Video Library

We’ve hosted some terrific events with amazing founders, funders and allies.

You’ll find recordings of most our prior events on the HelloWAFFA YouTube channel here.

WAFFA - Wharton Alumnae Founders and Funders

WAFFA (Wharton Alumnae Founders & Funders Association) is a 501 (c)(3) organization with a mission to increase the number of Penn Wharton women founders and the percent who get funded. According to Pitchbook, 13% of Penn founders are women, but their companies are only getting 6% of the VC funding. WAFFA is a group of alums who want to change this.

WAFFA - Wharton Alumnae Founders and Funders
On Wednesday, Nov. 20, WAFFA hosted an exclusive interview with Reham Fagiri WG12 and CEO & Co-Founder of AptDeco led by Pam Harris WG, Co-President of WAFFA. Overview: * The founding story of AptDeco * How YCombinator & Wharton sharpened Reham's approach to growing the business * The challenges in the journey since (scaling operations, launching in new markets, competition, and more) * Developing the path forward for AptDeco, including upcoming investment rounds * And more! Reham Fagiri is the co-founder and CEO of AptDeco (https://aptdeco.com), the leading furniture resale platform that makes buying and selling furniture easy, efficient, and sustainable. AptDeco built the first of its kind suite of resale technology and logistics solutions tailored to the furniture industry.
WAFFA Interviews Reham Fagiri (WG'12), Co-Founder & CEO of AptDeco
​Caroline Strzalka, co-founder of Overplay, recently landed a $500k deal with billionaire Mark Cuban for her groundbreaking video gaming app. ​Watch our exclusive WAFFA event from 5/1/24 – a conversation with Caroline to discuss her background, experiences in her entrepreneurial journey and what she’s learned about the power of storytelling in attracting investors. Plus – what was it actually like to be on Shark Tank? How did they prepare for that pitch? What’s happened since then? Join WAFFA Co-President Pam Harris for this special conversation with Caroline
Exclusive WAFFA interview with Caroline Strzalka C’00, WG’05, co-founder of Overplay
On March 21, 2023 over Zoom, we were pleased to welcome speaker Leslee Cohen, a startup, M&A, and corporate lawyer and founder of AllRise Legal Counsel. She presented to the WAFFA community an overview of the legal considerations for early-stage startup founders. This included: - organizing a startup, including issuing founders’ equity - granting vesting shares to those who have been helpful advisors along the way - other required corporate governance steps. She provided a layperson’s explanation of the securities laws that apply when a business is considering a raise, so that founders would be educated in deciding the right level of legal protection necessary for their own particular circumstances. We hope you find this session informative. Thank you!
Early Stage Startup Formation and Fundraising—The Legal Perspective; with Leslee Cohen
Join WAFFA for this incredible parent/kid event with the New York Times best-selling author Kobi Yamada. Kobi is the author of many inspirational books such as What to do with an idea? and What to do with a chance?.
Do What Matters with Kobi Yamada
In partnership with General Assembly, WAFFA and Boss Women Collective hosted an exciting conversation on how to break into and build a career in Venture Capital. The speakers include Shilpa Kumar (Moderator), Adina Davis (BoxGroup Ventures), Erica Van (Charles River Ventures), Gaby Goldberg (Bessember Venture Partners), Minn Kim (Bloomberg Beta), and Monique Woodard (Cake Ventures). These inspirational womxn will share their stories on how they got to where they are today, key skills needed to be successful in a venture-focused role, how to break into a role focused on advising and working with startups, and the highs and lows of their respective fields.
Boss Women Collective and WAFFA Present - How She Got There: Venture Capital
How I Got Funded
Get Your Financial Ducks In A Row For Fundraising
Exceptional Founders and Funders: Nature Versus Nurture
Time Management Has Nothing To Do With Time
On January 10, 2023, Ha Nguyen (former CXO, Swimply and Founding Partner, Spero Ventures) and Garrett Kelly (former Strategy & Operations at Swimply and Airbnb) spoke to the WAFFA community on... - Tips and tools to align your startup around the strategic planning process - How to set impactful goals - How to craft roadmaps to maximize team alignment and outcome-driven execution ...and more! Learn more about WAFFA at https://hellowaffa.org and subscribe to our newsletter for upcoming events, resources, and more: https://hellowaffa.org/waffa-newsletter-archive/
Startup Strategy Planning for the New Year - Ha Nguyen and Garrett Kelly
The essence of bargaining isn't the transaction - it's the conversation and human connection. Join our WAFFA Fireside chat with Mori Taheripour, a beloved Wharton Professor (and WG!), and a world renowned and award-winning expert on negotiations. Mori teaches negotiation and dispute resolution at Wharton (some of the most popular classes at the school) and focuses on the human side of negotiating. She is a master negotiator whose techniques have been implemented by all types of leaders, from sports executives to Fortune 500 CEOs. (Recorded 09/29/2022)
