Leslie Feinzaig
Leslie Feinzaig is the Founder and General Partner at Graham & Walker, and Founder and Managing Director at Female Founders Alliance. She founded Female Founders Alliance, a community, and Graham & Walker, a venture fund, both of which she continues to lead. Her expertise includes early stage investing, writing, and speaking.
Yifan Zhang announces AI House Demo Day: 25 teams pitched in Seattle with 42 investors attending
AI House held its first AI House Demo Day in Seattle where 25 teams (half portfolio companies) presented to an audience that included 42 investors; founders, investors, and organizers connected through pitches, meetings, and events around the day.
Washington Proposal SB 6229 Targets Capital Gains on Startup Stock, Sparking Seattle Tech Backlash Ahead of 2026 Tax Implementation
A new Washington state proposal, SB 6229, aims to tax capital gains from qualified small business stock sales despite existing federal exemptions, prompting concerns from Seattle startup leaders about its potential to discourage local company building. Public hearings are scheduled for January 27, 2026, and the tax would apply to gains on or after that date.
FoundHer House, San Francisco’s All-Female AI Hacker House Founded by Seattle Natives, Eyes Expansion to Seattle Amid $1.2B Funding Surge for Female-led Startups
FoundHer House, an all-female AI entrepreneur co-living space launched in San Francisco by Seattle natives Miki Safronov-Yamamoto and Anantika Mannby, is gaining attention as a model to support female founders amid the AI boom. With Seattle’s growing female-led startup funding surpassing $1.2 billion in 2024, the city is being considered for expansion of this initiative to help close the tech industry’s gender gap.
TechCrunch names first five VC judges for Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt 2025; $100,000 prize on Oct. 27–29 in San Francisco
TechCrunch announced the first five venture capitalists who will judge Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt 2025 (Oct. 27–29, San Francisco), where 20 finalists will compete for a $100,000 equity-free prize. The event spotlights alumni like Dropbox and Cloudflare and invites attendees to register for tickets and watch founders pitch to top investors.
Convoy Co-Founder Grant Goodale Joins Ryder as Chief Product and Technology Officer
Grant Goodale, co-founder and former CTO of Convoy, has joined Ryder as chief product and technology officer, marking his return to the trucking industry. Additionally, Seattle startups Shipium and Graham & Walker announced key leadership hires with Geoff Tamman named CFO and Ryan Hughes as chief of staff, respectively.
Mark Cuban Backs Seattle Startup Skylight Social Developing TikTok-Like App on AT Protocol Amid TikTok Ban Concerns
Seattle startup Skylight Social, founded by Victoria White and Reed Harmeyer, raised funding from Mark Cuban and Graham & Walker to develop a TikTok-like short-form video app built on the AT Protocol, enabling users to own and transfer their data across platforms. The app is a Public Benefit Corporation committed to positive social impact and aims to capitalize on TikTok's uncertain future amid a potential U.S. ban.
Seattle Venture Firm Graham & Walker Files to Raise $15M Second Fund for Early-Stage Tech Startups
Seattle-based venture firm Graham & Walker is raising a $15 million second fund focused on early-stage tech companies across North America, following a $10 million first fund in 2021. The firm, founded by Leslie Feinzaig, has a portfolio including Seattle startups Tokki, Planette, Proxi, and PairTree.
Bling Capital's Kyle Lui Critiques Seattle Startups for Low Ambition Compared to Bay Area
Kyle Lui, a longtime Silicon Valley venture capitalist and general partner at Bling Capital, says Seattle's startup ecosystem lacks ambitious founders aiming for large-scale industry leadership, favoring more modest, local outcomes instead. Lui believes this cautious mindset limits the growth of unicorns in Seattle compared to markets like the Bay Area and New York.
PairUp Raises $2.8M to Enhance Corporate Knowledge Sharing with AI, Led by CEO Emily Harburg
Startup PairUp, led by CEO Emily Harburg, offers AI-powered software to improve how companies capture and access both documented and undocumented knowledge across employees. The company recently secured $2.8 million in funding to support its mission of enhancing internal knowledge sharing, especially amid challenges posed by remote work.
