PARTICIPANTS

Laura Brightsen

Laura Brightsen is a Managing Director at Golden Seeds, an investment fund that invests in early stage companies founded or run by women. Laura serves on the board of RuMe, a consumer products brand that brings fashionable eco-friendly products to market. Additionally, Laura is a consultant with a focus on the private equity industry and specializes in conducting research for VC and PE firms on their strategy and reputation.

In 2012, she was selected to serve as a Delegate for the U.S. State Department's Global Entrepreneurship Program, which is designed to leverage US business expertise to foster relationships between the US and emerging markets.

Her earlier career includes nearly ten years in venture capital/private equity, including running marketing for Apax Partners and American Securities in New York. Previously, she spent over twelve years in various senior level marketing, P&L operating, strategic and business development roles in large capitalization companies; including, MCI, ADP, and Winstar Communications.

Laura has a Masters of Finance from Johns Hopkins University, a Bachelors Degree from James Madison University in Marketing and Economics, and attended the Private Equity Program at the Said Business School at the University of Oxford. With a love for world travel and exploration, she has been to 50 countries and is a member of the Explorers Club in NYC.