EP 48: BUILDING COMMUNITY WITHIN VENTURE WITH ALICIA HANF
In this episode Alicia Hanf shares her path to venture, including her military career, her experience as an entrepreneur, and her drive to build meaningful opportunities for underserved and innovative founders. She currently leads the ecosystem development at LG Nova to include hundreds of startups and investors focused on innovations that improve the world. LG stands for Life’s Good, after all.
Some key takeaways:
Less than 1% of the billion of dollars invested in venture go to women of color
When capital is passed through the hands of women, they can direct capital in the most meaningful ways for the world
There has been some positive movement in the venture ecosystem for women
Seeing a surge in women raising venture funds this year
Seeing women athletes becoming the next investors - Serena Ventures doubled down on maternal health
Advice for founders: be able to quickly explain your company
What is the problem your solving
Who are you solving it for
Why should we care about this problem
Alicia Hanf, Head of Institutional Partnerships, Ecosystem Development. LG Nova where she leads efforts to forge strategic institutional partnerships and expand a dynamic ecosystem for innovation.
Prior to joining LG Nova, Alicia founded Dear Mama Ventures a platform dedicated to improving access to capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs. Dear Mama’s industry-agnostic investment approach focused on diverse founders tackling global challenges, reflecting Alicia’s commitment to inclusive progress and systemic change.
Alicia has an extensive resume in venture. She built and managed a global pipeline of 5,000+ startups and 40 partners across three continents; led the development of corporate venture arms for two Fortune 500 companies, contributing to investment theses and overseeing $300M+ in deployed capital across 30+ deals, and played a pivotal role in raising over $50M for high-impact startups. Alicia has been featured in Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and The Washington Post and is a sought-after speaker including her recent talk on Emotional Intelligence + AI Fluency at We Make Future Summit and her TEDX Talk The Last Known Point- Veterans' Edge in Navigating the Business World. She was recently awarded the 2025 Women in Leadership Award from Fiona Ma, California’s 34th State Treasurer.
LG NOVA partners with startups and the broader innovation ecosystem to build a better future and create positive change in people’s lives.
