Paige Finn DohertyFounding Partner, Behind Genius · Founding Partner at Behind Genius Ventures

How Impressionism Capital Founding Partner Sydney was inspired to “feel seen” and accepted?

20 Jan 2023 · 1 min

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In this interview segment, the host asks the guest to recall a moment early in their career when they felt truly seen and accepted, whether in politics, nonprofits, or venture. The guest recounts founding a community called Women of Color in DC when they first entered venture capital. The group met informally over pizza at a coworking space, fostering a supportive space for women of color. Notable members mentioned include Maria, now at Lulu Ventures, and Jamaira, now at Reach. One of the group’s first events featured Miriam Rivera, who hosted a dinner at her home after the guest invited her for a coffee‑chat style “pick‑your‑brain” session. This anecdote illustrates how intentional community‑building and mentorship created a sense of belonging and visibility for the guest and her peers.

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So I'd love to hear, like, who was that, like, patch of grass for you where you just felt, like, seen and accepted? And this can be, like, earlier on in your career, whether that was in politics or nonprofits. But yeah, who, who are those folks for you?
That's beautiful. So when I first started in venture, I started this group called Women of Color in DC. And so it was a community of us that would order in pizza and hang out at a coworking space at night and just talk. And a few of the women in it were Maria, who's now at Lulu Ventures, and Jamaira, who is now at Reach. And we— one of our first events was actually with Miriam Rivera. And we asked her— I sent her a note saying like, hey, I have this group of women, would love to, you know, organize like a coffee chat. One of— a pick-your-brain opportunity. She invited us to her house where she cooked us dinner.