How to Negotiate Fearlessly with Award-Winning Professor Mori Taheripour
How to Give A Killer Presentation: Driving Funders and Customers To Action
Join Floodgate Partner Iris Choi, WG'04, to discuss what founders should strive for in a down market. She explains Floodgate's approach to Intelligent Growth and what VCs are looking for in this environment. Iris Choi is a Partner at FLOODGATE. She leads follow on investing at FLOODGATE and works closely across the portfolio of companies on a range of strategic areas, including business development, partnerships and financings. Iris serves on the board of select companies, including TouchofModern, MangoHealth, Sharethrough, Maker Media, Nirvana and Business Connect China.
Intelligent Growth in a Down Market with Iris Choi, Partner, Floodgate
Join Wharton Alumnae Founders and Funders Association and Arum Kang W’04, Co-Founder & CEO of Coffee Meets Bagel for a “Quarantalk” on love in the time of coronavirus. Across industry, user numbers are slightly down and engagement is way up. Quaranteeners are a captive audience! Please join us with Arum Kang on what the new normal looks like when it comes to dating in the time of Coronavirus. About Arum Kang After completing her BSE in Marketing from the University of Pennsylvania— The Wharton School, Arum Kang has focused in delighting customers in the consumer product space. She has worked with a variety of companies including Amazon and Avon Products. After obtaining her MBA degree from Harvard Business School, Arum co-founded Coffee Meets Bagel with sisters Soo and Dawoon Kang. As the Co-CEO, Arum leads the business strategy and the vision of Coffee Meets Bagel. With her various roles, her overarching goal is always to make sure the customers’ needs are heard and met with a superior product experience. She has been interviewed many times about the dating and startup scene and has given many talks about the subject alongside her sister, Dawoon. About WAFFA Wharton Alumnae Founders & Funders Association is a 501c3 non-profit organization with a mission to accelerate the success of Penn Wharton female founders and investors. Today, 13% of Penn founders are women but they raise just 6% of venture capital. WAFFA harnesses the power of the Penn Wharton network to educate, support, and foster connections for women founders and funders. Subscribe to our newsletter to learn about upcoming events and how to get involved here. http://www.hellowaffa.org/
Love in the Time of Corona with Arum Kang (Co-Founder & CEO, Coffee Meets Bagel)
Andy Rachleff the founder of Wealthfront talks about product market fit, the future of banking, as well as the current pandemic.
WAFFA Product Market Fit Andy 05052020
What WIll Work Look Like Post Pandemic
Steve Blank talks with WAFFA about how to navigate through a changing environment.
WAFFA Steve Blank 05252020
Join WAFFA for a conversation with Ha Nguyen, Partner at Spero, Board VP of Women In Product, former PM, and Wharton grad. We will discuss what frameworks founders should learn from product management and ask Ha to share what she sees as the difference between a CEO and PM at an early startup. We will also tackle the questions when is the right time to hire your startup’s first PM and how to do it.
Startups and Product Management with Ha Nguyen, Partner at Spero Ventures
Join us for a conversation with Lo Toney, Founding Managing Partner of Plexo Capital on what it's like to be a VC and a Black man in America. Lo also discusses how Plexo Capital, a $42.5M fund, has built an investment thesis around diverse founders and GPs—a strategy led by the ability to use alpha to generate above market returns.
A conversation with Lo Toney: I am a Black man and a VC in America
New Startup Mindset with Sandra Shpilberg
Join WAFFA for a discussion with Shellye Archambeau, a #WhartonWoman and one of tech’s first Black female CEOs, on her new book Unapologetically Ambitious. Growing up, Shellye faced more hurdles than most as she managed her personal and professional responsibilities while climbing the ranks at IBM and in her subsequent roles as President of Blockbuster.com, CEO of MetricSystem, and a board member at Verizon, Nordstrom, Roper Technologies and Okta. In her book, Unapologetically Ambitious, that comes out in October 2020, Shellye discovers that ambition alone is not enough to achieve success as she shares practical tools and approaches to employ right now, including concrete steps to: capitalize on the power of planning, developing financial literacy, building your network and integrating work, marriage, parenthood and self-care. “In a world that too often tells women, especially Black women, to stay small, keep quiet, and know their limits, this book says otherwise.” – Sheryl Sandburg, COO at Facebook Join the #UnapologeticallyShellye movement on Twitter and Instagram @ShelArchambeau
Unapologetically Shellye: A Candid Discussion on Advancing Your Career
How to Change with Professor Katy Milkman
How to Speak about AI with Gabi Zijderveld
If you build it, will THEY buy? with Orly Zeewy
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