Beyond the Deck: What actually earns an investor’s belief in a founder?
What makes an investor truly believe in a founder, especially before all the proof points are obvious?
Join us for a fireside chat with Shawn Hill, Managing Partner at Garden State Venture Partners and former Partner at Moderne Ventures, and Malak Atut, a healthcare executive, investor, educator, and entrepreneur who teaches entrepreneurial communication at The Wharton School.
Together, they’ll explore what investors notice beyond the slides: founder judgment, credibility, clarity, resilience, and the signals that create real conviction.
This conversation is especially relevant for founders building across borders, navigating nontraditional paths, and raising in ecosystems where storytelling, trust, and execution matter as much as traction.
Moderated by Amber Theurer, Co-Founder of Human AF.
About Speakers:
Shawn Hill
Co-Founder, Human AF; Managing Partner, Garden State Venture Partners & Rowan University Innovation Fund
Shawn Hill is an investor and operator with two decades spent on both sides of the table, currently Managing Partner at Garden State Venture Partners and the Rowan University Innovation Fund, his alma mater. He previously backed and managed a 100+ company portfolio through Moderne Ventures and built his operational foundation at high-growth firms including DocuSign and Constellation Software.
On the entrepreneurial side, he co-founded HUMAN AF and August Hill, a global advisory firm supporting venture funds and their high-growth startups with capital strategy, talent, and go-to-market execution. His range of perspectives is exactly the vantage point this conversation will hold.
Malak Atut
Healthcare Executive & Serial Entrepreneur
Malak Atut is a healthcare executive and serial entrepreneur who has moved fluidly between roles: founder, investor, advisor, and operator. She is currently leading digital health strategy across global teams at the intersection of AI, access, and equity.
She teaches entrepreneurial communication at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, co-founded Yalla Now AI, and in 2025 was named one of New Jersey’s Innovate100: Most Innovative Business Leaders. She brings both the investor’s evaluating eye and the storyteller’s ear for what’s actually true in a founder’s story.
Moderator:
Moderator: Amber Theurer
Co-Founder, Brand Strategist, Human AF
Amber translates human values into decisions that shape what gets built. She has supported Fortune 500 initiatives and startups from inception through acquisition, operating at the intersection of brand strategy, research, and human systems. Formerly a CMO at a venture-backed company acquired in 2023, Amber has led multi-million-dollar growth efforts by aligning audience, narrative, and internal decision-making.