Chad Billmyer will be on campus to introduce the basics of 'friends and family' and 'seed round' capital raising. Chad is a two-time startup founder. He is a mentor in residence with venture programs here at UCLA and at Brown University and StartOut.
His popular and practical session will cover the following topics:
- The basics of early stage capital raising
- Key venture capital terminology (SAFE vs. convertible notes, cap tables, dilution, etc.)
- What investors are really looking for at this stage
- How to effectively position your business plan and pitch deck in a fundraising context
- Common pitfalls first-time founders should avoid
DATE: Friday, February 13th 2026 - 2:00pm - 4:00pm
LOCATION: Wilshire Glendon Building, 10889 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 820
You can browse two ~10 min previews of the materials on YouTube below:
PREPARING TO PITCH