We recently hosted our third annual Lighter Summit. CEOs, founders, and startup leaders from over 20 states stepped away from their busy schedules and journeyed to Austin, Texas to connect, learn, and collaborate with other like-minded leaders. The short two-day event may be behind us, but we continue to grow together.
It’s no secret that leading a startup requires toughness and grit, which can be difficult to maintain without taking time to recharge and recalibrate. The Lighter Summit not only provides an energizing break from entrepreneurial isolation, but it also strengthens the Community our portfolio companies count on for support. The founders who return to the Summit year after year are a testament to the Lighter Community's value. This year, we were delighted to have sponsor partners join us, adding another dimension for connection and growth!
After more than ten years of working with startup leaders, we've learned that a founder’s professional network — their brain trust — is their most valuable asset. We’ve built our Summit to offer founders dedicated space and time to effortlessly expand their networks and to tap into the Lighter Community brain trust. Sharing stories, asking advice, and discussing struggles, strategies, and successes — these are just some of the organic experiences that make the Lighter Summit so special.
 | “The Lighter Summit is the perfect blend of community, knowledge sharing and fun! [...] Having been to a few events/retreats hosted by investors, I thought this one was by far the best one. Other events I've been to generally felt like a boot camp. Whereas the Lighter Summit was the perfect balance of fun and business.” |
Here's Our Recap of the 2023 U.S. Summit
We covered a lot of ground this year: panel sessions, roundtable discussions, one-on-one conversations, and more.
Leadership Panel
Thriving at the Helm: Leadership, Wellness, and Clarity
Moderated by Sunil Patro, Founder and CEO, Signeasy
Panelists included:
Will Bowen, Co-Founder and CEO, Givebacks
Sombit Mishra, Founder and CEO, QMedic
Anne Post, CEO, North America, Xakia Technologies
 | “On a weekly basis, write down small wins as well as the low lights. After that, try to reframe the low lights into learning moments and create action items for solving those challenges.” — Sunil Patro, Founder and CEO, Signeasy |
Fundraising Panel
Charting the Fundraising Course. Moderated by Allied Advisers
Moderated by Guarav Bhasin, Managing Director, Allied Advisers
Panelists included:
Mike Preuss, Co-Founder and CEO, Visible.VC
Brian Schiff, Co-Founder and CEO, Flip CX
Scott Sehon, CFO, Numeracle
“Invaluable strategic and tactical wisdom from fundraising to leadership in a very talented, inspired and driven group of leaders.” — Chris Fellows, Founder and CEO, Bold Street |
Managing KPIs Panel
The Remote Revolution: Evolving KPIs for a Hybrid Workforce
Moderated by Leah Edwards, Investment Director, Lighter Capital
Panelists included:
Srikant Chellappa, Co-Founder & President, Engagedly
Nathan Kievman, CEO, CLEARLIGHT
Spencer Lee, CEO, Telin Systems
“Hire fast and fire fast —- just because people work well in an office does not mean they will work well in the remote workforce.” — Spencer Lee, CEO of Telin Systems |
Startup Exit Panel
Tales of Triumph and Transition in Tech. Moderated by Alpine Investors
Moderated by Rohan Singh, Vice President, Alpine Investors
Panelists included:
Marc Aubin, Former Co-Founder and CEO, AppBuddy (acquired by Validity)
Bonnie Crater, Former President and CEO, Full Circle Insights (acquired by Scaleworks)
Cree Lawson, Founder and CEO, Arrivalist (acquired by AirDNA, part of the Alpine Investors Group)
Raul Rodriguez, Co-Founder and CEO, Bluebird.cx (acquired by Imprint Engine)
 | “I've attended 3 Lighter Capital Summits and it's a great place to learn from other CEOs.” — Bonnie Crater, Former President and CEO Full Circle Insights |
Then it was time for fun!
There's no better way to get creative ideas flowing than stepping away from work to play for a while. We headed out into Austin in groups to throw axes and motor around town on two wheels (the bikes were decidedly more Huffy than Harley).
“I felt more energized in these two days than I did in a one-week summer vacation, because I met so many founders that are experiencing what I am — I thought I was the only one.” — Omer Usanmaz, Co-Founder and CEO of Qooper |
“Even if Lighter Capital wasn't the host of the Summit, I would have attended. There are so few opportunities for entrepreneurs to gather and share ideas in an intimate setting like this. But the fact that Lighter conceived and delivered this event to its clients as part of their service, says volumes about their commitment to serving and assisting their clients.” — David Gould, Principal at Solution One Partners |
And a BIG thank you to our sponsors!
We were thrilled to have two sponsor partners who were able to connect directly with Lighter Summit attendees this year.
Gold Sponsor - Alpine Investors
Alpine Investors is a people-driven private equity firm committed to building enduring companies by working with, learning from and developing exceptional people.
Alpine specializes in investments in the software and services industries. Alpine’s People-First strategy includes a talent program that allows Alpine to bring leadership to situations where additional or new management is needed post-transaction.
Alpine has over $15 billion in assets under management, and has three offices in San Francisco, New York, and Salt Lake City.* Read more at https://alpineinvestors.com/.
*For more information, visit Alpine Investors and terms of use for full disclaimers including, but not limited to, third-party reviews and Alpine Operations Group.
 | “I'm thankful for Lighter Capital for hosting a great summit. I particularly valued meeting the diverse founders and discussing growth, teams, and exit options with them - they each had some wonderful stories.” — Rohan Singh, Vice President at Alpine Investors |
 | “It was a privilege to partner with Lighter Capital on their annual summit, as both Lighter and Alpine share a common mission in helping founder-led recurring revenue businesses achieve their next stage of growth. The summit provided the perfect setting to meet and share new experiences with the impressive and diverse leaders across Lighter's portfolio, and we look forward to finding more ways to bring value to investors and operators across Lighter's ecosystem.” — Tom Ulricson, Vice President at Alpine Investors |
Dinner Sponsor - Allied Advisers
Allied Advisers is a global technology-focused boutique advisory firm focused on investment banking for entrepreneurs and investors. The Silicon Valley-based firm, with a presence in Los Angeles, Israel, and India, serves entrepreneurs and investors of technology growth companies globally on strategic advisory including M&A and capital raises. Allied Advisers’ bankers have completed technology transactions globally for clients with Fortune 50 buyers and top tier Private Equity firms. Read more at www.alliedadvisers.com.
 | “Lighter Capital did a phenomenal job getting founders together in a two-day event where a lot of learnings and best practices were shared in addition to having good social bonding activities in an intimate setting. Allied Advisers appreciated the opportunity to participate with founders who continue to push forward, adapt and grow despite somewhat challenging macro conditions.” — Gaurav Bhasin, Managing Director of Allied Advisers |
Want to attend a future Lighter Summit?
The Lighter Summit is an annual gathering exclusive to the Lighter Capital client Community. Learn more about non-dilutive startup financing from Lighter Capital and apply today to get funding plus the benefits you'd expect from VCs.
If you are interested in talking with Lighter Capital about partnership opportunities, please reach out to us at info@lightercapital.com.
Till next year!