Startup Forum: Smart Money Investor Panel
2026-11-18 · 15:30:00 · Golden
Beck Venture Center
1700 Washington Avenue, Golden, CO 80401
Colorado venture capitalists convene at the Beck Venture Center to demystify investment philosophies, market shifts, and future fundraising strategies.
Startup Forum is a program series designed to empower entrepreneurs with essential knowledge and insights crucial for startup success.
Venture Capital can be a black box for founders and each VC company approaches their duties with a different philosophy. On this panel we have assembled leaders from top Colorado VCs to give you an inside look as to how VCs are adjusting to market trends, what they are looking for in future investments, and what’s next for the future of fundraising for founders. Join the Beck Venture Center to get this exclusive insider information and more! Maggie Rodney: Maggie is a Partner at Massive VC, the founder-led deep-tech firm backing companies in "inevitable" markets - space, data infrastructure, energy, and security - as they move from prototype to commercial traction. She leads sourcing, diligence, portfolio support, and community engagement. Prior to Massive, she was an early employee at Altvia, where she helped build investor-relations infrastructure for private equity and venture firms managing more than $500M in AUM, with earlier experience spanning litigation, management consulting, and forensic accounting. Kirsten Suddath: Kristen joined Next Frontier Capital as a General Partner in 2021, bringing years of experience on the investor side and a decade as an operator to her work with NFC and our portfolio companies. Before joining NFC, Kirsten served as a Senior Associate with Blackhorn Ventures, a high-velocity, industrial-focused firm base
Founder brief
Who should attend
Entrepreneurs leading early-stage companies, particularly those developing deep-tech, energy, or industrial solutions, will find the session useful. Founders planning upcoming venture rounds who want to decode how institutional investors assess risk and portfolio alignment should make time for the afternoon.
What happens
Attendees arrive at 3:30 PM before a panel presentation and audience Q&A begins at 4:00 PM. The conversation shifts at 5:30 PM into a dedicated networking session and complimentary happy hour concluding at 7:00 PM.
Who's in the room
Panelists include Maggie Rodney, Partner at Massive VC focusing on deep-tech sectors like energy and data infrastructure, alongside Kirsten Suddath, General Partner at Next Frontier Capital. Local startup operators, investors, and members of the Colorado School of Mines ecosystem fill the surrounding seats.
How to prepare
Bring targeted questions about current valuation trends and stage-specific milestones to ask during the Q&A. Prepare a concise summary of your venture's core value proposition to discuss naturally during the post-panel happy hour without treating the mixer as a formal pitch session.
Organizer: Beck Venture Center, Colorado School of Mines
At a glance
- Tickets
- Free
- Sectors
- Deeptech, Climate energy
Agenda
- 3:30 PM · Doors
- 4:00 PM · Presentation + Q&A
- 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM · Networking + Free Happy Hour