LAURA RODEN
Founder & Managing Director

Laura Roden is the founder and managing director of VC Privé, LLC. VC Privé is a boutique investment bank that raises money for high quality alternative asset funds, such as venture capital funds, hedge funds, and distressed debt funds. VC Privé specializes in marketing funds to private investors, such as high net worth individuals, family offices, foundations, endowments, and independent financial advisors. A typical investor commitment to a fund ranges from $500,000-$5mm. VC Privé has represented funds in a variety of sectors, such as life sciences, cleantech, internet, consumer, international, commodities and currencies, and distressed and venture debt.

Prior to founding VC Privé, Ms. Roden was the Managing Director of The Angels' Forum (TAF), a leading association of individual and corporate early stage investors. During her tenure TAF grew its private investor membership by 70% and completed 40 early stage financings. Ms. Roden is currently a member of the Harvard Angels, and active with the Angel Capital Association.

Prior to running The Angels’ Forum, Ms. Roden was President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE), the largest nonprofit in Northern California dedicated to helping technology entrepreneurs. Under her leadership SVASE experienced extraordinary growth in membership, sponsorship and service offerings, hosting 12-15 entrepreneur-focused events every month, backed by the area’s leading banks, accounting firms, law firms and technology companies.

Before taking the helm at SVASE, Ms. Roden had spent a decade as chief financial officer and/or cofounder of emerging technology companies. The last startup in which she was involved, PowerTV Inc., became the world's largest provider of embedded operating systems for interactive television. Shortly prior to announcing an IPO, PowerTV was sold to Scientific Atlanta, which was later acquired by Cisco.

Ms. Roden became interested in new technologies as a result of her work at Chronicle Publishing Company, where she spent seven years as CFO of the television broadcasting division and General Manager of the cellular telephone group. During that period she was responsible for the acquisition of television stations and a portfolio of cellular telephone services areas, as well as for the later spinoff of the cellular properties generating an extraordinary return on investment.

Her earlier career included executive positions at Deloitte & Touche (management consulting), Whalen & Company (wireless telecommunications), H.P. Hood/Agrimark (consumer and institutional food product marketing) and Hill Holliday Advertising. She taught 22 semesters of Fundamentals of Finance for San Jose State University’s College of Business, and has guest lectured in both SJSU's and Santa Clara University’s MBA programs.

Ms. Roden was an original Board member of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs & Executives (FWE&E) and has formerly been a board officer of the animal shelter Pets In Need (President) and at the Travelers' Aid Society of San Francisco (Treasurer). She is on the Steering Committee of the SFJCF Business Leadership Council, and on the NorCal Education Committee for 100 Women in Hedge Funds. She was nominated as one of the "most influential women in Silicon Valley" by the San Jose Business Journal.

Ms. Roden received her undergraduate degree from Harvard/ Radcliffe and her MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was elected by the faculty to the Century Club. She holds Series 7, 66 and 79 licenses to sell securities and provide investment advisory services.