Where should I even start...

The network we've built during the Fellowship has been invaluable.

Wether it be the incredible connections we built with other fellows or the possibility to meet and be mentored by some of the best VC's in the industry.

In my case I was fortunate enough to build relationships with other fellows that I am confident will remain for years to come.

From the partners side I have met so many incredible VC's who have been nothing but incredibly supportive and helpful in providing great insights and sharing their experiences in the space. I also got an offer from one of the partners so that is really a testament to the doors that Included VC opens for us.

Finally, I believe that one of the greatest things that Included VC has given me is the impetus to actually pursue some initiatives and further VC application efforts that I always wanted to pursue but without that extra push of accountability would probably never been able to (e.g. Medium Article, Notion Page, Market Deep-Dives, etc).

I got into VC near the start and lot of the sessions helped me hit the ground running. I'm not sure how effective I would've been without this knowledge because I didn't know the do's and don'ts of certain aspects of venture capital. For example, I learnt about more effective ways to source deals, how investment committees are run as well as fast-tracked perspective into analysing different business models.

Another big part in which Included VC has contributed to my development, is my growth in confidence. Most times, representation helps people feel like they belong. There aren't a number of women, let alone black women in VC. We are heavily underrepresented. A lack of representation can cause feelings of imposter syndrome.

The Included VC community, especially Nikita, helped me really think about how to become better at leveraging my community, so that I don't always feel the weight of any situation. There's power and understanding that many other people may be able to help solve things that you're struggling with. This has become a new hack in building up confidence.

The final aspect was being a part of a globalised community. Most of my connections were from Africa, but now I can proudly say I have incredible people I can connect to from Europe, Americas and Asia. That's a powerful thing to be a part of. This alone has contributed to so much growth, and is something I am excited to see that Included VC will be continuing.

Included VC truly changed my life. From the core concept of becoming more apt with Venture Capital work. To building the best VC network I think anyone could have in the world. To finally feeling in a place where my culture was celebrated, and I felt proud that I was different. To becoming a pro at navigating an industry.

Niki, Anu and my cohort are the best thing I've had in my professional career.

Truly life changing.

Included VC has been a life changing experience for me. It has not only helped me speed up my VC career a 100x, it gave me the opportunity to meet so so many incredible people, including many who will completely change how VC works.

The experience was so rewarding, in terms of how much we learnt, how much we grew, and how we all banded together in the face of almost-impossible odds, working as one to help each other achieve the VC dream.

Included VC was an opportunity to connect with and learn from top, top VC talent. This Fellowship helps demystify the world of venture, for those of us who come from untraditional backgrounds.
I got to learn about the mechanisms of venture from top players in the ecosystem, get mentorship and support and the best part, I got to engage in real-life venture action like sourcing deals, speaking with founders and pitching my heart out on mock investment communities.

Everyone in Included VC, the team, partners, speakers, and Fellows are genuinely smart, ambitious and kind humans.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to be part of #Includedmafia and join you on the mission to make the world of venture more equitable. Now let's go change the face of venture!

Included VC exceeded my expectations in every way. It is supported by funds that are committed to sharing their knowledge and changing the face of VC for the better.

The learnings are top class and delivered by exceptional people and the network you build is indispensable, especially in an industry where the network is critical to success. The team is fantastic and take a personal interest in helping you succeed, during and after the fellowship.

However, for me most important is the family you build. The long-lasting friendships with current, past and future fellows will become the core of your network in VC for decades to come. For all this I am thankful to the amazing Included VC team and our Ventures partners who make this possible.

PLUS! you get to go to an absolutely phenomenal summit at the end of an amazing fellowship!!

Included exceeded all my expectations! This Fellowship became my family and gave me a safe place inside the Venture Capital industry. It does not matter where I'll go, I will have friends in the industry to build together and help each other.

As someone deeply passionate about making our industry more diverse and inclusive for those who do not come from so-called "traditional backgrounds", knowing that initiatives like Included VC exist make me believe we are headed in the right direction.

Can I redo the Fellowship?

That was my first question after the summit ;)

It has been such a positive and extraordinary experience that I would start over again. From law to VC was not easy, but I made it! Included VC gave me the tools to believe I could and will always be grateful