Key Takeaways
- • The 13th annual Women's Venture Summit (WVS) runs November 2-5, 2026 at the Cooley campus in La Jolla, San Diego, under the theme "Rise & Fund: Women Continuing the Charge," according to a October 28, 2026 EINPresswire release.
- • WVS says it has helped activate more than $200 million in capital for women entrepreneurs over more than a decade, while women-founded startups still receive less than 2% of venture capital funding, per founder Dr. Silvia Mah.
- • The 2026 Women's Fast Pitch winner will receive a growth package valued at more than $55,000, including $25,000 in legal services from Cooley and at least $10,000 from two female angel investors.
- • Seven finalists, drawn from 282 applicants, will pitch in person for a combined equity crowdfunding opportunity potentially raising $10,000 each, totaling $70,000+, managed by a newly launched WVS investment syndicate supported by Wefunder.
- • Women in Cloud's Frontier Tech Meets Capital, Kiva crowdfunded loans, and a SEC presentation add further capital and regulatory-education pathways for founders and investors.
Summary
The Women's Venture Summit returns to San Diego from November 2 to 5, 2026, at the Cooley campus in La Jolla, according to an EINPresswire release dated October 28, 2026. The 13th annual gathering, founded in 2012 and operating under the fiscal sponsorship of Here We Rise, is placing greater emphasis on converting investor connections into funding. Founder Dr. Silvia Mah, who is also a professor at Biola University, said WVS has helped activate more than $200 million in capital for women entrepreneurs, yet women-founded startups still receive less than 2% of venture capital funding.
A centerpiece is the national Women's Fast Pitch competition, which drew 282 applicants, narrowed to 31 semifinalists and then 13 regional finalists at an October 1 virtual event. Seven founders will pitch in person, including Meghan Wood of Raya Power (Wild Card) and Rachell Dumas of HEARD, among others. The champion will receive a growth package valued above $55,000, including $25,000 in legal services from Cooley, at least $10,000 from two female angel investors (Lex Lewis of Here We Rise and Dr. Silvia Mah of She Invests Capital, each committing at least $5,000), $10,000 in marketing support from Maresa Friedman, $10,000 in advisory services from Dr. Silvia Mah, and a company spotlight through Marble Collective. Through Wefunder, finalists may pursue equity crowdfunding campaigns potentially raising $10,000 each, for a total of $70,000+ managed by the WVS syndicate.
Additional capital pathways include Women in Cloud's Frontier Tech Meets Capital, an investor presentation on November 3 featuring deep-tech companies in AI, robotics, energy, health and blockchain, with one company advancing to a Wednesday competition. Women in Cloud founder Chaitra Vedullapalli cited a $1.9 trillion financing gap for women-owned businesses, according to the International Finance Corporation. A Kiva crowdfunding activation will also support two San Diego entrepreneurs seeking crowdfunded loans. Speakers include Lolita Taub of Ganas Ventures, Miki Agrawal of THINX and TUSHY, and Amy Reischauer of the SEC, who will discuss newly released data for entrepreneurs and investors. A virtual Angel Academy on October 29 will offer Investing 101 and 102 sessions.
The release cites Lex Lewis's projection, attributed to a source, that women will control $34 trillion in U.S. investable assets by 2030. Sponsors include Cooley, Holland & Knight, First Citizens Bank, Edward Jones and Nordstrom, among others.
A centerpiece is the national Women's Fast Pitch competition, which drew 282 applicants, narrowed to 31 semifinalists and then 13 regional finalists at an October 1 virtual event. Seven founders will pitch in person, including Meghan Wood of Raya Power (Wild Card) and Rachell Dumas of HEARD, among others. The champion will receive a growth package valued above $55,000, including $25,000 in legal services from Cooley, at least $10,000 from two female angel investors (Lex Lewis of Here We Rise and Dr. Silvia Mah of She Invests Capital, each committing at least $5,000), $10,000 in marketing support from Maresa Friedman, $10,000 in advisory services from Dr. Silvia Mah, and a company spotlight through Marble Collective. Through Wefunder, finalists may pursue equity crowdfunding campaigns potentially raising $10,000 each, for a total of $70,000+ managed by the WVS syndicate.
Additional capital pathways include Women in Cloud's Frontier Tech Meets Capital, an investor presentation on November 3 featuring deep-tech companies in AI, robotics, energy, health and blockchain, with one company advancing to a Wednesday competition. Women in Cloud founder Chaitra Vedullapalli cited a $1.9 trillion financing gap for women-owned businesses, according to the International Finance Corporation. A Kiva crowdfunding activation will also support two San Diego entrepreneurs seeking crowdfunded loans. Speakers include Lolita Taub of Ganas Ventures, Miki Agrawal of THINX and TUSHY, and Amy Reischauer of the SEC, who will discuss newly released data for entrepreneurs and investors. A virtual Angel Academy on October 29 will offer Investing 101 and 102 sessions.
The release cites Lex Lewis's projection, attributed to a source, that women will control $34 trillion in U.S. investable assets by 2030. Sponsors include Cooley, Holland & Knight, First Citizens Bank, Edward Jones and Nordstrom, among others.
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