Seattle Venture Capitalists Say Founder Support, Not Local Money, Is Key Missing Piece in Startup Ecosystem
Seattle's startup ecosystem is often criticized for a lack of local venture capital firms, but experts highlight that the true opportunity lies in fostering greater founder-to-founder investment and community support to strengthen the scene. Panelists at the Seattle AI Investor Summit emphasized that being a net importer of investment capital is positive, and more connectivity among founders could boost the city's startup success.
John Stanton of Trilogy Equity Partners Discusses Steady Venture Investments and AI Acquisition Challenges Amid Regulation
John Stanton of Trilogy Equity Partners highlights steady investment activity despite venture capital downturn, emphasizing AI-driven opportunities and regulatory challenges facing tech acquisitions. Speaking at a Harvard Business School event, Stanton also noted US regulators' impact on major tech companies' ability to acquire AI startups.
Seattle Startups Report 12% Down Rounds in 2023, Lower Than Bay Area's 17% and NYC's 24%, Reflecting Revenue Focus
Seattle startups experienced fewer down rounds in funding during the first nine months of 2023 compared to Bay Area and New York City, with 12% versus 17% and 24% respectively. This is attributed to Seattle founders' focus on revenue and profitability, which aligns better with current investor preferences amid broader tech market challenges.
WTIA Names 33 Washington Startups for Free 10th Founder Cohort Program with $10K AWS Credits
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced 33 Washington-based startups for its free, six-month 10th Founder Cohort Program, designed for seed-stage companies with under $1 million in revenue. The program offers mentorship, $10,000 in AWS credits, and leadership training, with one-third of participants led by female CEOs.
Graham & Walker (formerly Female Founders Alliance) raises $10M fund to back female-led startups
Seattle-based Female Founders Alliance rebranded as Graham & Walker and launched a $10 million venture fund to invest in female-led early-stage tech startups, led by founder and managing director Leslie Feinzaig. The fund raised capital from 105 backers (two-thirds women, 40% first-time fund investors) and has already made 11 investments with average checks of $25,000–$400,000.
WTIA selects 22 Washington seed-stage startups for six-month Founder Cohort to accelerate fundraising and growth
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) selected 22 Washington-headquartered, seed-stage tech startups for its six-month virtual Founder Cohort Program to help founders with fundraising, governance and customer development. The cohort is led by experienced founders and investors including Dave Parker, Susan Preston and Leslie Feinzaig and requires companies to have under $1M revenue and at least one product in development.
Two Screens for Teachers raises support as founders seek $23M to supply 250,000 pandemic-strained educators; teen Avi Schiffmann built a widely used COVID-19 tracker
A roundup of positive tech, science, and education stories from 2020 highlights initiatives that helped during the pandemic, including Two Screens for Teachers providing monitors to school districts and a high school student, Avi Schiffmann, building a widely used COVID-19 tracker.
Survey of 70 Seattle Founders: Local Angels Are Risk-Averse, Hidden and Losing Deals to Seed Funds
A February survey of 70 Seattle-area tech founders found widespread frustration with local angel investors, who are described as risk-averse, conservative, hidden, and out of touch; founders say angels must be more visible, faster, and willing to take bigger risks to compete with active local and Bay Area seed funds.
Seattle Startup CEOs Condemn Racism, Urge Action and Investment in Black Founders After George Floyds Death
Seattle startup leaders publicly condemned racism after George Floyd’s death and pledged concrete actions — including learning, speaking up, and pushing for investments in entrepreneurs of color — while noting tech’s role in inequality and recent moves like SoftBank’s $100 million fund.
2017 GeekWire Summit in Seattle Features CEOs Nadella, Johnson; Limited Tickets Available for Oct 9-11 Event
The 2017 GeekWire Summit, happening October 9-11 in Seattle, will gather over 800 leaders to discuss advances in tech, business, and science, featuring top speakers like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson. The event includes fireside chats, startup showcases, and a new 'Immigrant’s Journey' speaker series, with limited tickets still available.
Organizations
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Fast Company Contributor 2020–present · current
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Fortune Contributor 2020–present · current
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Female Founders Alliance Founder 2017–present · current
Education
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Harvard Business School MBA, Business · 2005–2007
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The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) BSc, Industrial Relations · 1999–2001
