Sizzling Startup Social | NYC

Are you feeling the burn? Need to extend your runway? Concerned about the current funding market?

Lighter Capital and SVB are co-hosting happy hour event with a dynamic panel discussion featuring:

• Ginji Wang, Vice President at Fi
• Jorge Setoain, Vice President at SVB Private Bank
• Karen Rios, Director of Early Stage Startups at SVB
• Melissa Widner, CEO at Lighter Capital

Enjoy drinks, bites, and mingling after the panel discussion.

RSVPs will be confirmed and event location details will be sent the day before the event.

Guests will include Greater NYC area founders, CEOs, and CFOs of local tech companies, partners, community ambassadors, and investors.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Ginji Wang

Jorge Setoain

Jorge Setoain is a private wealth advisor, vice president at SVB Private in New York. He provides customized private wealth management solutions to venture investors, private equity professionals and founders in the innovation economy. Jorge strives to drive connectivity for clients across SVB’s ecosystem, creating unique network effects.

Prior to joining SVB, he was an Associate Banker, VP at Citi Private Bank’s Institutional Clients Group, covering ultra-high net worth individuals and Family Offices in Latin America and the US. At Citi he worked across jurisdictions, currencies, markets, asset classes, and cultures, solving the complex needs of Global Citizens.

He started his Private Banking career at Morgan Stanley as a Wealth Advisory Associate in New York where he focused on investments and financial planning. In 2014, he moved from Spain to New York to join 32 Advisors a cross border advisory firm advising clients on foreign direct investment, infrastructure, and public-private partnerships. He began his career at the American Chamber of Commerce in Spain as head of membership.

Jorge earned his bachelor’s degree in international business and marketing from ESCI-Universitat Pompeu Fabra and now serves on the Alumni Advisory Board. Born and raised in Barcelona, Jorge calls NYC his home, in his free time he likes to play tennis and pickleball.

Karen Rios

Karen Rios is a Director within Silicon Valley Bank’s Early-Stage Startup Banking practice in New York, focused on supporting our portfolio of pre-seed and seed-stage companies. Prior to joining SVB, Karen was the founder and CEO of Lifesaver, a Techstars, Morgan Stanley and Barclays backed fintech startup. Prior to founding Lifesaver, she served as Chief Compliance Officer for Seminole Management Company, where she was the first Latina and youngest C-level officer in the firm’s history. Listed as one of the Top 50 Women Transforming Financial Technology in 2020 by NYC FinTech Women, Karen brings over a decade experience as a former fintech founder, operator, and C-level financial services executive deeply passionate about supporting founders across the startup ecosystem.

Melissa Widner

Melissa Widner is the CEO at Lighter Capital, Chairman and Co-Founder of Heads Over Heels. Lighter Capital, the pioneer and leader in revenue-based financing. Lighter Capital is backed by National Australia Bank, Silicon Valley Bank and Voyager Capital. 

As CEO, Melissa led two companies to successful exits returning over a 10x return to her investors. She was the Managing Director of NAB Ventures, the VC arm of the National Australia Bank. Prior to relocating to Australia, Melissa was a general partner at US based VC fund, Seapoint Ventures. Melissa is also the co-founder and Chairperson of Sydney based Heads Over Heels, an organization that supports women entrepreneurs running companies with high growth potential.