed female founders.
CEOs and senior executives leading high-growth organizations.
Investors and ecosystem leaders supporting ambitious companies.
Women navigating a significant next chapter in business or leadership.
Attendance will be intentionally limited to preserve the intimacy of the experience. Registration requests may be reviewed to ensure alignment with the gathering’s purpose.
About Gayle Crowell
Gayle Crowell is a veteran board director, technology executive, and former CEO whose career spans company building, successful exits, and corporate governance.
Beginning as an educator in Nevada, she transitioned into technology and held senior leadership roles at leading software businesses, including Oracle and ViewStar. She served as president, CEO, and chair of RightPoint before its acquisition by E.piphany in a transaction reported at approximately $400 million.
Gayle subsequently spent more than 15 years advising Warburg Pincus portfolio companies, focusing on business strategy, revenue growth, scaling organizations, and developing strong leadership teams.
She has served on 26 public and private corporate boards, chairing audit and compensation committees along the way. Her expertise includes AI, SaaS, and technology-driven growth.
A dedicated mentor and advocate for women in leadership, Gayle was recognized with How Women Lead’s 2026 Fearless Leader Award.
About Diversify
Diversify is a curated community of 208 venture-backed female founders who have collectively raised more than $1.9 billion.
We create intentional experiences where exceptional founders, investors, executives, and cultural leaders build relationships that lead to meaningful capital, partnerships, and long-term impact.
Learn more about Diversify here: https://diversify.daxe.ai/
Capacity is extremely limited.
Bring an open mind, your appetite, and one question you would love to ask Gayle.
About our Sponsor J.P. Morgan
J.P. Morgan’s Startup Banking team proudly supports founders from their first raise through IPO, providing banking, credit, and growth solutions built for scaling companies.
How we gather at ROOMs:
You are chosen for the people next to you, and they are chosen for you. Inspired by The Art of Gathering, we skip the rehearsed pitches, and try to avoid "hey how are you, good how are you good?" loop so we can have a real conversation. Before you come, prep your interesting 30 seconds (one thing not on your LinkedIn, or one thing you can't solve alone, or one thing you're obsessed with right now) and bring one real question on the topic of the night. Because every seat is set by hand, if your plans change, please let us know at least 24 hours in advance so your chair doesn't sit empty.
Feel free to read the 60-second guest guide before you arrive: https://elenalenena.com/theartofrooms