ML

Mariah Lichtenstern

Founding Partner, DiverseCity Ventures | Startup Advisor & Investor | Tech Policy | Film Finance

Sacramento, California

Work Experience

  • Founding Partner / Managing Director

    2017

    Capitalizing on Diverse Perpectives Innovation thrives where diverse perspectives intersect and DiverseCity Ventures capitalizes on these intersections. A pre-seed / seed-stage firm, we accelerate scalable, technology-enabled companies that have positive social, economic, or environmental impact, inclusive teams, and demonstrate high potential for outsized returns. Committed to diversity and inclusion, we have special interest in companies helmed by inclusive teams. We also look for diversity in the overall organization - by virtue of not only gender and ethnicity, but also geography, socio-economic background, and "otherness." Data supports our belief that under-utilized perspectives and underserved markets are a treasure trove of opportunity. Areas of interest include: • CleanTech (ESG) / Sustainability (Agriculture, Water, Energy) • Education / Skill Development • Finance / Crypto-Currency • Health & Wellness • Real Estate / Affordable Housing • Communication / Cultural Representation (including Media, Tourism, & Entertainment) • Social Justice / Social Equity • Emerging & Underserved Markets Learn more: www.DiverseCityV.com *Please be advised, we do not sign NDAs for submissions as per industry protocol. Thank you for your understanding.

  • Convergence Accelerator Coach

    2021

    The NSF Convergence Accelerator program addresses national-scale societal challenges through use-inspired convergence research. Using a convergence approach and innovation processes like human-centered design, user discovery, and team science and integration of multidisciplinary research, the Convergence Accelerator program seeks to transition basic research and discovery into practice—to solve high-impact societal challenges aligned with specific research themes (tracks).  NSF Convergence Accelerator tracks are chosen in concordance with the themes identified during the program’s ideation process that have the potential for significant national impact. The NSF Convergence Accelerator implements a two-phase program.

2020

  • AI Ethics Advisor

    2020

    Artificial intelligence powered data platform for smart and safe city applications. Hayden AI is an artificial intelligence technology company and smart city solutions provider that partners with the world’s most innovative cities to improve traffic safety and efficiency.

  • Board Member

    2020

    At Fourthwave, our mission is to facilitate the development of best-in-class women-led companies with diverse teams.

  • Member

    2015

    Fostering Entrepreneurship For UCLA Students, Parents, Faculty and Alumni UCLA Ventures (formerly UCLA Venture Capital Fund) is a community of UCLA alumni and friends whose core purpose is to support and promote entrepreneurship at UCLA. The VC Fund mentors faculty and students, fosters the growth of UCLA companies, and connects entrepreneurs with an interest in UCLA. Members have the opportunity to advise campus entrepreneurship initiatives, raise funds for UCLA start-ups, and ultimately to advance UCLA as one of the top entrepreneurial universities in the nation.

2015

  • Public Speaker

    2015

    Topics: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, Diversity & Inclusion, CleanTech & Sustainability, Innovation Ecosystem, Creative Economy, Filmmaking, Film Finance & Distribution

2020 - 2020

  • Aspen Tech Policy Fellow

    2020 - 2020

    The Aspen Tech Policy Hub mixes the best of both Washington and Silicon Valley, bringing together stakeholders in policy and technology to train the next generation of policy entrepreneurs. The Aspen Tech Policy Hub is a West Coast policy incubator, training a new generation of tech policy entrepreneurs. It takes tech experts, teaches them the policy process through an in-residence fellowship program in the Bay Area, and encourage them to develop outside-the-box solutions to society’s problems. Modeled after tech incubators like Y Combinator, it trains new policy thinkers and focuses the impact of their ideas. See outputs at https://techfundingequity.com

2015 - 2020

  • Managing Director, Sacramento / Female Founder Fellow, Silicon Valley

    2015 - 2020

    Female Founder Fellow & graduate of Silicon Valley Spring 2015. Initiated, validated and launched Sacramento, CA chapter. Produce pre-launch and semester events. Recruited over 100 Mentors, 22 Founders, and 4 Co-Directors from local ecosystem. Recognized in Forbes magazine as the 3rd most gender diverse chapter globally out of 200 cities. The Founder Institute is the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, helping aspiring founders across the globe build enduring technology companies. FI has chapters in over 60 countries and 150 cities. It has helped to launch over 3,000 companies, create over 20,000 jobs, and graduate companies are valued at over $15B. Graduates raised over $100MM of investment capital in 2016 alone.

2014 - 2019

  • Founder

    2014 - 2019

    CINESHARES connects filmmakers and their stakeholders from script-to-screen, from compliant film finance to distribution.

2015 - 2016

  • Kauffman Fellows Finalist, Associate Track (Discontinued)

    2015 - 2016

    The Kauffman Fellowship is a highly sought-after two-year program dedicated exclusively to the world of innovation investing...Finalists have survived a rigorous and extensive screening process, and represent the best of this year’s forward-thinking applicants to the capital formation ecosystem. As of 2013, Kauffman Fellows have collectively made $6 billion in venture capital investments, sparking growth in hundreds of new enterprises, $15 billion in annually recurring revenues, and the creation of 50,000 jobs.