Participate in Our Annual Women Investor Training

The Glaring Gap Summit

Join us on Wednesday, August 26 & Thursday, August 27, for Embarc Collective’s Annual Glaring Gap Summit. The Glaring Gap Summit is a two-day summit designed to maximize learning and connections through inspirational speakers, rigorous curriculum on the foundations of startup investing, and extraordinary networking opportunities.

Our mission is to create a forum that closes the Glaring Gap—where traditional investment structures often exclude women, people of color, and otherwise underrepresented investors. We seek to change that narrative by convening 50 current and future women investors to lead, fund, and impact the future of Florida.

Applications are officially open!

8:30 AM – Doors Open & Networking

9:00 AM– Welcome Remarks from Embarc Collective

9:30 AM– Capital is Power: Women, Wealth, & Influence

Speaker: Lisa Dallmer, Former Managing Director of Global Technology and Operations at BlackRock; Former Executive at the New York Stock Exchange
Moderator: Allie Felix, Founder and CEO, Goldia Group

Exploring how investing, wealth creation, and capital allocation shape industries, economies, and opportunities—and why more women participating in these decisions benefits everyone.

10:20 AM – Inside the Networks That Shape Venture Capital

Moderator: Kathleen Osborne, Embarc Collective PR Coach and Founder of Kamel PR
Panelists: Elise Brown, EVP of Marketing, All Raise & Mina Kim, Angel Investor and Founder

A conversation exploring how relationships, sourcing, and trusted networks influence venture investing, what is changing across the ecosystem, and where investors continue to overlook opportunity.

11:00AM – Session 3: From the Sidelines to the Cap Table

Panelists: Raechel Canipe, Founder & CEO, Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship (WTE), Christy Cunningham, Angel Investor and Strategic Advisor + Change Catalyst at inCioX
Moderator: Sue Bevan Baggot, President, Power Within Consulting | Angel Investor, QCA Ventures & Next Wave Impact

A discussion with women who have made the transition from observer to investor and the lessons they learned along the way.

11:45 AM – Networking Lunch

12:45 PM – Demystifying Angel Investing Workshop led by **Angela Lee, CEO of 37 Angels**

A hands-on angel investing workshop covering venture math, due diligence, valuation, portfolio construction, investment thesis development, and practical frameworks for evaluating founders and early-stage startups with confidence.

4:00 PM – Closing Alumni Reception

Thursday, August 27

9:00 AM – Welcome

9:10 AM – Inside the Investor’s Mind: What Makes a Startup Stand Out? Rachael Ferm, Director of Investments, Florida Funders

Drawing on her experience leading investments at Florida Funders, this session will share what today’s venture landscape looks like from inside a fund. Rather than teaching the mechanics of investing, she’ll offer an honest look at how investment decisions are made in practice, what opportunities are emerging across Florida and beyond, and how investors develop conviction in uncertain markets.

9:40 AM – Founder Pitch Showcase

10:55 AM – Founder Roundtables

12:00 PM – Closing

Apply Today!

Learn The Foundation Of Startup Investing

Intro to the Ecosystem

Who are the players in the investing ecosystem? How to partner with them to source quality deal flow? What is the difference between an angel and VC?

Due Diligence

How do you vet an early-stage business model? What do investors look in for teams? How to think about the competition and market size?

Financial & Governance

How to think about deal structure in terms of leading? Difference between equity and convertible notes? What financial & governance terms should you watch out for?

Valuation & Venture Math

How do you value a startup with little traction? What % is owned after each investment round? How to calculate dilution and what happens at exit?

Portfolio Strategy

What happens when founders raise additional rounds? How do you manage a portfolio of investments? How should you factor in crowdfunding and funds?

Real World Application

Apply learnings by writing a diligence memo on a real startup. Deep dive into an industry and competitive landscape. Receive feedback on diligence memo.

Participant Testimonials

“The Glaring Gap Summit is a great starting point for any woman who wants to get into investing and grow their network. The Summit sessions offered sage advice and tactical next steps for beginners and those already investing. I also appreciated the opportunity to connect with other professionals who are passionate about investing.”

– 2021 Participant

“The Glaring Gap Summit was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I’ve always been interested in investing, but I’ve felt shut out in education and gateways to learning about it. In the Summit, we were treated to the top experts in the field and an A+ curriculum on how to invest.”

– 2020 Participant

Produced For Florida-Based Women At All Stages

Accredited Investor

You are accredited by the SEC to make investments into startups and are deeply passionate about supporting the growth of your local community.

Emerging Professional

You are a junior to mid-level in your career and interested in exploring alternative investment practices such as equity crowdfunding as a not (yet) accredited investor.

College Student Leader

You’re an active member of an entrepreneurship, investing, or business club, or a part of a startup at your school, and are engaged with the startup community at your university or beyond.